Fall / Winter 2018
Life o n th e P eninsula
ABOARD THE FIREBOAT
yea! Alex! • Mean Girl Reverend Sykes • Firehouse home BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 1
Broadway 17th to 30th Street
Bayonne’s Business District is thriving!
There are improvements everyday in Bayonne’s Special Improvement District!
For information about the Bayonne SID, please call 201.858.6357 2 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
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CONTENTS BLP
FEATURES 14
Meg Zervoulis
18
Bayonne, France
18
Mean Girl
22
Library Guy
PJ Porcaro
DEPARTMENTS 7
EDITOR’S LETTER
8
CONTRIBUTORS
10
DATES
26
SENIOR MOMENTS --Red Hats
28
PEOPLE POWER H. Gene Sykes
32
ON THE JOB WITH Bayonne Fireboat
36
28
36
48
HOW WE WORK
--Taproot --Ignite Physical Therapy and Wellness
38
Alex Petisco
EDUCATION
42
Elks
44
34th Street Firehouse
HELPING HANDS
44
HOW WE LVE
48
Rugby
52
Open Mic
SPORTS AND FITNESS
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
54
Buttero
57
CITY CRITTERS
EATERY AND WATERING HOLE
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54
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6 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
EDITOR’S LETTER BLP
The Town’s Taking Off No, that’s not me pictured on this page. But if it were, I’d be a smart, fun, brave third grader from Henry Harris named Alex Petisco. Read all about him in the Education section of this issue. Some of our stories in this issue reflect the enormous changes that are taking place in our town. Most of them have to do with the wonderful people who now look at Bayonne as a place to thrive, network, and meet fellow citizens who are doing interesting things. Take Meg Zervoulis. She’s the associate conductor for the Broadway show Mean Girls. That’s a big deal, and the city is attracting more like her. How about Christian Garibaldi? He bought the 34th Street Firehouse. He has an architecture and photography background and is renovating the firehouse in a way that honors its Bayonne bones while bringing a sophisticated aesthetic to the project. Or JP Porcaro. The new library director is not your grandma’s librarian. Again, while honoring the classic building and the time-honored mission of free public libraries, he’s bringing technology, events, energy, and excitement to the whole library experience. Another stellar resident is Reverend H. Gene Sykes who’s celebrating 25 years behind the pulpit of Friendship Baptist Church. And what about the Red Hat Society? I’d seen
Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
these ladies in the pages of the Bayonne Community News, so we decided to find out what was up with these foxy ladies. Here’s to life on the Peninsula!
Don’t Keep Living with Pain!
DR. JOSEPH IBRAHIM is the founder of New Jersey Spine and Pain Institute. With extensive training and experience that enables him to seek out the root cause of your pain, Dr. Ibrahim will restore you back to good health. He is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation with subspecialty of interventional pain medicine.
Some Conditions We Treat
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Offering On-Site Physical Therapy
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59 Seeley Avenue, Kearny
2520 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City
201 S. Livingston Avenue, Livingston
201.436.0033 NJSpineandPain.com
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 7
Terri Saulino Bish is an award-winning graphic designer, digital artist, and photographer, capturing many of the iconic images featured in print and online publications across Hudson County. You can view more of her work at tbishphoto.com.
Pat Bonner is a Navy veteran and one of the 45th Street Bonners.
Beth DiCara is a fulltime artisan working with clay. Check out her Etsy shop, eveningstarstudio or visit her studio at 11 Monitor St. in Jersey City.
Terri Saulino Bish
Delfin Ganapan is an editorial assistant at the Hudson Reporter. In his spare time, he is immersed in contemporary geek and pop culture and has contributed to a small geek culture blog called We Are Geeking Out.
Alyssa Bredin Quiros
Jim Hague is a Jersey City native, who landed a job with the Hudson Dispatch in 1986. He has been the sports columnist for the Hudson Reporter Associates for the last 22 years.
Alyssa Bredin Quiros is an award-winning designer and photographer. Her work is featured in numerous publications, including Hoboken 07030 and Jersey City Magazine. You can see her full portfolio at tbishphoto.com.
Pat Bonner
Victor M. Rodriguez has studied publication design, photography, and graphic arts. “I’ve been fascinated by photography for almost 20 years,” he says.
Victor M. Rodriguez
Max Ryazansky is a photographer whose work has been exhibited in galleries and published worldwide. A recent transplant to Bayonne, he spends his spare time trying to figure out the best pizza place in town.
Tara Ryazansky
b l p
contributors
is a writer who recently moved from Brooklyn to Bayonne. She works as a blogger for Nameberry.com and spends her spare time fixing up her new (to her) 100-year-old home.
Beth DiCara
Max Ryazansky
Delfin Ganapan
Jim Hague
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Tara Ryazansky
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 9
dates Want your event listed? Please email us at bcneditorial@ hudsonreporter.com and put “Bayonne Magazine calendar listings” in the subject line.
ongoing The Hudson Toastmasters Club, Bayonne Public Library, 697 Avenue C, first and third Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Toastmasters International encourages the art of public speaking and develops leadership skills. Guests are welcome. Book Worms Wanted, Senior Center, Avenue B and 56th Street, every Thursday, 1-2:30 p.m. Do you like to read? Do you enjoy discussing books? We read a variety of books which the library gets for us. You do not have to be a senior to join. Give us a try; new members are always welcome. For information, call Ralph at (201) 437-9608. continued on page 17
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in the orchestra pit of the august Wilson Theatre
One Mean Girl From Bayonne to Broadway By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Max Ryazansky
T
he pink doors of the August Wilson Theatre burst open while the Broadway actors are still taking their curtain calls. Legions of fans, many of them wearing pink, run to the stage door hoping for an autograph or a selfie with one of The Plastics. If you’ve ever seen the cult film that Mean Girls the musical is based on, then you know what I’m talking about.
And if you don’t know, then you’re certainly in the minority here, where fans quote their favorite lines and sing the songs off key while waiting for a glimpse of fan favorites Janis and Damian. Associate music director and Bayonne native Meg Zervoulis sometimes gets mistaken for the actress depicting Ms. Norbury, who was played in the film by Tina Fey, who wrote the book that the Mean Girls musical is based on. “This place is so crazy. I’ve worked in a lot of shows, and the fandom for this is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Zervoulis says. She saw the original film years before the play be-
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 15
came the Tony-nominated hit that it is today. “I definitely wasn’t a super fan or anything. In fact, I had to refresh my memory once I got the job just to familiarize myself with the jokes.” Now Zervoulis works the show as associate music director from inside the orchestra pit. She might be able to navigate the crowd outside easier than the stars, but she’s just as important. On any given night, Zervoulis either conducts or plays keyboard 2. Her days are busy with rehearsals as new actors come in to cover for or replace other performers. There’s plenty of administrative work
Zervoulis’s musical career started at age 3 when she was in Kindermusik classes. as well. “It’s really a full-time job, and it’s bigger than just playing the show, but I enjoy it,” she says as she makes her way through the old theater’s dark backstage maze.
ber with New York rehearsals. Then the play ran in Washington, D.C., for 10 weeks while the team fine-tuned the show based on audience reactions. Fey and her composer husband, Jeff Richmond, changed the script and the score along with Nell Benjamin, the lyricist. “She’s incredibly smart,” Zervoulis says of Fey. “My favorite thing is watching how quickly she could fix jokes. There would be a couple of nights where one joke wasn’t landing as heavily as she would want, and then in the next rehearsal watching her go into her brain parts and create a new joke that would then land so awesomely, I mean, not everyone could do that. She is totally Liz Lemon in real life.” As the show closed in DC they got the news that they would be opening in New York. “That doesn’t always happen,” Zervoulis says. “It was just general elation in the whole building. Not that it was unexpected; sometimes when you’re working on a show with such a star-power creative team, often it’s expected that it will eventually make it to Broadway, but the rapid calendar—it’s called fast track in the industry—made everybody really happy.”
BC, Before Conducting Zervoulis’s musical career started at age 3 when she was in Kindermusik classes. “It was with Judy Kawalek in the church on 5th Street by Henry Harris,” Zervoulis recalls. “That’s where it all started, but my parents were Bridgemen, so it was just inevitable.” A love for music might have been inevitable, but a Broadway career is an unattainable dream for most. Zervoulis thinks that growing up in the shadow of the city had something to do with her success. “I started piano lessons in New York City when I was 8,” she says. “That made New York feel accessible. I wouldn’t say that the actual achievement of working on Broadway ever felt easy, but it was definitely always part of my atmosphere. My mom would take us to shows when we were little. She would take me to my piano lessons. I always felt the close proximity. It’s rare from such a young age to know what Lincoln Center is, and to know what Broadway looks like and what the shows are like.” Zervoulis also counts her first piano teacher, Marianne Greiman, Joan Rosen, Lydia Megale, and Serge Puchinsky of the BHS music department as Bayonnites who inspired her success. Throughout her years at BHS, Zervoulis was involved with music, which meant accompanying the choir, serving as drum major, and performing in plays as an actor and musician. Then she landed the perfect after-school job: “I started working at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Joan Rosen, who was the head of arts at Bayonne High School recommended me. Through working there I got experience music directing.” She studied classical piano at Carnegie Mellon University but gravitated to the drama school as her interest in conducting grew.
Staying Mean The play was an instant Broadway hit. “There’s a fan base that really loves the music,” Zervoulis says. Richmond composed the themes for 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. “It’s very similar to those scores in that it’s theater pop and quirky and really crowd-pleasing. In fact, we’ve been getting viral videos from all over the world.” Zervoulis likes the videos, but it’s the fan art and letters that really move her. “The tone of so many of them is a thank you, because the music or the tone of the show has helped them to embrace who they are,” Zervoulis says. “They’re victims of bullying. We have an alliance with Stomp Out Bullying. I like knowing that there’s a great message with this show. The cast is always willing to donate their time to stay and do talkbacks, and I love that.” Up next for Zervoulis is a gig as musical director on a musical comedy called The Prom. Broadway previews begin in October. The music is by Matthew Sklar, who composed the music for The Wedding Singer and Elf the Musical. “It’s more traditional Broadway,” Zervoulis says. “It’s an original musical based on a true story, not a movie.” Outside the theater, fans are still taking photos under the marquee. Zervoulis has this final word for those with Broadway dreams: “There is no one way to reach a goal. Go with your instincts, stay close to your roots, be yourself, and observe others who have succeeded in paths similar to the ones you desire.”—BLP
Becoming Mean It was through Paper Mill Playhouse that Zervoulis met Mary-Mitchell Campbell, music director of Mean Girls. “I’ve been working for her now for three or four years on bigger and bigger projects, and now this.” Zervoulis started working on Mean Girls last Septem-
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stompoutbullying.org
from page 10
Kings Knight Chess McCafe, McDonalds, 25th Street, Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. Kings Knight Chess will provide chess instruction for youth, adults, and seniors. Free meals for youth. The Bayonne Women’s Club, Grace Lutheran Church, 826 Avenue C, first Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. For more information, please like us on Facebook at Bayonne Women’s Club. Chair Yoga for Seniors with the Division of Recreation, 56th Street Senior Center. Every Wednesday 10-11 a.m. For information, contact the 56th Street Senior Center at (201) 437-5996. Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation is looking for volunteers and foster homes for pets. If you would like to help, please contact Kathy at (201) 823-2363. Hudson County Animal League Adoptions, every Sunday, 12-4:30 p.m., Fussy Friends, 148 Newark Ave., Jersey City, (1/2 block from Grove Street PATH). For information, call Kathleen, (201) 895-3874; every Sunday 1-3:30 p.m., Petsmart, 400 Mill Creek Mall, Secaucus. For information, call Charlene, (201) 598-0952 or Kathleen, (201) 895-3874; Petvalu, 307 Bayonne Crossing Way, Bayonne. Every Saturday, 12-4 p.m. For continued on page 25
“With God’s Help We Go Forward” Trinity Parish in Bergen Point
An Episcopal congregation Holy Eucharist – 9:30 AM each Sunday Children’s Sunday School and child care Knitting Ministry – 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month Men’s Group Columbarium on site Quarterly Pot Luck Dinners & Mass on The Grass Annual Parish Picnic
All Are Welcome & Invited to Our Communion Table
Music Lessons through our mutual ministry with Grace Lutheran Church, Hand in Hand Music School
Corner of 5th and Broadway Trinity Parish is the sponsor of the Windmill Alliance, Inc.
Plenty of on-site parking
201-858-4460
201-858-4460 | www.trinityparishbayonne.org
DENTISTRY with Monique
“CREATING BEAUTIFUL NATURAL SMILES” FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY Dr. Monique Dardzinski is best known for connecting with her patients and making them feel comfortable. She puts special emphasis in making sure patients get all their questions answered and have their treatment tailored to their special needs. She, along with her friendly and knowledgeable staff, will provide you with the highest quality, most up-dated care available in a clean, comfortable environment.
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BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 17
Bayonne, France? Mais Oui!
Photo by Lucas Martinez Farra, Creative Commons license, Wikimedia Commons
By Patrick Bonner
G
rowing up in the 1950s, we knew of Bayonne, France, but thought it was a place on the other side of the world that we would never see, sort of an alternate reality. Now, having visited the “other” Bayonne, I can report that it is a charming and picturesque city. While the two Bayonnes are not London and Paris, there are enough interesting similarities and differences to make it the best of times to take a trip to Bayonne, France. It’s also a short, two-hour drive to Lourdes, so you can use Bayonne as a base and make a day trip to Lourdes. Local lore would have it that our Bayonne was named after the French one. Sorry. I can’t picture the Dutch burgers who settled here deciding to name their town after an obscure Basque village in the Pyrenees. More likely, the water bodies surrounding the two places gave rise to their common name. It was the confluence of the rivers Nive and Ardur that caused the Romans to build a fort or castrum in Bayonne. Parts of their walls are still standing near the Cathedral of Sainte Marie de Bayonne, built between the 12th and 16th centuries on the site of an old Roman church. There is still a 6 p.m. Mass on Saturday night in the sturdy, Gothic cathedral, but sadly attendance is down, as it is in the churches of our Bayonne. Just as the newly arriving Polish, Irish, Hispanics, and Italians enriched our city, the other Bayonne served as a crossroads or bridge between Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. Many cultures thrived there. The English ruled during the Middle Ages. The Chateau Vieux, base of the Black Prince, still stands. Bayonne later served as a refuge for the Jewish fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. France took over the city peacefully in 1451 after a local bishop reportedly saw
18 18 •• BAYONNE BAYONNE--Life Lifeon onthe thePeninsula Peninsula -- FALL/WINTER FALL/WINTER 2018 2018
Pecold / Shutterstock.com
Photo by Pat Bonner
Pat Bonne with his wife, Maureen Bonner
products. A major difference is the use of the waterfront and adjoining properties. Bayonne, France, has numerous waterside restaurants, bars, and cafes that draw people to the river, which basically splits the city. Our Bayonne has plans to develop its waterfront with bike paths, cafes, shops, a hotel, ferry slip, and residential buildings. It seems as if every French city is renowned for one food item. For Bayonne, it is jambon or ham. Throughout a good part of Europe, you will see “Bayonne ham” on the menu. The jambon bought at Charcuterie Rubard tastes a little earthier and more pungent than the ham bought
Anky / Shutterstock.com
a cross in the sky. The city has been French since then and, like the rest of France, lost many, many men in World War I and suffered from the deportation of Jews in World War II. There are prominent memorials to both in the city.
Contemporary Town Today, Bayonne is a vibrant river port with a population of about 45,000 and the hub of a Basque metropolitan area of close to 300,000. It retains many medieval-like streets too narrow for cars, lined with small shops, sidewalk cafes, and 18th century wood buildings. Like our Bayonne, the French Bayonne is a port city for oil, gas, and chemical
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula Peninsula -- FALL/WINTER FALL/WINTER 2018 2018 •• 19 19
Alexander Demyanenko / Shutterstock.com
at our 22nd Street Meat Market. It was a great appetizer at La Grange, a four-star riverside restaurant where dinner for three with French wine cost about $110. The city is 3.7 miles from the ocean; there are many excellent restaurants throughout the city serving seafood and French and Basque cuisine.
Shared Challenges The two Bayonnes face similar issues. Housing costs are rising. Bayonne is a typical French city with many more apartments than singlefamily homes. A one-bedroom apartment of about 420 square feet rents for about $625 a month and would sell for about $130,000 or so. Due to the narrow streets and many buildings with apartments, parking is also an issue. Residents must purchase a pass to park on the streets near their homes, but spots are limited. There are numerous pay parking garages and lots throughout the city. Both cities are in the process of assimilating newcomers. In our Bayonne, we are getting used to having two Egyptian grocery stores on Broadway. The wine-loving French are adjusting to having an Irish pub, Katie Daly’s, across the square from the Ville de Cité. The residents of both cities share a pride in their city and a resiliency that will get them through these changes. Despite or maybe because of the similarities and differences, I plan to return to Bayonne, France. All in all, it reminds me of home.—BLP
Photo by Pat Bonner
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PHOTO OP BLP
Victor M. Rodriguez caught this beautiful image of the inlet near South Cove Commons.
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YouTube, VR, 3D … Is he really your grandma’s librarian?
By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Maxim Ryazansky
If
there’s a librarian stereotype then at first glance JP Porcaro breaks the mold. His office is decorated with Marvel comic book posters, and a guitar rests in the corner. He’s known for quoting Keith Richards in interviews. He wears Kanye West shoes and a tshirt from Classic Skate Shop, though he keeps it professional with a tailored jacket. And Porcaro doesn’t whisper, especially not when he’s talking animatedly about his plans as Bayonne’s new library director. “The Keith Richards quote isn’t to be edgy or cool, but because what he said really resonated with me,” Porcaro says, repeating it: “When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you.” When Porcaro was growing up the library was certainly his place. From the time he was 14, he worked at the South Orange Public Library. At the time he didn’t see it as the beginning of a career. “Some people get a part time job scooping ice cream or stocking shelves. To me, it was just a job,”
Porcaro says. “But when I look back at my childhood I just think about that library more and more. You don’t realize how important things are in your life until you’ve moved on.” Porcaro worked in libraries through high school. Spending so much time in the library sharpened his research skills. He knew the Dewey Decimal System by heart. “You don’t learn by osmosis, you’ve got to learn by learning. That said, just being surrounded by everything in the library does something to you,” Porcaro says. “I’ve been transformed because of it.” As he grew older he saw the potential for a career as a librarian. He finished his undergrad studies in just three years at NJCU, working at the campus library there as well. Then he went on to get his Master’s degree in Library Science from Rutgers University.
Shu sh! Does Porcaro break the librarian stereotype? He doesn’t think so. “I think I’m pretty typical to be honest,” he says. “If you look at all this stuff that I’m into, it’s kind of library-ish, but kind of not. I don’t feel out of the ordinary. We all learned from those older
folks, so no one has any sort of disdain for the buns or any of that.” In fact, the American Library Association was one of the first professional organizations that fought for LGBTQIA+ individuals with what was known as the Task Force on Gay Liberation. He says librarians are sort of radical. (Porcaro ran unsuccessfully for president of the ALA in 2015.) “Librarians were always sort of pushing things,” Porcaro says. “Those older librarians pushed us to be better, and now we’re pushing more. I’m just following a really strong tradition. We’re all about keeping up that whole tradition of learning that takes place outside of school, that tradition goes all the way back to the Carnegie libraries. This is a place where you can learn forever, and it’s for everybody.” He notes that librarians have always been early adopters of technology. “The first place that I ever used the internet was a public library in 1996 or something,” Porcaro says. “I think of the library as a place that you can go to try out some technology that you might not be able to personally afford, or even if you can afford it, you might want to try it first. That’s something that I would like to continue doing.”
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 23
that they can access on their phones or other devises. ESL classes and more books in more languages are also part of the effort to make the library a welcoming community.
KIdS Fly Fr e e
“This is a place where you can learn forever, and it’s for everybody,” Porcaro says.
Since Porcaro assumed the position in April he has replaced every computer in the building. Next he plans to bring in new tech like a 3D printer, virtual reality equipment including green screens, and an audio and visual recording studio in a new teen space.
l e a r nIng F o r lIFe “I’m not doing anything cutting edge, I’m just following the tradition that I grew up in,” Porcaro says. “This is the place that you come and learn and explore your curiosity and you can go back and take the stuff that you learned and apply it to your real life.” He breaks into a smile. “I’m just excited about the VR stuff!” The teen space will be modeled after San Francisco’s The Mix and Chicago Public Library’s Youmedia, where
Chance The Rapper recorded his first mix tape. Porcaro hopes that the Bayonne space inspires local teens to explore their talents in the same way. “It’s going to be a cool place where if you want to start a YouTube channel it’s going to have some legit really good equipment,” Porcaro says. “We’ll be here to help.” In the process of clearing out a space for the new teen room, Porcaro pulled out archive photos and maps that decorate the library walls and are displayed in cases throughout the building. Also in the works is a cafe space on the first floor in the raised entry area. “Sometimes you want to sit and have coffee and read your book,” Porcaro says. The library will be growing its core collection and acquiring new releases. Soon library members will have access to thousands of downloadable titles
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New children’s programming is in the works. Porcaro, a father of two kids in Mary J. Donohue, led his first story time last week with a reading of “Where The Wild Things Are.” He says it takes him back to his days working in the library as a teen where he led sing-a-longs and arts and crafts activities. The new children’s programs will take place in a new space that is being cleared for events, so the children’s room won’t be closed to other library goers during story time. “Since I’ve started, every hour that the library is open, every room is open, always,” Porcaro says. “Now you know when you walk in the library the children’s room will be open, and the art and music room will be open.” Porcaro has support for his many changes. “We have a really great library board,” he says. “They’re behind all the changes I’m making. That’s a big positive.” Porcaro wants to remind residents that there’s a big municipal parking lot behind the building. The Avenue C bus stops out front. Porcaro hopes these conveniences encourage people to come and see the changes for themselves. Like Keith Richards said, the library belongs to you.—BLP
from page 17
information, call Charlene, (201) 895-0952 or Kathleen, (201) 8953874. Joyce-Herbert V.F.W. Post 226 Museum seeks military history, military memorabilia and military paraphernalia, and donations to support the growing military museum. All items are either donated or loaned to our museum. The contact persons for donations are Commander Glen J. Flora and Director and Senior Vice Commander Joseph Kennedy. The museum at 16 W. Ninth St. is open Saturdays, 12-4 p.m.
Young at Heart Seniors meet on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at 12:30 p.m. at the Senior Center at West 4th Street.
and 27th Streets, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
20
october
PAL Hall of Fame Dinner, Knights of Columbus Hall, 669 Avenue C, 7:30 p.m.
17
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Prime of Life’s Trip to Hunterdon Playhouse. Enjoy lunch and the comedy “Run for Your Life.” The cost is $85. Bus leaves Fourth Street at 10 a.m. For information, call (201) 437-6350 or (201) 492-7226.
18 Bayonne Health Fair, Fitzpatrick Park, Avenue C between 26th
Trinity Parish Dinner, Chandelier Restaurant, 1081 Broadway, 6-10 p.m. This event helps raise funds to support the Windmill Alliance, the social service organization associated with the parish. The cost is $50 per person. For reservations and information, call Father Greg Perez at (201) 8584460.
27 Blessed Miriam TeresaParish Fall Flea Market, St. Andrews School, 126 Broadway, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The parish will also be running a kitchen for breakfast and lunch. We’re looking for vendors: $25 for a six-foot table. Contracts available at the Parish Office, 326 Avenue C. For information, call (201) 437-4090.
Hudson County Animal League Flea Market, Senior Building, 597 Broadway, 9 a.m.-3p.m. Come and see the new treasures we have at a very continued on page 31
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 25
Senior Moments BLP
Queen Bee
Red
Rules,
Purple
Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez
F
or years, I’d seen pictures of these red-hatted ladies in the pages of the Bayonne Community News, but I wasn’t sure who they were or what they did. So, I decided to find out. The Bayonne club is the local affiliate of a national organization called the Red Hat Society. That’s the official line. But here’s what Queen Bee Connie Piser has to say: “The Red Hatters are women over 50 who are tired of doing nothing and go out together, doing things instead of sitting in the house, giving up on life, and getting old. We are free women who do as we please.” That last sentiment surfaced a lot as we got to know the hatters. The group of about 15 meets the first Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the library. On a truly sweltering afternoon in mid-August, Victor Rodriguez and I met them in the library. They were on time, haberdashed, and ready to roll in a basement meeting room. On the table was a box of pastries.
Reigns
We didn’t think this small, dark room was appropriate for this group, who were not only wearing their jaunty chapeaux, but were also dressed in purple, another club tradition. So up we went to the main part of the library, where Victor photographed them in the stacks and in front of a large, colorful painting behind the main desk. Connie and the group listed some of the places they’ve visited: Toms River for a dinner cruise, Atlantic City, Moutainside Inn for dinner and entertainment, the Hunterdon Hills Playhouse, and the Breakers in Spring Lake. They also go to the movies and have Friday lunches in Bayonne, including at Winners, where they bet on the horses. “Nobody tells the other girls what to do,” Connie says. A couple of new members agreed that it was a nice club, and they felt very welcomed. This year the group is celebrating its 15th anniversary, so they must be doing something right. Says Connie, “We do as we please with no regulations and no husbands telling us what to do.”—Kate Rounds
26 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
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BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 27
Reverend H. Gene Sykes
Photo by alyssa Bredin Quiros.
Twenty-five years of friendship
28 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
H
e may traffic in the celestial spheres, but his feet are firmly planted on Earth. My first chat with Rev. H. Gene Sykes—a Vietnam era veteran—introduced me to a pretty practical guy—no epiphanies or Road to Damascus moments. “I started out as an electrical engineer,” he relates. “I was working in the corporate world around the age of 33 or 34 when I began to hear God calling me to do something different.” Again, I was wondering if it was like Moses and the burning bush or Saul being thrown off his horse by a bolt of light, but no. “I avoided it for a while more,” he says. It was “14 years until I finally accepted the call, became ordained, and came here.” But he was no stranger to church. “I grew up in the church; from a child my mother took us to Sunday school.” He’s a native of Tallahassee, Fla., and was educated there through college but got his electrical engineering degree in Cleveland. “I was comfortable doing what I was doing,” he says. “It was very rewarding, addressing my areas of interest at the time. I had good jobs and opportunities.” His transformation from the “comfortable” realms of electrical engineering to the ministry “was more of a conviction than anything,” he says. “I didn’t hear a voice, no flashes in the sky. It was a conviction that propelled me into the ministry.”
PEOPLE POWER BLP
The Road to Reverend Before you become a pastor of a church, you learn under other pastors. He was an assistant minister and “learned under three pastors” before landing the position at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Bayonne 25 years ago. Those churches were Shiloh Baptist in Plainfield, Concord Baptist in Perth Amboy, and St. Luke’s in Paterson. “But just because I’ve been in New Jersey, that doesn’t make me a Jersey person,” he jokes. “Even after 25 years, Bayonnites would never accept me as that.” But he’s always been a Baptist. “It’s what I know, part of my culture, I grew up in it, my conviction came from it, everything I learned about God.” When he started in the ministry, before he had his own church, he was
“Pastoring is everything associated with a person’s life,” Sykes says. Photos by alyssa Bredin Quiros.
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 29
Sykes with his wife, Fannie, the church secretary. Photos courtesy of Friendship Baptist Church. still working in the corporate world. “It satisfied my yearning to be of use to God’s people,” he says. “Preaching and proclaiming the word of God is one phase. Pastoring to head a church and congregation came later.” Friendship Baptist is the “only pastoring I’ve ever had,” he says. “Basically, it’s a lot more headaches and heartaches, but it’s all good.” Pastoring, he says, “runs the gamut from hangnails to death. It’s everything associated with a person’s life, not so much theology but everyday problems. I love it.”
Worshiping in a Changing World To the uninitiated, churchgoing often means sermons, and sometimes pretty boring ones at that. But, Sykes discloses, “Sermons are pretty easy for me. They take time to prepare, but the delivery is pretty easy. The day-to-day ministry to people’s needs is most important.” While issues such as pain and grief are constant, “problems change with
society as society changes,” Sykes says. “People’s concerns change, the approach to living, attitudes, it’s a growth process.” Sykes laments that some of the cultural changes are for the worse. “We thought we’d come a long way,” he says, “but civil rights specifically seems stagnant.” He’s loathe to lay it at the feet of the current president. “We can’t put it at his doorstep,” he says. “We allowed it to happen, but we don’t have to listen to him.” The Reverend’s way with words is evident when he says, “Accepting the unacceptable becomes acceptable. The way people conduct themselves sometimes strays away from the way God wants us to be, accepting the world rather than the church being the change agent.” He sums up, “We should be the salt of the earth, not salted by the earth.” “The Bible,” he says, “is pretty easy to understand, once we trust the word of God. The difficulty is when we let go of the word and interpret it.”
Friendship Baptist
The Friendship Baptist Choir: “Music is a vital part of the worship experience,” Sykes says. Photo courtesy of Friendship Baptist Church.
30 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
Sykes serves a congregation of some 300, with about 150 to 200 confirmed members in regular attendance. “The others come on Easter, Christmas, New Year’s, and Mother’s Day,” he laughs. “Nobody comes on Father’s Day.”
He says, “Music is a vital part of the worship experience. It’s the one instrument God gives all of us to worship Him together. We can’t all pray or preach together, but we can all sing together.” Friendship Baptist was founded in 1926 by Southerners who resettled in Bayonne. “It’s a nice town,” Sykes says. “It’s a good community with good people. I enjoy living here.” He lives with his wife, Fannie, who is the church secretary. Future plans call for acquiring property to expand the church’s daycare facility. In the meantime Friendship Baptist will continue to do what it’s called to do: feed the hungry and homeless and clothe the naked. “It’s important for each of us to do the best job to serve the people of the city and the area,” Sykes says, “and pray that God continues to bless us as we go along.”—BLP
BUSY IN bayonne Reverend Sykes is active in a number of Bayonne organizations: • Vice Chairman, Board of Commissioners of the Bayonne Housing Authority • Founder and Ceo of the Bayonne Community Action Project and BCAP Build America Association, inc. He has previously served as a member of the following organizations:
Photo by alyssa Bredin Quiros
Bayonne 2000 Planning Committee, the Quad Zone redevelopment Committee, the new Jersey Democratic electoral College, the advisory board of directors for the Bayonne Medical Center, president of the Bayonne chapter of Kiwanis international, board of directors for the Bayonne Youth Center, secretary of the Baptist Ministers Conference of newark and Vicinity, member of the interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and the Bayonne interfaith Clergy.
from page 25
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continued on page 51
240793
Comedy Night in Robinson Hall, Saint Vincent de Paul, 979 Avenue C., 6 p.m. Admission is $25 and includes coffee, tea and dessert. You can tail gate in the Hall so bring your own food and drink. To reserve your seat, call the parish office at (201) 436-2222.
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 31
ON THE JOB WITH The
BAYONNE FIREBOAT
32 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
ON THE JOB WITH BLP
Firefighter Ben Lopez at the wheel
By Tara Ryazansky Photos by Max Ryazansky
A
t Robbins Reef Yacht Club one red boat stands out among the dozen others that bob in Newark Bay. The vessel is 27 feet long, but raised on a travel lift it looks bigger. The top is outfitted with a searchlight, thermal imaging gear, and emergency flashing lights. At the front is a pump that can draw water at 680 gallons per minute. It’s the Bayonne Fireboat. Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver greets us on the dock along with Deputy Chief Steve Peterson, Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Ed Ferrante, (third from right in the picture on page 32) and Firefighters Ben Lopez, Michael Pelliccio, and Daniel Ruiz. They’re the crew from Engine 4 at the 16th Street Fire House. Weaver tells me that this boat does more than just respond to Bayonne emergencies. “We’re part of the New Jersey Marine Task Force (NJMTF),” Weaver explains. “FEMA, Port Security, in conjunction with Port Authority identified a response
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 33
Firefighter Daniel Ruiz guides the boat in.
gap, and they began to beef up assets in the New York /New Jersey Harbor area.” The BFD applied to be part of protecting the harbor and received a grant in 2012 that covers the boat, fuel, and maintenance. In 2016 the NJMTF started official operations. “Joining the marine task force is authorized by the mayor, public safety director Kubert, and the city council,” Weaver says. “They are advocates for public safety, and we appreciate that. This is all possible because of their support.”
Maritime Emergencies “There are 12 midsize boats such as this in 12 New Jersey municipalities,” Weaver says, listing Carteret, Edgewater, Elizabeth, Hoboken, Jersey City, Kearny, Linden, Newark, North Hudson, Perth Amboy, and Secaucus as the other members of the task force. “Our area of response is the Passaic River, The Hackensack River, as far up as is navigable, the entire Newark Bay, we go down the Kill until the area just about between Elizabeth and Linden,” Peterson says. “We cover New York Harbor on a first alarm basis all the way down to the Statue of Liberty, and we cover everywhere else on the second alarm. Because we’re situated right in the middle of the entire region, we go everywhere.” “Now, through the task force we have a codified and formalized response to emergencies on the water very similar
to a land based fire department response,” Weaver says. That means that when a 911 call comes through on the New Jersey side of the harbor three task force boats are dispatched. “It could be a person in the water, it could be a boat fire, it could be a loose boat, any type of maritime emergency,” Weaver says, adding that they work in conjunction with the Coast Guard.
All Hands on Deck The crew from Engine 4 lowers the boat from the lift. It deploys in less than 30 seconds. They explain that storing the boat out of saltwater cuts down on maintenance. Even in this relaxed situation, the trio works swiftly and wordlessly repeating the steps they’ve taken in countless emergency situations. While all Bayonne firefighters receive water rescue training in the academy, many firefighters who are stationed at Engine 4 have Coast Guard certified captain’s licenses and receive ongoing training. We set out with Lopez at the wheel. As we enter the deeper waters of the bay we pick up speed. The fireboat can go about 45 miles per hour. We aren’t going quite that fast, but on the water it feels a lot faster as the two 250 horsepower engines drive us forward. Peterson points out an area where they responded to a recent emergency. A person on the crew of a tugboat was
34 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
in medical distress and had to be brought to land to receive care. In a situation like that, the call comes through North Hudson Regional Fire Department, which dispatches to the Marine Task Force.
Summer Safety “With the summer there’s increased traffic on the water,” Pelliccio says. “We see everything from stranded jet skiers to overzealous kayakers.” Pelliccio is referring to two of the 19 calls that the fireboat has responded to this year. In one, family members called in that a pair of young people never returned from kayaking. “They managed to get themselves onto a barge, soaking wet and freezing cold,” Peterson says; they were otherwise unharmed. The other call involved a sinking jet ski. Luckily the pair aboard it called 911 before they were completely submerged. The fireboat responded quickly to save the couple. “Every day at the firehouse is just a little bit different, and then you add the marine component,” Weaver says. The fireboat makes its way around the peninsula and under the Bayonne Bridge. From the water IMTT looks enormous. It’s a unique view of our town. “We’re five square miles of water essentially,” Weaver says. “Bayonne has its roots in the maritime industry. A lot of it is now turning toward recreation, but it’s a huge area of commerce on the water.” Recreation and commerce meet at Cape Liberty Cruise Port, where cruise ships rely on the Bayonne Fireboat when they disembark. “Right now it’s the height of cruise season,” Peterson says. Risks abound as ships set sail, ranging from excited passengers waving from the rails to busy dockworkers pulling the fenders from enormous vessels. The fireboat stands by in case of emergency until cruise ships exit New Jersey waters. “We provide a degree of safety for the cruise ships,” Peterson says. “The port appreciates what we do for them, as well as the cruise ship companies.”
Firefighter Pelliccio suits up.
Returning to Port As we make our way around Bayonne, the sky darkens. We pull up to the dock as a storm rolls in, and a few drops of rain begin to fall. But the guys from Engine 4 don’t run for cover like we do. They have to head back to Cape Liberty where another cruise ship is departing. After that they have to ready the boat for the downpour. “Fire Department emergency response is 24/7/365 and in all weather conditions,” Weaver says. “The men and women of the fire department work tirelessly every day to keep our community safe”—BLP
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 35
B AY O N N E M E A N S B U S I N E S S Interviews by Kate Rounds | Photos by Alyssa Bredin Quiros Soap Box What’s the philosophy behind these organic products? “Keep it simple,” Daniel says. “They’re made of good-grade and organic ingredients. I’ve ingested every ingredient in the studio. We’ve designed products to have an essence of a great moment in food or drink.” He elaborates. “It’s a luxurious experience with healthy skin afterward and healthy aroma therapy, energizing to calming and soothing. It does all these things without your accidentally polluting yourself. I’m all for polluting if you’re doing it consciously. If you have a steak and a cigar, you’re doing it consciously.” Unconscious pollution is when you’re unaware of unhealthy ingredients. “I educate potential customers,” Daniel says. “We don’t use preservatives. That bottle of white goo has to have preservatives; that’s the law. Mega-corporations are throwing out trade words like artisan, small-batch, and handcrafted.” When what they’re really selling, according to Daniel, is white goo packed with preservatives and broken promises.
Tapping into Bayonne “We needed to open a second location and still get a reasonable rent,” Daniel says. “Stops along the Bayonne light rail were booming, and the Bayonne City Council is making a deal with New York Waterway.” “Bayonne spoke to us,” Daniel says. “We wanted to be part of a community, not just a transient or bedroom community, where people sleep and go back to work.” Taproot had a popup charity event at the Vic last year. “It was great to see people who wouldn’t necessarily come by the store,” Daniel says. Another successful popup was held at the John M. Bailey School. A measure of Taproot’s success in the community is that Daniel has given a presentation to the Rotary Club.
Small-Batch Ablutions
Daniel Grunes
Taproot Organics
377 Broadway taprootorganics.com
D
aniel Grunes, who founded Taproot Organics with his wife Zaida, grew up on Palisade Avenue in North Bergen, but his road to becoming what he jokingly calls a soap salesman took him from Manhattan to Puerto Rico and back to Hudson County. Some soap! Taproot Organics specializes in an elegant line of homemade organic soaps and other healthy grooming products with wonderful names like all beer, beard balm, cocoa face, dead sea
mud, marzipan, patisserie, warehouse, and chef ’s special. Speaking of chefs, before making and selling his own soap, Daniel had “a background in cooking.” He was a front server at Jean George on Central Park, and his father is a scientist, his mother a teacher. Zaida was in retail management. The stars were thus aligned for Daniel and Zaida to become organic-soap entrepreneurs. They create and manufacture their products in a manufacturing space in the Junction section of Jersey City. While they have a retail presence there as well, they also opened a shop in Bayonne.
36 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
“If it’s not done excellently, we don’t bother,” Daniel says. The obsession with anti-aging products is anathema to the Taproot aesthetic. “All those products do is swell the skin and fill in wrinkles for a temporary effect,” he says. He points to celebrities who are known to have skin conditions as a result of all the makeup they use. “Our products are made with a gender-neutral approach,” he says. “Th-ey’re not for men or women, just people with skin.” “Why do people have to be more beautiful?” he asks. “It floors me. Just be healthy in yourself.” No soft-soap: That’s the philosophy Daniel and Zaida tap into.�
Dr. Rimoun Hanna and members of his staff: Acupuncturist Jasmine Song, former staffer occupational therapist Danielle B., and physical therapist Jason Ceribo
Ignite Physical Therapy and Wellness Center 665 Broadway (201) 875-5757 ignitetherapy.com
D
r. Rimoun Hanna has united two inspiring disciplines—health and theology—in his quest to provide the pinnacle of physical therapy care. After earning a doctorate in physical therapy at NYIT in Long Island in 2007, he went to Tulsa with his wife to earn a Masters of Theology from Oral Roberts University. Through the theology, he hoped to gain “knowledge and understanding of Hebrew and Latin.” Physical therapy, meanwhile, “has been a passion all my life,” he says. “When you work with people with disabilities who need physical therapy, they come three times a week for a month or two, and you form an extended relationship. You see progress happen.” Originally from Egypt, Hanna arrived in Bayonne when he was 20 years old. He attended the Assembly of God Church, where he met his wife. They married in 2006. When he started his career, Hanna says, “I was working in different outpatient clinics with different doctors and chiropractors, but I couldn’t find my vision. I had a bigger vision.” His vision? “Excellent care based on individual needs.”
So he decided to strike out on his own. “It was a risk having my own business because I had no connections, and nobody knew me,” he says. He opened a modern, fully equipped, 1,500-square-foot office on Broadway. “It started with just me, one massage therapist, and a frontdesk girl,” he says. “My goal was to reach out to Bayonne and be number one in physical therapy in Bayonne.” He hit his weekly goal of new patients within three months. “Business was booming,” he says.
Healing Bayonne “I did no marketing, but I started to be known in Bayonne,” he says. “It was only by word of mouth. People would walk in and bring their family and friends. That’s how we built our patient base.” The practice offers a full range of physical therapy options, everything from treatments for sports injuries and post-surgical treatments to gait training, laser acupuncture, therapeutic massage, balance training, cryotherapy, and nutrition and weight-loss programs. He came up with the name Ignite because it fit his vision. “I was always looking for something to bring energy and healing to people and something new,” he says. Hanna started investing in high-tech devices, including a class-four laser machine to help patients with pain and inflammation in a safe, noninvasive way. With new laser technology, patients who are afraid of needles can receive needleless laser acupuncture.
If Hanna knows that a patient cannot pay, he offers inexpensive treatment. “I walk the extra mile just to meet people’s needs,” Hanna says.
Contemporary Complaints In today’s society, a lot of people are suffering from stress. “People are working so hard, they commute outside the city,” he says. “Especially in Bayonne, it’s attractive to live here and work in the city, which brings stress.” He cites complaints such as migraines, noting that often clients’ prescriptions are not bringing relief. Through acupuncture, he says, “We help control pain by guiding people to relieve stress.” Has it been a rewarding experience? “We always get feedback from patients that the care is excellent, they’ve never seen such a team, we’re very welcoming, we listen to problems and needs—the quality of care is different.” Hanna is hoping to move to a bigger space and bring in a sensory gym for kids with autistism and developmentally disabled kids. “State-of-theart everything for kids,” he says. “Bayonne has a big population of disabled and autistic kids. “We believe in health without limits,” he says. “There’s no good reason for people to live with pain if there is a way to relieve it.”
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 37
Henry E. Harris Community School
Photo of Alex by Maxim Ryazansky
When tragedy struck, it was a life lesson for staff and students
38 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
EDUCATION BLP
Alex with his mother, Margaret Weimmer, left, and his second-grade teacher, Margaret Senerchia. Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez
W
e get a lot of letters to the editor at the Bayonne Community News, but this one was particularly poignant. It was from Margaret Weimmer, whose seven-year-old son, Alex Petisco, is a student at Henry Harris. Margaret wrote to praise the “sense of community” at the school, how everyone there came together when Alex was diagnosed with a very serious illness.
When Alex started getting headaches, his pediatrician diagnosed migraines. Since Margaret herself suffered from migraines, this sounded plausible. When the headaches became more frequent, Margaret took him to a neurologist. He was given an MRI; Margaret remembers the exact date and time she heard the news: Jan. 17, 2018 at 10 a.m. “The doctor called and asked me to sit down,” she re-
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 39
lates. “I asked if I needed to grab a pen and paper, and she said probably.” The MRI revealed a brain malformation called Chiari. “Pressure on the brain stops the flow of fluid to the spine, causing headaches,” Margaret explains. He underwent surgery on Feb. 13, one month after the first MRI. “The surgery has relieved many of the headaches,” Margaret reports. “Before surgery, he got sent home three or four times a week, and this year he missed close to 40 to 50 days. The recovery has been amazing.” It’s more than welcome news for a kid who loves to build things with Legos and loves the game of hockey. “Alex feels good and has no restrictions,” Margaret says. “He’s an active kid; there’s no way for me to restrict him.”
helped me immensely with home instruction and his transition back into the classroom.” Alex’s teacher, Mrs. Margaret Senerchia, showed that being a teacher is more than just teaching. “Over the year, she became a friend, not only to my seven-year-old but to me,” Margaret says. “Her compassion for her students is what makes her an incredible teacher and what makes parents and children lucky to have her.”
A Town Tradition
Margaret Weimmer was born and raised in Bayonne. “Growing up on Prospect, everyone knew and looked out for everyone,” she recalls. “You didn’t worry about something happening and not being aware of the situation.” That caring, neighborhood Henry Harris feel inhabits the halls of Walks the Walk Henry Harris. “The PTA does so much for students, and “From day one the entire the teachers are very caring,” school has been so incredMargaret says. “You almost ibly supportive, from helping feel like you’re one little comus prepare for surgery, home munity.” instruction, post-surgery, and Alex, who has been a stuthen returning to school,” dent there for four years, is Margaret says. “alex feels good and has no restrictions,” his now in third grade. “Principal Maria Kazimir mother said. Photo by Victor M. Rodriguez “Before he left for surgery, personally assisted us with anything that she could and Mrs. Senerchia sent out a letter assured us that she would be to the students to take a collecthere every step of the way for whatever we needtion to buy him a huge bag of gifts: two Lego ed.” sets, a Lego blanket, stuffed animals, pajamas.” Margaret also called out Debbie Whitney, the We caught up with Mrs. Senerchia by phone teacher who handles home instruction. “She while she was vacationing in Nashville. “It’s a
40 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
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– Margaret Weimmer something that will last a lifetime.” Some of the kids showed their compassion, not just by donating gifts but by writing letters to their friend. Senerchia, who has been teaching for 19 years, says you have to “capture the innocence” of second-graders “and keep it there. It’s really about guiding them. Parents are all great, but teachers can touch a child in a different way.” Mrs. Senerchia has certainly touched Alex and his family. She got Devils tickets for her hockey-loving second-grader. “I’m not a sports person except when children play, but we went as a family,” Margaret Weimmer says. “We had fourth-row seats. Alex loved it, yelling and cheering them on.” Alex and his family have much to cheer about.—Kate Rounds
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HELPING
Members of Lodge 434 at a Wednesday meeting. Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez.
PhoToS By ViCToR M. RodRiguez
If
Helping Hooves The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks
you’ve ever seen an image or a statue of an elk at any of the some 2,000 Elks lodges across the country, you might wonder as I did, why an elk? Why not a badger or a dog or a dolphin? As it turns out, the elk just squeaked out over the buffalo. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks was established in February 1868, as an after-hours club for New York-area actors, known as the Jolly Corks. When it took on the role of a service organization, its members, seeking “a readily identifiable creature of stature, indigenous to America,” voted eight to seven in favor of the elk over the buffalo. The organization, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, is dedicated to the principles of charity, justice, brotherly love, and fidelity. To join, you have to be 21, a U.S. citizen, pledge allegiance to the flag, and believe in God. (Any god). Within 20 years, Elks lodges could be found in most major cities in the U.S. Many of the early lodge buildings were first-class hotels that catered to the needs of visiting Elks members.
Serving Others The group has managed to maintain its loftily quaint anachronisms, such as the titles Esteemed Loyal Knight and Exalted Ruler. Among Lodge 343’s many charitable priorities are homeless vet-
42 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
State Bowling Champions Bayonne B.P.O. Elks No. 434 1933–1934 erans and drug awareness campaigns. Until recently Bayonne’s Exalted Ruler was Walt Schember. “The United States government recognizes the Elks as one of the top organizations focusing on drug awareness,” Schember says. The lodge sponsors special-needs kids for a week at Camp Moore in the Ramapo Mountains. Other community activities include sponsoring the annual hoop shoot competition. The group also offers a large number of scholarships for students, and made a $1,000 donation to the Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation’s literacy camp. The Elks makes it possible for kids from Buddy Baseball to watch the Lakeland Blue Claws, a minor league baseball team. The Elks support many more charities. Go to njelks.org to find others. Schember says a new banner is set to be placed in front of the lodge that reads, “We made $8.4 million in charitable donations since we were established in 1898.”
nic held in September for the families of fallen heroes and disabled soldiers. The lodge is open on Friday and Saturday nights, which draws members who might want to have a drink, a bar pizza, or a pretzel. On Thursday nights, members participate in Wii bowling tournaments. Schember, who’s been a member for 19 years, boasts three generations of Elks members. Women were not permitted in the organization until about 18 years ago. Now, Schember says, it’s about “evenly matched” between men and women. “We consider ourselves brothers and sisters,” he says. “It’s not a bunch of old guys sitting
The elk won out over the buffalo as a symbol. around smoking cigars. It’s more of a family atmosphere.” He says there’s one New Jersey lodge that crows, “We’re not your daddy’s lodge anymore.” The average age is about 40, he says. The bottom line? Regardless of age or gender, Elks members get a lot of pleasure from their mission of service. “There’s no greater feeling than putting a smile on the face of a child with disabilities or the family of a disabled soldier,” says Schember. “There’s satisfaction in helping others.” —Kate Rounds
Local Lodge Lodge 434 at 364 Broadway boasts 204 members. It holds two meetings a month, the second and fourth Wednesday, at 7:30 p.m. Annual dues are $69. Though it has an open bar, the meeting is basically a discussion of what charitable organizations and events the lodge will support or sponsor. A major event is the annual Army of Hope pic-
Members enjoy a drink, pizza, or pretzel at the bar.
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 43
e w h ow
E V LI
34th Street
L
FIREHOUSE
iving in retooled warehouses, factories, and fire houses has become de rigueur in Hudson County, where these abundant structures are the last word in historic charm and industrial chic. We’ve looked at renovations in Hoboken, Jersey City, and Bayonne. The transformation of the Maidenform Factory into Silk Lofts may be the most obvious example in Bayonne. A couple of restored firehouses in Jersey City have caught our attention, and now we have the 34th Street firehouse, built in 1883, which was scooped up by the perfect buyer: a guy who’s into architecture, photography, and mechanics. He’s Christian Garibaldi, a Scotch Plains native, who went from rebuilding engines for Ferraris, Maseratis, and Porsches to architectural and aerial photography. He was in his late 30s when he started to think about buying a house. “I wasn’t going to buy a split-level Cape in the suburbs,” he says. “I wanted something unique, interesting, and industrial.”
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hoW WE LiVE BLP
detail of reverse gilding on the display glass of the old signal components
He’d been searching the commercial sites when he came upon the 5,000-square-foot firehouse for $350,000. This was in 2011. Within six months he had the keys and moved in almost immediately. Seven years later, he’s nowhere near done. His slow and loving restoration means that every detail will be authentic and historically correct. “I plan to give it the respect it deserves,” he says, “to preserve its originality and heritage as what it was and what it stood for.” To accomplish that, he will have to “undo a lot of the haphazard, more modern things that the city may have done to the building in later years when it was serving as a firehouse,” he says. “The original bones of the building, brickwork, woodwork, and tin ceiling were hidden behind layers of ugly paint colors. It may have been painted numerous times.” But, he says, “I have no intention of erasing its history. I’m not a developer looking to convert it into lofts or condos.”
The room that served as the gym has been painstakingly restored.
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 45
HOW WE LIVE BLP
More Than Brick and Mortar Though not a Bayonne native, Christian knew that he wasn’t just buying a building; he was buying into a community. “Though I didn’t grow up here, I knew Bayonne was family-oriented,” he says. “I knew I was purchasing a pretty pillar of the community. The firemen knew their neighbors and played stickball with the kids.” Christian approached the project like a suitor asking for a woman’s hand in marriage. “I knew I was under the watchful eye of the people in the community,” he says. “I always wanted to make sure that they knew first and foremost that my intentions were pure and noble. I wasn’t coming into it as an investment to turn a profit and erase what it stood for.” When it comes to food, he’s definitely embraced the community. He loves the sausage and pepper bread at Altamura Bakery, the nearby polish delis, the healthy offerings at Andrews Café, and Judicke’s Bakery, just down the street. But more than anything, he loves the firefighters of Company 5 who had made the 34th Street station their home. He made a point of visiting them at their temporary trailer on MOTBY. When he first walked in, he says there was “a hushed silence across the room.” One firefighter drew him aside, saying he shouldn’t take it personally, but the men were heartbroken when they lost the home that had
Built in 1883, the firehouse’s original brickwork and terracotta details remain.
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46 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
A brass fire pole led to the apparatus floor.
been there for 135 years. But soon, they became good friends, coming back to the firehouse to answer Christian’s questions about all the gizmos in the place and to admire his handiwork. They were awed by the beautiful woodwork on their restored lockers, which now have pride of place in Christian’s bedroom.
Restored electrical and mechanical components that set off an alarm
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Open House Early on a sultry summer morning, Christian gives me the grand tour. The façade is the same, with fine brickwork and cornices. He’s proud of a wagon with plants that seem to be thriving out front. The garage area where the fire engines once were parked hasn’t changed much. Christian loves working on details, such as the lockers, fire poles, firebox, meters, fuse boxes, alarms, brass, and radiators. Upstairs, the kitchen and bedroom have a raw, untouched beauty. The scraped walls have their own abstract aesthetic. If you love the way it looks now, maybe you don’t want to see the building transformed. Imagining the perfectly restored structure, you might already feel nostalgia for the way it was. Whenever he’s done, Bayonne Magazine will be back to admire his finished home. But the thought crosses my mind that maybe Christian is happy with his beloved firehouse just the way it is. And that’s fine, too.—BLP
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BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 47
Rugby, Anyone? Sport finds avid following in Bayonne By Jim Hague Photos courtesy of Ralph Citarella, Jr. and Bayonne Rugby Club.
If
you happen to be driving around 16th Street Park and see a bunch of people of all ages—men and women—running around and chasing after an oddly shaped big white ball, don’t be alarmed. It’s the new craze among Bayonne residents. Rugby dates back to 388 B.C., played by early Greeks and Romans. In the 1830s, it became popular in schools in Great Britain. In 1857, the first-ever organized game was played between Edinburgh University and the Edinburgh Academicals. In the 1880s, famed sportswriter and coach Walter Camp brought a form of rugby to the U. S. That was the birth of American football. Tough and physical, rugby combines football, soccer and Gaelic football. While football soared, rugby sank—until now. It’s gained popularity worldwide; a U.S. professional league was just introduced, and some say it is the fastestgrowing sport in America.
According to the website Statista, 1.62 million people were playing rugby in the U.S. in 2017, up from 1.55 million in 2016. Some of those are playing on the shores of Newark Bay.
Bayonne Bombers Rugby became popular in Bayonne in the mid-1980s, around the time a 22-year-old native of Wales moved to the area. “I came to the United States to play a little rugby,” said Daryn Henry, a key figure with the Bayonne Bombers, which features a men’s team and a flag team for kids. “I knew that there was rugby here. I come from Wales, where rugby is a religion.” About the same time, a 25-year-old native of Ireland, George Delaney, had just moved to Bayonne. Delaney ran into the Boyle brothers, John and Michael, both of Bayonne and both avid rugby enthusiasts who told Delaney about the Bayonne Bombers. “I grew up playing the game, and it was tough to come here and not have the game,” Delaney said. “We had a mix of guys who learned a little bit about the game, and guys who never played before.”
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Henry became coach of the youth flag squad while Delaney was the chairman of the club. At one point, the Bombers featured players from 15 countries.
Rugby Demographic Rugby has been perceived as a social activity for the beerdrinking crowd. “A lot of people think it’s a frat house situation,” said Delaney, who’s trying to break the stereotype. He’s teaching some 50 youngsters the finer points through the flag version, without the hard tackles. The Bayonne Recreation Youth Flag Rugby program features four age groups: The Owls (kindergarten and first grade), the Falcons (second and third grade), the Hawks (fourth, fifth, and sixth grades) and the Eagles (seventh, eighth, and ninth grades). “Boys and girls play together,” said Ralph Citarella, Jr., a former Bombers player who now coaches kids. “There’s very little contact to worry about.” Citarella, Jr. is a former high school and college football player who tried rugby on a whim. “I was hooked right away,” he said. “I went from being a practice squad player to a main offensive player. Rugby is the kind of sport where you have to think as you go along, but once I got a handle on everything, I definitely had an edge because I played football.” Sean Lukac, 41, learned about rugby while attending Fairfield University. “I was enamored with it,” said Lukac, who has played in more matches (225) for the Bombers than any other player. “There was a lot of brotherhood involved in it. I needed something in my life, and rugby was it.” An insurance underwriter by day, Lukac is team captain. “I’m the oldest active player,” he said. “There’s something about walking off the pitch at 16th Street after a match. It’s a feeling you can’t bottle.” In 2003 and 2009, the Bombers were undefeated. In 2004, the team made it to the national quarterfinals.
“There have been times when I’ve walked off and said to myself, ‘That’s it. I’m done.’ I say the same thing every year, and then I come back.”
Peninsula Pride “We’re the envy of others,” Delaney said. “Soccer took 40 years to get where it is. As people see the game, more and more want to get involved.” The rugby moms set up a Facebook page to help promote the kids’ program. In July, Bayonne hosted a top-flight tournament with teams of all ages. “The city came through and helped us in a big way,” said Delaney, crediting Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, Recreation Director Pete Amadeo, and his assistant Rich Malia. Alejandro Vargas, 13, is a freshman at County Prep in Jersey City. He’s been part of the Bayonne rugby program for the last three years. “At the time, I wanted to try a new sport,” Alejandro said. “My mom found out about it on Facebook. I didn’t even know what rugby was. It was really difficult at first.” Alejandro is 5-foot-4 and weighs 120 pounds. “I don’t think size even matters,” he said. “It’s was more about speed and concentration. I like it because it’s a mixture of soccer and football, it’s complex, and I’ve always gone up against girls.”
Girls Weigh In Maggie Caley is a 15-year-old student at Bayonne High School. “My friends were all talking about rugby, so that got me interested,” she said. “It was fun to experience. I kept doing it, even if it was hard, because some of the boys are much bigger.” Hannah Delaney is 14 and the daughter of George. “My sister (Sarah) grew up watching rugby down the (16th Street) park,” Hannah said. “I started to learn the game and
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 49
got more interested in the dynamics. I really wanted to play, even if it meant playing against boys. I like the fact that people of all shapes and sizes can play.” When Hannah tells people she plays rugby, she says, “They say, ‘A girl playing rugby?’ It’s so much fun that I really forget about being a girl.” “I think all the girls on my team feel like we can do anything,” Maggie said. “We’re all different sizes, but we can do all the things that boys do.” In fact, in June, a team composed of all Bayonne girls defeated an all-boys team.
Family Affair Terry Matthews played lightweight football at Rutgers before getting introduced to rugby through his future brotherin-law Michael Boyle in 1985. “I never played before,” Matthews said. “I regretted I didn’t play from the beginning. I liked the idea that there was a spot on the field for everyone and accountability for everyone. And after the game, we went out for food and beer.” Matthews later became a rugby coach and has started the rugby program at Hudson Catholic, where he serves as assistant principal and director of admissions. Hudson Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep are the only Hudson County high schools to field rugby teams.
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50 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
Matthews’s son Eamonn played football like his father, but in sixth grade discovered rugby. “I knew that my uncles and my dad played, so I wanted to give it a shot,” Eamonn said. “I realized I had a college opportunity playing rugby.” In fact, Eamonn became such a good player that he earned a scholarship to St. Bonaventure University, one of the few colleges in the country that fields a varsity team. He became so proficient that he recently had a stint with the United States national 20-and-under team. “I’ve traveled to Scotland, England, San Diego, Georgia, all because of rugby,” Eamonn said. “For a kid from Hudson County, that’s pretty crazy.” He’d love to earn a place with the new professional league. “One or two teams have already reached out to my coach [at St. Bonaventure]. Playing rugby has been the biggest blessing of my life.” Said Delaney, “I think a lot of kids are realizing now that they can receive a decent chunk of money to go to college to play rugby.” Added Citarella, Jr., “Everyone is playing rugby in Bayonne. You have this feeling of camaraderie. It has a magical feel to it.”—BLP
from page 31
call the parish office at (201) 436-2222.
a different ending every night! Rated PG (slightly scary themes)! If you like the game Clue, you’ll love our Mystery Theater; it’s sure to be lots of fun! Suggested donation of $5. For groups of 8 or more, call (201) 437- 5056.
9
18 The NAACP Bayonne Branch’s 91st Freedom Fund Dinner, Maritime Parc Restaurant, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, 4 p.m. The speaker will be Mr. Richard T. Smith, president of the NAACP New
Jersey State Conference. Tickets are $125. For information, email BayonneNAACP@ gmail.com. Phyllis & Adelaide Bus Ride to the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. The cost is $36 per person with a $25 Slot Play and $5 food coupon. Bus continued on page 58
Sons of Italy Dinner, Villa Maria, 417 Broadway, 6 p.m.
10 Bayonne Feral Cat Foundation Trick Tray fundraiser, Heart of Jesus Church Parish Hall, 290 Avenue E, 6-10 p.m. Tickets are $14 and includes cake, coffee, tea, soda, a sheet of first level tickets and table snacks. For information, call Phyliss at (201) 339-4517. We will also be collecting cat food for our fur babies. Blessed Miriam Teresa Parish’s Wine Tasting Social, Andrean Room at St. Andrew School, 125 Broadway. Cost is $40. For information, call the Parish Office at (201) 4374090.
17 Dinner Dance in Robinson Hall, Saint Vincent de Paul, 979 Avenue C, 6:30-11:30 p.m. The Simbang Gabi group will be hosting a dinner dance to support Saint Vincent’s fundraising. Tickets purchased in advance will be $25. Tickets purchased at the door will be $30. To purchase your ticket,
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 51
Poems? Raps? Rhymes?
If poetry comes, can avocado toast be far behind?
Photos by Victor M. Rodriguez
T
here are any number of indicators of a town’s evolution from industrial hub to hip hometown. Take Bayonne. It used to be that you could get a cappuccino only at our fine Italian restaurants. Now lattes and macchiatos and au laits and mochas and chai teas and smoothies and wraps and bowls can be found at dozens of spots around town. And those condo buildings going up near light rail stops? They’re filling with young working people who commute to Manhattan. And how do they get there? Soon it will be by ferry from a terminal on MOTBY. And how will they get to the ferry terminal? By CitiBike.
All these changes bespeak a city on the cusp, on the move, and ripe for poetry and rap and spoken word. Enter open mic night at the museum. Apparently the idea for open mic night at the Bayonne Community Museum stemmed from a conversation between DPW Superintendent Tim Boyle and Mayor Jimmy Davis. “We have sports leagues and visual arts, but an urbanized community with 70,000 people was lacking something,” Boyle says. There are plenty of open mics in the area for standup comics, but what about spoken word events for poetry, rhymes, and raps? Not so much, and Boyle wanted to fill the void.
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If it’s Tuesday … The event is held the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 6. The museum provides a public space for “family-oriented” material, and light refreshments are served. One performer who has made it to open-mic Tuesdays is Marc Surujballi. Marc, who plays guitar, had been attending open-mic events in New York City and Jersey City.
“I decided to check out the Bayonne Museum,” he says. “There weren’t too many people, maybe eight, but that was a good start. There are some talented people in Bayonne. There was a good feeling, they were liking my poetry and rap. It was a good start for Bayonne.” Marc has lived in Bayonne for most of his life. He attended Woodrow Wilson School and Bayonne High School. He is currently majoring in business and minoring in music at NJCU. Marc Surujballi
Marc with Tim Boyle
“I’ve always been inspired by the arts,” he says. “I played the clarinet and sang in the choir in middle school and high school. I did a little bit of everything, including dancing in college.” His music inspirations include the Beatles, Bon Jovi, the Jonas Brothers, and Green Day, among others. He hopes to one day run a recording company and perform part-time. That arts background provided a good foundation for his current interest in poetry and rap. “Spoken word is very popular,” he says. His own poetry “describes family and relationship struggles, my relationship with parents and ex-girlfriends.” Both Boyle and Marc are hoping that participation picks up in the fall when school starts again, and people are back from summer vacations. “People will probably want something to do on weekdays,” Marc says. “It’s open to anybody. They can come and perform and test out their skills.” —Kate Rounds
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 53
Photos by Beth DiCara
B
ergen Point is a great part of town with its neat little shops and village-y feel. The fact that you enter Buttero from Dodge rather than from Broadway adds to the small-town vibe, calling to mind the 1939 Western Dodge City. As it happens, Buttero means Italian Cowboy. The interior reflects that theme, with Stetson hats, cowboy boots, country music, and an overall aura of spurs and chaps.
The menu, too, has a sagebrush flavor, with the words buffalo and barbecue floating by like tumbleweeds. Buttero boasts the coldest beer in town, and it doesn’t disappoint. I had a Stella on draft, and photographer Beth DiCara went off the grid with a really snappy Goose Island IPA. Check out her gorgeous beer picture on page 55. I counted 38 beers on an extensive drinks menu, which also included an array of specialty drinks, “Moonshine Mixers,” and classic wines.
Among the 10 specialty drinks are the Buterro, made with coconut rum, melon liqueur, pineapple juice, raspberry liqueur, and Jagermeister; and the Alligator Swamp Water, a combo of Jack Daniels, melon liqueur, and orange juice. Moonshine mixers—surprise, surprise—mix a variety of ingredients with moonshine, such as the Tennessee Slammer, a combination of moonshine, triple sec, sweet-andsour mix, lemon-lime soda, and a dash of grenadine. We skipped the starters because
Buttero 54 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
Payton, the bartender, shoots the breeze with a customer.
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 55
we wanted to cut to the chase, but the menu has a nice selection that includes Baja bruschetta, fried pickles, and a handy sampler of wings, shrooms, chicken fingers, and mozzarella sticks. We definitely wanted to eat our greens, so we chose one of the five listed salads: buffalo chicken salad. It comes with bleu cheese dressing, but we substituted a punchy balsamic. Speaking of punchy, if you order this salad, be ready for some heat. The extremely generous portions of chicken are very spicy. The bright orange breading should be a tipoff. It cools off in a bed of romaine with avocado and shredded cheddar. There’s plenty to split. In fact, we split both dishes. The herb-encrusted salmon was stupendous. It’s cooked to order, so we ordered it baked and well done. You can also get it grilled. It comes with a colorful, healthy, and excellently cooked vegetable medley of carrots, zucchini, and red peppers. Next to it was the comfort food of all comfort foods: mashed potatoes and gravy. If you’re a dessert-skipper, cut it out right now. Save room for a truly decadent warm chocolate lava cake, a giant concoction that comes with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with hot
fudge sauce. It pairs nicely with a cappuccino or other coffee selection. Homemade chocolate chip cookies and brownies are another delicious choice. Soups, small plates, burgers, sandwiches, and a kids’ menu are also available, as is on- and off-site catering. We visited on a sweltering August evening. But it was cool and wel-
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coming inside, with Payton, the bartender, chatting up the clientele, and a truly dapper gent named Umberto Castellaccio serving as host and catering to the needs of every customer.—Kate Rounds
Buttero 184 Broadway (201) 437-4431 buttero.us
I
n a city the size of Bayonne you can still find vestiges of our rural past. In our parks, on our waterfronts, and even in ragged lots left vacant by demolished or abandoned buildings, you can find a surprising variety of wildlife. These images come from the cameras of Bayonne residents who have caught our untamed friends in the act of being themselves. We will be publishing more wildlife photos in future issues. Send yours to KRounds@hudsonreporter.com. Photos by Donna Ostrowski
Green Heron Canvasback
Red-eared Slider
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk Katydid
BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018 • 57
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december 8
ACI Trip to Sight & Sound Theatres, Lancaster, Pa. See the play “JESuS” live on stage. Trip includes bus ride and family-style lunch and theater ticket for $140. Bus leaves from Bayonne
58 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018
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31 Phyllis & Adelaide Bus Ride to the Sands, Bethlehem, Pa. The cost is $36 per person with a $30 Slot Play and $5 food coupon. Bus leaves at 6 p.m. from East 35th Street. There will be refreshments and raffles. For information or to purchase tickets, call Phyllis at (201) 339-4517. Purchase tickets in advance; all proceeds will benefit various charities in Bayonne.
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60 • BAYONNE - Life on the Peninsula - FALL/WINTER 2018