07030 HOBOKEN by Hudson Reporter Assoc., LP

SPRING | SUMMER 2017

LONGTIME ESTABLISHMENTS HOBOKEN TO HOLLYWOOD BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

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CONTENTS 07030

COVER 62 DINING OUT Tutta Pesca Cover Image by Tbishphoto

FEATURES 16 BODY OF KNOWLEDGE Alan Blumberg

20 ACCIDENTAL ACTIVISTS Matthew and Stephanie Cohen

26 OLD ESTABLISHMENTS

Test of Time

44 EDUCATION Hoboken Catholic Academy

48 HOW WE WORK Small Businesses

50 HOW WE LIVE Clinton Mills

53 POINT AND SHOOT 54 SPORTS Soccer Camp

57 MUSIC Guitar Contest

58 PEOPLE POWER Anthony Soares

60 WATERING HOLE Mulligans

DEPARTMENTS 10 CONTRIBUTORS 12 EDITOR’S LETTER 22 DATES 24 HELPING HANDS Hudson County CASA

32 WORKING OUT WITH Laura Knittel

36 ENTERTAINMENT Actor Alex Corrado

38 EMERGING Hilton Hotel

40 ON THE JOB WITH The Hudson Reporter

4 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK CITY

HAMPTONS

CONNECTICUT

HUDSON VALLEY

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SPRING | SUMMER 2017 Vo l u m e 6 • N u m b e r 1 Published twice annually A Publication of The Hudson Reporter

PUBLISHERS Lucha Malato, David Unger EDITOR IN CHIEF Kate Rounds GRAPHICS STAFF Terri Saulino Bish Ines Aldaz Alyssa Bredin Lisa M. Cuthbert Pasquale Spina COPYEDITING Christopher Zinsli ADVERTISING MANAGER Tish Kraszyk SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Toni Anne Calderone-Caracappa Ron Kraszyk ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jay Slansky John Ward CIRCULATION MANAGER Roberto Lopez CIRCULATION Luis Vasquez ACCOUNTING Veronica Aldaz Sharon Metro

07030 Hoboken is published by the Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P., 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002, (201) 798-7800, Fax (201) 798-0018. Email 07030@hudsonreporter.com. Subscriptions are $10 per year, $25 for overseas, single copies are $7.50 each, multiple copy discounts are available. VISA/MC/AMEX accepted. Subscription information should be sent to 07030 Hoboken Subscriptions, 447 Broadway, Bayonne, NJ 07002. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or other unsolicited materials. Copyright ©2017, Hudson Reporter Associates L.P. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

07030 Hoboken is a publication of The Hudson Reporter Associates, L.P. 447 Broadway, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002 phone 201.798.7800 • fax 201.798.0018 e-mail: 07030@hudsonreporter.com www.hudsonreporter.com

6 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

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MARILYN BAER grew up in Hoboken and currently lives in Jersey City. She studied journalism at Ohio Wesleyan University and is now a staff writer for the Hoboken Reporter.

ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI has worked as an actress, for a literary agency and book publisher, and in the restaurant industry. She lives in Hoboken with her husband Mike and daughter Sophie.

TERRI SAULINO BISH

MAX RYAZANKSY

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.

DELFIN GANAPIN

ALYSSA BREDIN

MARIO A. MARTINEZ

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.

is a freelance journalist who was born and raised in Hoboken. Aside from writing, Mario enjoys staying active and living a healthy lifestyle.

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.

VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

AL SULLIVAN

has studied publication design, photography, and graphic arts. “I’ve been fascinated by photography for almost 20 years,” he says. One of his jobs as a construction project manager is to photograph job sites.

has been a staff writer for the Hudson Reporter newspaper chain since 1992. He was named journalist of the year in 2001 by the New Jersey Press Association, and photographer of the year in 2005 by the Garden State Journalists Association. In 2001, Rutgers University Press published a collection of his work, Everyday People: Profiles from the Garden State.

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.

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

MARILYN BAER

C O N T R I B U T O R S

0 7 0 3 0

ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI

DELFIN GANAPIN

MAX RYAZANSKY

TERRI SAULINO BISH

MARIO A. MARTINEZ

TARA RYAZANSKY

ALYSSA BREDIN

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ikes, we didn’t plan it this way, but it turns out that we have not one, but three stories that either are about soccer or tangentially about soccer. We talked to Leo Pellegrini about the Hoboken City Football Club, and we heard from Alessandro Galioto about his soccer camp. So get out the jerseys, shorts, cleats, and those cool knee socks and head over to Sinatra Drive. We’re talking kids, so no headers please! But wait, there’s more! The sport’s getting really popular, so we shouldn’t have been surprised that when we visited Mulligan’s for our Watering Hole feature, we discovered a virtual hotbed of soccer fiends.

12 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

see page 43

PHOTO BY MARIE PAPP

E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

0 7 0 3 0

Soccer, Anyone?

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ON THE MORNING OF TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017, THE BODIES OF TWO MEN WERE FOUND FLOATING AT WEEHAWKEN COVE. DR. ALAN BLUMBERG STANDS AT THE SPOT.

A Hoboken oceanographer discovers where the currents carry the bodies BY KATE ROUNDS IMAGES BY TBISHPHOTO

round 11 a.m. on the Friday before Christmas of 2005, a postal truck ran off the road on the 1/9 truck route eastbound in Kearny, damaging the concrete gate that closes the road when the Lincoln Highway Bridge is raised. It also sideswiped the red-and-white warning gate that blocks the road. This seemingly minor mishap had devastating consequences that would later require the services of a renowned oceanographer in Hoboken. At the time, Erin Phalon, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), told the New York Times that fixing the gate would take one to two weeks. “This isn’t just a pothole,” she said. The bridge, not far from Port Newark, needed to be raised at least once a day to accommodate ships entering and leaving the port. The NJDOT decided not to close the bridge but to put local law enforcement on call should the bridge need to be raised. According to the Jersey City Police Department, three times over that holiday weekend, officers were dispatched to halt traffic so the bridge could be raised. The steel elevator bridge, which connects Jersey City to Kearny, is what’s known as “vertical-lift.” It is not a drawbridge. Forty-five feet above the water, the vintage bridge works by huge pulleys that quietly lift the center span straight up— horizontally—unlike a drawbridge, which raises the span at an angle in front of waiting motorists.

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OFFICER SHAWN CARSON

OFFICER ROBERT NGUYEN

THE FORMER LINCOLN HIGHWAY BRIDGE

LIFT THE BRIDGE Sometime before 8 on Christmas night, a tugboat captain heading downriver radioed the bridge operator to lift the bridge. Lt. Thomas Osborne of the Kearny Police Department did not have enough officers to direct waiting traffic. Kearny PD called the Jersey City Police Department, which dispatched Officers Michael Scarpa and Jane Louf to the bridge. Osborne is now retired, but Kearny Police Captain David Feldhan was on the scene that night. “I was a patrolman trained in traffic reconstruction, an authorized accident investigator,” he said. “The fog was very dense. It was the worst job I’ve handled in my entire career.” Two Jersey City police officers, attached to the Emergency Services Unit, had volunteered for duty so that their fellow officers who were married could be home with their families. Officer Robert Nguyen, 30, whose parents are Vietnamese immigrants, attended

Photos courtesy of the Jersey City Police Department.

Hudson Catholic Regional High School, where he played basketball. Officer Shawn Carson, 40, was a track coach at St. Peter’s Prep and a talented runner in his own right. One friend reported that Carson never put on a “fake tough guy act.” Robert Troy, who was Jersey City Chief of Police at the time, told 07030 they both were “involved in their communities.” The Emergency Services Unit is an elite squad that handles special weapons, hostage situations, and rescues. “They never know what they’ll be asked to do, from SWAT to psycho calls,” Troy said.

A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT People interviewed for this story remembered cold, rain, fog, snow, low visibility, and, according to Troy, “sleet going sidewards.” The officers had been dispatched in their Ford utility truck to deliver two cases of emergency flares to colleagues directing traffic on the bridge. Troy 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

said the truck would also be carrying special weapons, bullet-proof shields, and riot equipment. The flares would alert drivers to the temporary roadblock about 200 feet from the spot where the bridge lifts. New York Times reporter Jeffrey Gettleman wrote that at about 8:15, officers Nguyen and Carson crossed the bridge heading west to deliver the flares to their fellow officers, as well as two Port Authority police officers. Reports noted the later-significant detail that a Spanishspeaking pedestrian had emerged from the fog to alert the officers that he had been robbed. It was apparently while Officer Nguyen, who knew some Spanish, was talking to the pedestrian that the bridge had been “raised behind them” to allow the tug to pass. It reportedly takes only 10 minutes to raise the bridge and lower it back into place. Gettleman’s reporting uncovered the following timeline, according to Jersey City police officials: While Officer Nguyen talked to the robbery victim, Officer Carson placed flares across three lanes of traffic, with Scarpa following and lighting the flares. Officer Nguyen escorted the robbery victim to Louf’s car and then returned to the utility truck. After setting the last flare, Officer Carson also returned to the truck. Scarpa and Louf, along with the two Port Authority officers, knew that the bridge would be raised and not to drive forward but thought that there would be a warning. But, after lighting the last flare, Scarpa looked up and “saw two taillights melting in the fog.” Lt. Tom Comey of JCPD, who was giving press briefings for the incident, said he did not recall inaccuracies in the Times’ reporting, noting “I was careful what I put out.” Deputy Jersey City Police Chief Peter Nalbach later said, “No one knew those two were about to drive off.” He said the bridge made no noise when it went up. Scarpa and Louf and the Port Authority cops ran after the utility truck, yelling for it to stop. Scarpa came within about 40 feet of the vehicle.

CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY From the perspective of Officers Nguyen and Carson in their truck, the roadway simply disappeared beneath them. Had it been a drawbridge, the raised span would have functioned as a huge angled barrier, keeping them from moving forward. The rescue mission to save them— Louf was prevented by her partner from diving into the icy waters of the Hackensack—almost immediately became a recovery mission. Two hours after the accident, Officer Carson was pulled from the truck, which reportedly landed upside down with a smashed windshield in 50 feet of water. The truck’s shotgun, which was locked in a rack, flew “like a spear through the roof,” according to Troy. Officer Carson was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead. More than 300 police officers from across New Jersey joined the search for Office Nguyen, some on boats, some on the riverbank. Ironically, according to former Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, “about six months earlier, Nguyen received a commendation from the police department for talking somebody down from that bridge. He was going to kill himself.”

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GO WITH THE FLOW In 1997, William “Captain Bill” Sheehan founded the Hackensack Riverkeeper, a nonprofit “steward of the watershed.” A lifelong resident of the Hackensack River area, he’s considered a local expert on the river and its environs. On Dec. 28, Sheehan told The Record, “There is a strong possibility that the poor guy just got swept away in the current, to Bayonne, Staten Island, or … New York Harbor.” The “poor guy” was Officer Nguyen. Meanwhile, back at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, Alan Blumberg, director of the department of civil, environmental, and ocean engineering, was reading Sheehan’s account with skepticism. In a letter to Jersey City Police Sergeant Kevin O’Connell of the Emergency Services Unit and Scuba Team, Blumberg wrote: I checked the records of water currents in the Hackensack River in the area where Route 1/9 crosses over the river. The records of the Hackensack River are: 12/25/05 8 p.m. very slow currents to the south 9 p.m. no current 10 p.m. to midnight, currents becoming stronger to the north averaging about 3/4 mile per hour 12/26 Midnight to 2 a.m., strong currents to the north averaging a little over 1 mile per hour 3-6 a.m., weak currents to the south about a 1/4 mile per hour. My analysis is that Mr. Nguyen would initially remain in the vicinity of the truck and then move north perhaps as much as 4 miles over the next 4 hours. After that the currents would move him back and forth but with a net movement upstream.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD On Dec. 28, Blumberg wrote to Sheehan: “My analysis is somewhat different than yours and I wanted to let you know what I have found.” He provided the above information given to Sergeant O’Connell, adding, “One way to understand that there is a net upstream movement is to consider the salt in the river. The only way for the river to get salty is from Newark Bay to the south. The salt is obviously moving upstream.” Twelve years after the incident, Sheehan recalled a similar scenario. “With an incoming tide, you concentrate efforts upriver; with outgoing, you look further downriver,” he said. “My knowledge of the river is practical, not scientific.” Blumberg’s is decidedly scientific. In his letter to Sheehan, Blumberg explained that Stevens had established the New York Harbor Observing and Prediction System (NYHOPS), an Urban Ocean Observatory, which “provides a wealth of real-time data about tides, waves, winds, currents, temperatures, and salinities in the waters of New York and New Jersey.”

ALAN OCEAN Blumberg told 07030 that he knew Officer Nguyen’s “body would be upstream a little bit, not downstream. In the Hackensack system, the currents at the bottom are

DR. ALAN BLUMBERG EXPLAINING HOW THE WATER INTERACTS WITH CITIES.

upstream, not downstream. The surface goes out, the bottom goes in; it’s called an estuary. I don’t study where the bodies are. I study the currents and systems of the urban ocean.” For Blumberg, who grew up in the Panama Canal Zone, the ocean has been a lifelong passion. “When I started out in oceanography, I studied the deep and coastal oceans,” he said. “But I really wanted to save lives and protect property, so I directed my research to how the water interacts with cities, and how cities interact with water. I like the practical aspect as opposed to theory.” To that end, Stevens's 72-hour forecasts for Hurricane Sandy water levels around the region were accurate, with less than 20 percent error. The time of occurrence had less error. He chose Stevens because he “wanted to work on urban oceans and work with brilliant students.” The Nguyen/Carson incident was the first of many that would involve the practical aspects of oceanography. In 2009, during the famed "Sully" emergency landing, Blumberg was in continual communication with the NYC Office of Emergency Management, providing guidance on the currents and water temperatures. He also helped plan where to tow the plane to get it safely out of the water. Later that year, he helped find the bodies of passengers killed in a plane that collided with a helicopter over the Hudson. In 2014, he helped find the body of 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo, who fell into the swirling eddies of the East River. And in 2015, he helped determine that a kayaker had murdered her fiancée in the upper reaches of the Hudson.

“The ocean dynamic is intense and controlling,” he said. “You can’t tell the ocean what to do. It’s powerful trying to harness it. It’s exciting for an oceanographer to study those dynamics.” He’s pleased that better water quality has brought more people to the Hudson. “On Weehawken Cove people paddleboard, sail,” he said. “It’s fantastic. You wouldn’t see that 30 years ago.”

RECOVERY On Dec. 29, 2005, Gettleman wrote that a diver “knew it the moment he felt it: There was a hand down there. And as he swam closer and peered through the murky water, he realized he had found Robert Nguyen … in a forest of sunken pylons and chunks of concrete on the bottom of the Hackensack River. It was heavy because he was still wearing his police jacket, boots, utility belt and gun, and the divers struggled to lift him out of the water.” Troy recalled, “Because of the water temperature, he was perfectly preserved and looked like he was sleeping.” Officer Nguyen was 70 feet from where the truck went into the river. On Jan. 3, 2006, Blumberg wrote to Sergeant O’Connell: “Our analysis was that Officer Nguyen would initially remain in the vicinity of the truck and then move slowly north.” Blumberg told 07030, “I felt really pleased that I could use my brain to help address a sad situation. The family was distraught; they couldn’t have a funeral. It felt good to do what I could to contribute to someone’s wellbeing.” Today, the Shawn Carson Robert Nguyen Memorial Bridge commemorates the tragic Christmas of 2005. —07030 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

Accidental Activists Turning a terrible loss into a force for good BY ARLENE PHALON BALDASSARI

aybe you heard last summer about Madison Rose, the infant who needed a heart transplant, from your Hoboken neighbor. You probably read the articles in the local press, including on the front page of The Hoboken Reporter , and watched the interviews with her parents, Stephanie and Matt Cohen, on Fox 5 News and Pix 11 News. Their compelling story told of how, at her 20-week ultrasound, they were given Madison’s diagnosis of Hypo-plastic Right Heart Syndrome (HRHS), a congenital heart defect, and how, soon after her birth, she was listed for a transplant. It may have been on social media, where word spread quickly about the GoFundMe page, set up by Stephanie’s sister, Tiffany, to help with expenses, and which raised $58,839, far surpassing its initial $25,000 goal. Or perhaps you participated in one of the many fundraisers (see sidebar) around town, as so many local businesses tried to help, and Madison’s parents waited for word of a donor heart. But Madison did not receive the heart she needed, and on Sept. 8, 2016, after two months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, she passed away, never having been able to leave the hospital. Her parents were devastated. After her funeral service at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church in Hoboken, they were left determined to reassess, regroup, and figure out what to do next. One month later, in the midst of their grief, they assembled a team of 30 to participate in the New York Congenital Heart Walk. The Madison Strong Team finished in the top 10 fundraisers. “While we were still grieving, it felt good to help others, and it was a way to honor Madison’s memory,” Stephanie recalls. Close friends introduced her to Ady Dorsett, a former Hoboken resident whose son Hayden had passed away five years earlier from Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which occurs in one out of every 4,000 births. (Madison’s HRHS was even rarer.) There was an immediate bond, and they

20 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

became close friends. Ady had set up a foundation, Hayden’s Heart, which raised awareness and funds for Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) and distributes care packages to CHD families in the hospital. In February, Hayden’s Heart included donations in Madison’s honor to their event, the Shea Strong Heart Fundraiser for the Babies Heart Fund at Columbia University Medical Center to support funding for innovative research and transitional care programs. Meanwhile, the community continued its support. In January, Cyclebar held a class, Ride for Madison & CHD Awareness, in its West Studio, and in March held an offsite Ride for Madison & Hayden by transporting 50 bikes to the Pilsener Haus, with all proceeds going to Hayden’s Heart Foundation. MADISON ROSE COHEN Other doors began to open, as Stephanie and Matt’s efforts brought new attention to CHD, and as Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in her State of the City address, “Stephanie and Matt’s mission to keep Madison’s memory alive serves as an inspiration.” Their biggest event yet will join forces again with Hayden’s Heart for a Golf Outing at Preakness Valley Golf Course in Wayne, appropriately titled, HeartStrong. Proceeds benefit Shea Oldenburger, a toddler from Washington Township who is fighting a multitude of congenital heart defects. It took place on Friday, June 9 (see haydensheart.org for more information). Soon, Stephanie and Matt will launch their own nonprofit, which will be called The Madison Rose Heart Project, with the mission: “To raise awareness, support others and honor Madison.” Their first effort will partner with Hoboken’s Little Words Project to distribute inspirational bracelets to moms of children with CHD, to give them a tangible reminder that they are not alone. While nothing can assuage their loss, the Cohens have found solace and hope in trying to give back. “It’s given me purpose,” Stephanie says. “And,” Matt adds, “she can still be Madison’s Mom.” For more updates, go to the Miracles for Madison GoFundMe page, gofundme.com/2fh63ng or follow the Little Hoboken Blog, littlehobokenblog.com, where Stephanie has been contributing as Heart Mom.

Stephanie and Matt would like to thank the many local businesses that have stepped up to help. Among them: Local Barre conducted a class at Maxwell Place Park. Aaraa hosted a lemonade stand. Tony Boloney’s Hoboken offered Madison Pizza sales in August 2016. Hoboken Girl held an event in which all raffle sales were donated. Pier 13 hosted a fundraiser. Anthony Davids with Via Nero donated 10 percent of dinners one night. Little Hoboken held an event at House of Que. McSwiggan’s held a Hoboken Happy Hour. Jaret’s Stuffed Cupcakes held an event. Madison Strong bracelet sales were held around town. Cyclebar held a class and a ride, supplying 50 bikes. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATT AND STEPHANIE COHEN

MIKE, STEPHANIE AND MADISON ROSE

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

0 3 0 7

Want your event listed? Please email us at 07030@hudsonreporter.com and put “calendar listings” in the subject line.

ONGOING Downtown Farmer’s Market, Washington Street between Newark Street and Observer Highway, 3-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through November.

Uptown Farmer’s Market, 13th Street and Hudson, 2-7 p.m. Thursdays through October.

22 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

Garden Street Farmer’s Market, 14th Street and Garden Street, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays through Dec. 16. Hoboken Gallery Walk, various locations, hobokengallerywalk.com. 2-6 p.m. Third Sunday of every month. Galleries and art spaces around Hoboken participate with special events and receptions highlighting the work of local, regional, and international artists. The Mile Square Toastmasters Club Meetings, Hudson School, 601 Park Ave., milesquare.org. Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Develop public speaking skills and leadership skills in a safe and supportive space. Dance Classes, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (551) 587-0121, symposia.us. Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m. $15 per person per hour or $50 for four lessons. Free Yoga Classes, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., (201) 805-1739, symposia.us. Wednesdays 7-8 p.m. Certified Yoga instructors Bridget Heavy and Carmen Rusu guide students through basic yoga postures, yogic breathing, meditation and relaxation techniques.

see page 30

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FAMILY FRIENDLY (left to right) Anabel Polanco with Ayden, Julie, Melody, and Alex Taveras

HELPING KIDS FIND THEIR WAY HOME

BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTO BY MAX RYAZANSKY the Taveras-Polanco family’s Hudson County home, a toddler babbles, and a 4-year-old watches Trolls on her tablet, as her 10-year-old sister looks on. It’s hard to believe that before 2012 the household was childless. That changed when Alex Taveras and wife Anabel Polanco became foster parents. Flash forward five years, and they have a biological son and two adopted daughters. Gaining permanent custody of the girls was a long process that was aided by Judy Kinnard, a CASA volunteer. Hudson County CASA is a nonprofit organization that aims to help foster children find permanent, safe homes. CASA stands for court appointed special advocates. These advocates are volunteers who take on the case of a child or siblings and help assess their best living situation. CASA volunteers are citizens from various backgrounds who want to help foster kids find their way home. “We get a lot of volunteers who have corporate jobs, but social-work hearts,” says CASA Executive Director Beverly Savage, who lives in Hoboken. When she came to CASA in

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2005 the office wasn’t as nice as it is now. “We were in a rundown commercial building,” Savage says. In 2009 CASA rehabbed the parish house of Saint Paul’s Church in the Jersey City Five Corners neighborhood. The new space is busy with meetings and events.

Lending a Hand Volunteers must receive 30 hours of training before they are assigned a case. “It’s a dynamic training process,” says CASA Volunteer Coordinator Clare Daley. “We have a lot of inspirational people come in to speak.” The training material can be troubling as well. “We have one night of training called Child Abuse and Neglect, and it’s a tough night, but it’s part of the training to make sure that you are able to handle that subject matter once you’re a volunteer.” She says the training is a big commitment, but evening classes make it convenient for working people. Daly, who lives in Hoboken, knows it’s doable because she got her start at CASA as a volunteer. Now she works recruiting and training volunteers. “They’re really good multi-taskers,” she says. “These people have full-time

highly demanding jobs, but they make it work. I love meeting these wonderful people, who use their personal time to help kids who really need it.” “The average length of a case is 18 to 19 months,” Savage says, explaining that CASA requires volunteers to commit to a year of monthly visits to the child they are assigned to as well as court dates. Once volunteers accept an assignment they meet the child or children involved. They talk to the biological and foster families, case workers, school officials, healthcare providers, and any other important people who are associated with the case. After reviewing the information, the volunteer makes a recommendation in court about the child’s placement. “It’s a unique thing to get to stand up and really have your voice heard,” says Daly. “When I was a volunteer I was surprised at just how much weight our opinions hold.”

Real Results Hoboken resident Brendan Canty did his CASA training this past September. He’d volunteered as a mentor in the past, but he wanted to do something more. CASA seemed like the perfect fit. “I think there are kids out there that certainly didn’t ask for their situation and would like the things that I took for granted growing up,” he says. “You’re making a tangible difference in something important.” Canty took on the case of two brothers, Jack and Noah Martin (not their real names), ages 5 and 10. The boys were in a Jersey City foster home because their parents have problems with substance abuse and mental illness. “They have been bouncing around from foster home to foster home,” Canty says. The total is seven since 2015. “It’s difficult to process all of that change.” The boys have had a lot of ups and downs while Canty has been working with them. For a while it seemed like they might live with their father, but then he relapsed. Next they were nearly adopted by distant relatives who moved out of state and ended the adoption process. “Noah is extremely mature and smart,” Canty says. “Both of them are resilient as hell. Both of them are hilarious. Noah really knows what’s going on, and it really affects him.” Though the three have bonded, Canty is their advocate above all else. “We make it very clear to people that this isn’t a mentoring program,” Savage says. “It’s not about taking the kid out to a movie once a month.”

Teen Challenge “Sometimes we will get a child who is a teenager,” Savage says. “If a family member doesn’t take them in, it’s hard to find them a placement. Those are our hardest cases. They’re often the ones who need the most help.” As a new volunteer, Hoboken resident Brenda Hurley was assigned to the case of teen Kayla Vidal (not her real name) who was living in a group home. Since Vidal was older, the assignment wasn’t about finding her a placement with a family; it was about helping her find her place in the world as an adult. She was nearly 18 and had dreams of attending college, but her caseworker was too busy to help her apply. “Teens face an extreme amount of stress and anxiety as they count down to aging out and need someone to help them

manage the process,” says Hurley. She was inspired to volunteer because she is the parent of a girl whom she adopted after fostering. “I know how overloaded the system is,” Hurley says. “The kids in foster care don’t have anyone who is just working with or for them, and it’s easy to slip through the cracks. CASA helps to make sure that doesn’t happen.” “A caseworker is responsible for a caseload, and while that number has come down in the past few years, it’s still significant,” Savage says. “Our volunteers are responsible for one case, so it’s a different type of focus. All of the caseworkers are compelled to respond to emergencies; they’re on the front line so they can get pulled away. Caseworkers really have a hard job, and we work with some fabulous ones.” Early in the case, Vidal was hesitant to let Hurley help. “We almost took Brenda off the case because Kayla kept standing her up,” Savage says, but Hurley stuck it out. “It took some time to gain Kayla’s trust,” Hurley says. But, she adds, “We have had several breakthrough moments.” She lists big accomplishments like securing financial aid and scholarships. “I think these moments have let her start to trust that things actually can work out for her, and if she tries and puts the work in, there can be a positive outcome.”

Heart of the Matter Meanwhile, at the Taveras-Polanco home, Taveras shares his CASA story. “We wanted to become parents ourselves, and we wanted to have the experience of what it is to be a family and also help some kids out,” he says. At first they intended to invite only one child into their home, but soon learned about three siblings. They decided to make extra room. The children were Melody, who was just 5 ½ weeks old, Michael, 3 ½, (not his real name) and Julie, 5 ½. Taveras says it was a bit overwhelming to go from zero to three children overnight, but it was a great experience. Soon the family met CASA volunteer Kinnard. “She was phenomenal,” Taveras says. “What really impressed us is that she was doing this as volunteer work. She’s a wonderful person.” A few years into their time together it seemed like they might reunite the biological family, but it didn’t work out. Then they noticed a change in Michael. “Michael was regressing instead of progressing.” Taveras says. For everyone’s health and safety, Michael went to live elsewhere. “It was very tough.” Taveras says that the girls still visit their brother as well as a younger brother who was placed in another home. Taveras and Polanco worried the girls might be removed and placed with their biological parents or family members. “They became a part of our family,” Taveras says, so he and Polanco decided to make it official. Taveras says it didn’t feel real until they signed the court documents. Now the girls are thriving, enjoying activities like ballet, acting, gymnastics, and swimming. Taveras beams with pride about their good grades. “They say that we are a blessing to the kids,” he says, “but they are a true blessing for us.”—07030 Hudson County CASA 442 Hoboken Ave. Jersey City (201) 795-9855 hudsoncountycasa.org 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

T I M E H O N O R E D E S TA B L I S H M E N T S

Photos courtesy of Roger J. Muller Jr., Muller Insurance

They’ve Got You Covered Muller Insurance reaches a milestone

alk about a venerable old business: Muller Insurance has been in operation for 111 years currently at 930 Washington. When John Muller arrived from Germany in 1903, he worked in a bar to make money to open the company, which launched in 1906, when he was only 17 years old. John served in the army in World War I. On his return, he resumed work, and by 1924, the business was thriving, and John had become a mover and shaker in the community. He was president of the school board and a member of the Euclid Lodge Masons, the Lions Club, the American Legion, the First Ward Democratic Club, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Elks, which was, and is, across the street. He also brokered real estate and was a theatrical agent for Broadway shows. As a justice of the peace in Hoboken, he “married” a lot of local luminaries, including Judge Charles DeFazio. His nephew is Ed DeFazio, former Hudson County Prosecutor and now a Hudson County Superior Court Judge. John joins a select group who have had Hoboken streets named for them, including Frank Sinatra and the Cake Boss. “John Muller Way” is at 10th and Washington.

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When John died of cancer in 1952, his son, R. John Muller, took over the business. He, too, was a busy man. Like his father, he augmented his insurance career by working all around the state as a New Jersey state detective. He was known for helping new immigrants secure insurance policies when other firms were reluctant to do so. He died in 2013. His son, Roger Jr., came on board in 1980 and is now managing partner and CEO. He has three sisters. One of them, Erika, joined the firm in 1989. The siblings took over the company in 2000. Roger Jr. and Erika may be best known for their exploits on ice. Both are avid competitors with the Hoboken Rockets ice hockey club. In the beginning, Muller Insurance operated as a real estate agency as well as an insurance agency. In 1986, Roger abandoned the real estate arm. The company is now an independent agent for 20 different insurance companies in 25 states, covering the eastern seaboard except for Virginia, as well as Arizona, California, Texas, and Upstate New York. The national insurance companies include big names such as AIG, Chubb, Franklin Mutual Insurance, Progressive, and Travelers. Last year, Muller was honored as a Chubb

John Muller in an early Muller Insurance office

Cornerstone Agent, “the highest rating any Chubb agent can get,” says Roger. “My grandfather and father would be proud.” A lot has changed in Hoboken since John Muller started his business in 1906. “Cars,” says Roger. “My grandfather did more insurance for horses than cars. In police reports, people got in trouble for drinking, and horses crapping on the street. There were tons of horses around back then; there weren’t too many cars when he started.” And it’s not your grandfather’s insurance business either. “It’s more complicated,” Roger says. “People have changed. They’re very educated and interested in learning everything about the product. Now everybody researches on the internet. It was more personal back then.” That’s one aspect of the business Roger values: “I want to keep the personal touch, like when people come in, I want to talk to them and get to know them. A lot of business is done online or on the phone, and you don’t meet people as much.” The welcoming arm of this venerable company reaches way back. “In the early ’80s,” Roger recalls, “Hoboken people came in and referred to my mother and father.” Citing the “trust factor,” Roger says Muller has been doing business with Truglio’s Meat Market for 70 years. “It’s still operating,” he says, relating how he knew the family, who would come into the office to pay their bills. “Though we were not related, it was like aunts and uncles the way they treated you, and you miss that.” Roger has followed in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps by serving on the board and as vice president of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce. He’s a member of the Euclid Lodge Masons and the Hoboken Lions Club, where he served a two-year term as president. He’s also a certified member of the Hoboken Community Emergency Response Team. Like Sinatra, Roger has only a few regrets. One is that “a lot of interesting personalities have disappeared from town.” But the Mullers maintain ties to old Hoboken. Says Roger, “Four generations of my family are members of the Hoboken Elks.” Best of all, in March 2016, Muller Insurance was honored as the oldest continuously operating business in Hoboken. —Kate Rounds

R. John Muller in, 1947, in front of 930 Washington St.

“I want to keep the personal touch, like when people come in, I want to talk to them and get to know them. A lot of business is done online or on the phone, and you don’t meet people as much.” — ROGER MULLER

Photo of Roger and Erika Muller by Tbishphoto 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

T I M E H O N O R E D E S TA B L I S H M E N T S

A master jeweler designs and makes the pieces onsite. Photos by Paul Zara

Good as Gold

Jewelry store coming up on four decades

oseph Lenardo was looking for a brighter career. He’d been a taxi owner, who queued up outside the PATH station to pick up his fares but longed to own a store. When a jeweler in town was ready to retire, Joseph jumped at the chance, partnering with his friend, Nick Sasso, to rent the shop on River Street. By 1979 he’d moved to a location at 115 Washington, where his son, Anthony, now owns and operates Hoboken Gold and Diamonds. Full disclosure. A few years ago I was drawn into the store by a sign in the window that read “We Buy Gold.” It seemed as if I had a bunch of gold jewelry that I never wore. The rings and earrings and bracelets netted me $500, which I thought was a pretty good haul, just for cleaning out my drawers. A full-service operation, there’s much more to the business than buying gold. Think weddings. Hoboken Gold and

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Diamonds does a brisk business in diamond engagement rings and gold and platinum wedding bands. Joseph had also opened shops in Jersey City and Bayonne, but when he died, Anthony wanted to keep only the flagship store in Hoboken. The shop’s niche is that a master jeweler designs and makes the pieces onsite. “A customer who comes in for an engagement ring is part of the process,” Lenardo says. “It’s a little more personal. They feel like they’re helping to design the ring.” Back in the day, he says, jewelry was ordered and made somewhere else. The shop’s master craftsman is a jack of all trades. “He can repair anything,” Lenardo says. “He’s been here 21 years, and he’ll repair your eyeglasses if you need him to.”

“You keep your customers happy. If someone else doesn’t want to fix it, we’ll do it. You have to do that … if the customer isn’t happy, we’ll fix it.” — ANTHONY LENARDO

If you buy an engagement ring somewhere else (Mon dieu!), Lenardo says, “He’ll size it while you wait, and you can put it on your fiancé’s finger and leave.” If you’re in the market for an engagement ring, be aware that it’s the diamond, not the gold, that’s the key feature. The store sells loose diamonds. The customer picks the diamond, which becomes the focal point for the design. The store buys diamonds from wholesalers in New York City, which are certified by GIA, the Gemological Institute of America. Right now, gold is expensive, so diamonds are more important than ever; the store is selling ones as large as three karats. Even in a bad economy, people still marry and find a way to buy engagement rings and wedding bands, but now that the economy is better, Lenardo says, customers are “looking for better quality and bigger diamonds.” If you have no intention of getting married, don’t worry. The shop is filled with sparkly baubles: gold and platinum bracelets, chains, necklaces, earrings, watches, and diamond studs, as well as precious stones such as sapphires and rubies.

Much of the merchandise is reasonably priced for folks who just want to dress up for a wedding or other special event. Despite all the pretty stuff in his store, it’s customer service that keeps Lenardo in business and his customers coming back. “I like dealing with people,” he says. “Old-time Hoboken people still come here. That’s what keeps you going. At Christmas and Valentine’s, you see familiar faces. And there are also a lot of new customers, so I am meeting new people.” In the nearly 40 years that the store has been in business, Hoboken has seen a lot of changes. “Washington Street was pretty much boarded up,” he recalls. “It was a completely different town. It was good and fun. Everybody knew each other. The old-time jewelry stores are gone.” “Customer service is a big part of any business,” Lenardo says. “You keep your customers happy. If someone else doesn’t want to fix it, we’ll do it. You have to do that. Even if it’s a special order, if the customer isn’t happy, we’ll fix it.” “A lot of people don’t do that,” he says. “I learned from my father to make everybody happy.” —Kate Rounds

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

DATES 07030 from page 22

Concerts in Church Square Park, 4th and Garden, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. starting June 25. Come take a walk over, and enjoy live music. Free. Guitar Circle, Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., chaase@chdesignsolutions.com, symposia.us. Thursdays 8:30-9:30 p.m. Come jam with local guitar players in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Share your favorite songs and learn new ones. All playing levels and styles are welcome. Penny’s Storytime at the Museum, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, hobokenmuseum.org. Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Education Curator Maria Lara and other guest readers share stories with children ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers. Registration required. See webpage for link, posted at 10 a.m. on the day before each session. Storytime at the Fire Department Museum, 213 Bloomfield, Sundays at 12:30 p.m. The Museum host a weekly Storytime program for children between the ages of 2 and 5. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Free.

JUNE 4 Annual Secret Gardens Tour, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 656-2240, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Hidden behind the row homes and repurposed factories lining Hoboken’s streets are surprisingly lush green spaces that reflect the diversity of the city’s inhabitants; past tours have see page 39

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07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 â&#x20AC;¢

BY MARILYN BAER IMAGES BY TBISHPHOTO

n a rainy spring afternoon the clouds finally parted for Laura Knittel’s inaugural bike ride of the season, her preferred exercise and commute to her job at the Hoboken Public Library. Knittel tackles this bike ride much like she has the year: head on, promising to make time for wellness. She shares her story as we pedal through Church Square Park. “As of February of this year I decided to begin using a life coach for what’s next for me, and one of my goals is to lose weight and improve my personal style,” Knittel said. She now works out three or four times a week. “My life has been an incredible journey of ups and downs,” she said. “I will say that it has given me such incredible strength, resolve, compassion, and the longing to grow, every day of my life a little closer to joy, contentment, and inner peace.” One such down was a two-year battle with cancer. “I was diagnosed in 2006 with stage 3A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, had my chemo treatments all through 2007, and in early 2008 was told I beat it,” Knittel said. “It is 2017, and as of last May, I am still winning, no cancer. I never take anything for granted, not that I am living on borrowed time, but I realize that tomorrow is never promised.” Knittel said she doesn’t fear death.

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WORKING OUT WITH

Laura Knittel

“I faced and danced with that subject while under my chemo treatments,” she said. “I clearly remember as the chemo ran through my veins, making a conscious choice to live or die internally. It was a profoundly deep and meditative state, but nevertheless I am so grateful I was able to experience this and live to tell you about it.” Cancer, she said, is a “driving force that leaves me unstoppable and wanting to lead others to get beyond all that stops them from seeing their strength and obstacles.” Knittel lives by this dictum: “Our minds are our crowning assets and our ultimate battlegrounds.” “Imagine if we all took more accountability for who we are and expanded our own growth to full potential with love, compassion, and intelligence,” she said. “It would have lasting effects that would ripple beyond our friends and family the world over.”

GIVING BACK Knittel donates time to the LGBTQ community at the new Hudson Pride Connection Center. Her partner of 12 years is Katya Diez Presilla, who came from Cuba in 2005, the year they met. They were married at Hoboken City Hall in spring 2013. “We married in 2013 because it became legal for us to marry that year,” Knittel said. “It is important for people to learn and understand that, had we been given the right to marry before that, we would have.”

She points to misconceptions about LGBTQ relationships. “We are sometimes marginalized and thought not to be able to have long-term relationships, but here we are.” Knittel also volunteers at the Hoboken Shelter and the Jubilee Center, and helps out coworkers at the Hoboken Public Library “For whatever we take of this world we should leave something in its place,” she said. “I have a vision to leave the world a better place than I found it, to serve others, to love fully, and share this journey of life with all those who would like to do so as well.” Her interests and causes are wideranging. “I am passionate about arts and culture, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, social justice, and humanitarian issues,” she said. Last September she helped stage a rally to support Father Warren Hall, a priest who was dismissed by the Archbishop of Newark reportedly for embracing gay rights and for backing Kate Drumgoole, a Paramus Catholic High School faculty member fired for being in a same-sex marriage. “I have learned the more we care for others the greater sense of wellbeing there will be in all areas of our lives and around the world,” Knittel said. “This to me is the greatest source for a successful life.”—07030

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

Nothing is faster than the speed of life

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A Mecca for Arts and Small Businesses on Hoboken’s West Side

onroe Center for the Arts is Hoboken’s premier arts and business venue. This vibrant community of creative people and small businesses is the lifeblood of the ever-evolving Mile Square City. Two main buildings, connected by a glass breezeway, feature 180,000 square feet of artist studios, office lofts, and retail space, ready for lease. The two converted industrial buildings, renovated in 1990, were part of the much larger Levelor blinds factory complex. Managed by Basad Realty since 2011, the new owners have updated the building to suit the growing needs of the businesses that thrive here. Renovations of a new lobby and elevator and four retail shops were recently completed. The Monroe Center boasts more than 40 small businesses. Many have expanded since moving into the complex. All studios have hardwood floors, big industrial windows for great light, a view of the Manhattan skyline, HVAC, and high ceilings with exposed heavy timber beams. The studios range from 300 to 5,000 square feet. Schedule a meeting to tour available spaces: 720 Monroe St., Suite E203-C (201) 795-5000, monroecenter.com.

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

LARGER than

Life

Alex Corrado

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEX CORRADO

BY MARIO A. MARTINEZ

ew people have the street cred that actor Alex Corrado has in his hometown. Corrado had been on the road with the musical The Bodyguard. I caught up with him when he flew in from Atlanta to do a promo for his role as Gabe in the hit TV series Gotham that aired on May 1 on FOX. Corrado has a deep baritone. “It’s Gabe’s finest hour,” he says of the episode. We met at M & P Biancamano, the uptown Italian delicatessen best known for its award-winning fresh mozzarella, delicious food, and for being a Hoboken institution for decades. It’s old Hoboken, with home-style dining and vintage decor. With fond memories of playing stickball on Hoboken streets, Corrado has a lot in common with his favorite deli. “I went to Saints Peter & Paul on 4th and Hudson, and I lived on 6th and

Hudson,” he says. “In Hoboken back then, we would get home from school and literally we would change clothes and go play outside until your mother called from your window for dinner.” He graduated from St. Peter’s Prep, attended New York University, and then studied medicine at the renowned University of Bologna in Italy. On his return, he practiced medicine in Newark. Dissatisfied with medicine, he abandoned ship and dove head first into acting. It was a risky leap, inspired by a lifelong love of film, fueled by his parents. “I got into acting without any formal training as an actor but I knew I could do it,” Corrado says. “My parents were movie bugs; they loved movies. Like when they’d do screenings for all the classic movies at like Radio City Music Hall, we would go see movies like Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights, How Green Was My Valley, Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard, you know, all the classics.”

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Act One Corrado’s acting break was straight out of a movie, akin to Lana Turner being discovered at Schwab’s. He relates, “While out walking one day, literally someone came up to me and said ‘Do you want to be in Analyze This with Robert De Niro?’ and I said to him, ‘Yeah, and I want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge too!’ I mean c’mon, I’m from Hoboken. I’m not some wide-eyed Casanova kid from the Midwest walking around Times Square clueless. You know what I’m saying? But the guy turned out to be legit.” Soon after, Corrado was introduced to director Harold Ramis and auditioned for the role of Richie Boots in the 1999 film Analyze This starring De Niro and Billy Crystal. Corrado, who is 6-foot-4, was passed on the role because he was too tall to stand alongside De Niro, who is 5-10, and Crystal, who is 5-7. Still, the audition was a breakthrough that would lead to roles in Dinner Rush (1999), Hannibal (2001), and a TV career that

includes roles in Sex and the City, Blue Bloods, and Gotham. In 2011, Corrado produced, directed, and acted in the short film Hero, which won the Best New Director award in the New York Film Festival. It’s based on a story written by Captain Arthur Dell of the North Bergen Fire Department, which follows the life of Carlos Arce Jr. as he rises through the ranks of his local police department and reaches an ethical quandary, much like that in Serpico, that leads to a surprise ending. The film features action-packed shooting scenes, dramatic acting, and suspenseful storytelling.

Screen to Stage The Bodyguard represents Corrado’s first experience in a travelling show. A musical adaptation of the 1991 film written by Alexander Dinelaris, it stars R&B singer Deborah Cox as Rachel. Corrado plays her security guard, Tony Scibelli. The musical includes the original score from the film, made famous by the late Whitney Houston. The show has been performed for more than 200,000 people since its opening in November and will run until April 2018. It’s slated to be performed in 44 cities nationwide. “People think it’s all glamour and stuff, but in reality it’s exhausting,” Corrado says.

brush,” wrote Dawn Reno Langley of The Triangle Arts and Entertainment in her review of the show. He’s also working on roles for two films and will appear on the award-winning web series The Sandra West Diaries, directed by fellow Hobokenite Robert Griffith.

Act Three

At the N.Y. Stock Exchange with Robin Lord Taylor and Tom Cochrane. The show has performances eight times a week. The cast’s only day off is Monday, which is also a travel day. Still, the experience of a new city each week, new stage, and new audience is a part of touring that Corrado enjoys. “I always said that theater is real acting,” he says. “You’re in the moment, and every night you’re creating something for your audience. It’s great. The people don’t know what to expect, and with live theater anything can happen.” Corrado’s work is being noticed. “Tony Scibelli is the quintessential security guard, drawn with a Goodfellas

Corrado, who celebrated his 52nd birthday in April, still has career goals. “My dream has always been to host Saturday Night Live because I’ve been a fan since its inception, and I’ve wanted to win an Oscar or a Tony,” he says. “At this point I’ll take it for acting, directing, writing, or producing. I’ve been in some great things, but now I want to take it to the next level.” Corrado’s mantra is to live life to the fullest. “I feel like every day is like New Year’s Eve for me,” he says. “I’ve had a great life. No one’s going to cry for me when I’m gone. No one’s going to say ‘the poor guy never got out,’ trust me, I’ve lived a good life.” Though he now lives in Rutherford and has traveled widely for work, Hoboken is where his heart is. “Yeah, I’ve seen changes,” he says. “Some of them for the better, some for the worse, quite frankly. But I still love it here. I’ll always love it.”—07030

Alex (left) shooting a Geico commercial in Brooklyn 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

The site where The Hilton Hotel will be constructed

IMAGES VIA KMS DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

he city’s redevelopment plan for the Hoboken Post Office Rehabilitation Area includes a 283-room Hilton Hotel that would replace the current parking lot and loading zone of the River Street Post Office but preserve the post office as an historic landmark. In January KMS Development Partners invited input from local business owners and residents. It was attended by more than 100 people, including several Hoboken elected officials. Architectural renderings, a three-dimensional model, economic benefits estimates, and site plans were on display. Proposed amenities include a fitness center, valet parking, restaurant, 6,000-square-foot event space and terrace, and 6,000-square-foot meeting and conference facility. KMS Development Partners Principal Dennis Martin said the hotel, which is slated to be finished in 2019, “brings with it a host of significant benefits for Hoboken, including $1.6 million in new taxes, operational improvements to the Hoboken Post Office, including a new underground parking facility, improved pedestrian access to the waterfront, traffic-pattern enhancements, new streetscapes, and hotel amenities for Hoboken residents.” Ron Hine of the Fund for a Better Waterfront supports the project. At press time, the city was in the midst of the approval process. —Marilyn Baer

A rendering of the Hilton Hotel

A HILTON ON THE H O R I Z O N A n d i t ’s n o t P a r i s 38 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

DATES 07030 from page 30

included Japanese Zen gardens, English cottage gardens and even a Moroccan courtyard. Guided tours depart from the Museum every half hour, and last about two to two-and-a-half hours. Tour groups are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are $30 for HHM members and Hoboken Garden Club members, and for tickets purchased in advance; nonmembers pay $35 on the day of tour. Tickets will be available for sale a few weeks before the event.

Open Every Saturday 9am - 2pm May 6th - December 16th 14th & Garden Street www.gardenstreetfarmersmarket.com www .gardenstreetfarmersmarket.com Sponsored by

6 Family Fun Nights: Yosi, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. From school and library events to regional music festivals, Yosi’s shows are whimsical, imaginative, and enthusiastic. Free.

11 Hoboken Arts and Music Festival, Washington Street from 8th to 14th Streets, (201) 420-2207, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Enjoy performances, fine arts, children’s activities, crafts for sale, and lots of great food. Free.

13 Family Fun Nights: Songs for Seeds, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. The program takes children on a musical journey with engaging activities. They will experience music and language from cultures around the globe during a sing-along of well-known nursery rhymes. Free.

14 Movies Under the Stars: Young Frankenstein, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 420-2207, 9 p.m. An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that he is not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body. Free.

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15 Concerts in the Park: Sinatra Idol Contest, Sinatra Park, Frank Sinatra Drive between 4th and 5th Streets, (201) 420-2207. 6:30 p.m.

18 Spring Family Fun Day, Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., (201) 6562240, 12-4 p.m. Filled with hands-on activities that stretch the imagination and encourage creativity, the afternoon offers hands-on crafts, games and a fun entertainer for the whole family to enjoy. Free.

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201-798-8666 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

ON THE

JOB

WITH 40 â&#x20AC;¢ 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

Members of the sales staff (left to right) Jay Slansky, Tish Kraszyk, Toni Anne CalderoneCaracappa, Ron Kraszyk, and John Ward

Members of the editorial staff (left to right) Gene Ritchings, Rory Pasquariello, Marilyn Baer, Samantha Myers (no longer at the Hudson Reporter), Al Sullivan, and Caren Matzner

BY TARA RYAZANSKY PHOTOS BY MAX RYAZANSKY

’ve been writing for The Hudson Reporter for a few years, but not in the office. I do my part over email and telephone by pitching stories and doing interviews with notable locals for Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula , Hoboken 07030, and Jersey City Magazine. I work closely with Editor in Chief Kate Rounds, who polishes articles, but really, I didn’t know how the staff builds three magazines and eight weekly newspapers from concept to the final copies that hit my doorstep and yours. The new Bayonne office is only about 10 miles from the Hoboken bank building that was its headquarters for almost 25 years. Yet this location seems a world away from bustling Washington Street. It’s exciting that The Hudson Reporter is among the businesses and developers

capitalizing on Bayonne’s potential. The two-story Broadway building, where the company moved in May, stands out with a floor-to-ceiling front window that shows off a wood spiral staircase.

DOWNSTAIRS Past the lobby is the sales department. I’m greeted by Advertising Manager Tish Kraszyk. She introduces me to her team of account executives that includes her husband, Ron Kraszyk, Toni Anne Calderone-Caracappa, Jay Slansky, and John Ward. This department sells ads that fund the publications. Once a week they have a sales meeting. “Since we’re all in different directions geographically, this is our time that we’re all together,” Tish Kraszyk says, referring to the fact that they each have a sales territory where they connect with local businesses. “We have a 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

ON THE JOB WITH 07030

Graphics Staff (left to right) Ines Aldaz, Alyssa Bredin, Terri Saulino Bish, Editor in Chief Kate Rounds, Lisa M. Cuthbert, and Pasquale Spina

good working relationship,” she says. “In a lot of sales organizations, no matter what you’re selling out in the marketplace, there’s friction among sales staff. It’s never been like that here. To have that kind of relationship adds to the strength of our team.” “It’s just mutual respect for your coworkers, and our personalities gel,” adds Calderone-Caracappa as her coworkers nod in agreement. “On a typical morning you’re joking around here, and then it’s refreshing to go out to your territories with a smile on your face.” Ron Kraszyk says, “The leadership is a big factor, like Dave. Are you listening to this, Dave?” Co-publisher David Unger stands within earshot making photocopies. Kraszyk’s coworkers laugh and call him a brown nose. But Kraszyk is sincere. “Dave is always available,” he says. “It’s a good environment. His door is open.” Unger’s office is just beyond the sales department. He shares the role of publisher with Lucha Malato. The two purchased the company in 1999. “We’ve always tried to keep the environment fun,” Unger says. “Newspapers are very busy places with lots of stress.” Adds Malato, “You’re working with deadlines. It isn’t like we can just say, ‘oh, we don’t feel well, we’ll do it tomorrow.’” But the vibe is upbeat. “That’s our philosophy, to keep it friendly, welcoming, and an enjoyable place to work,” Unger says. “It must be, because we have many people who have been with us for a very long time,” adds Malato. “It’s a fun place to work.”

THE OFFICE An efficient office staff keeps things running smoothly. Bayonne native and Bookkeeper Sharon Metro has been on the job 17 years. She shares an office with Veronica Aldaz who, for six years, has been supporting the sales department. Classified Manager Ann Reilly has been processing those all-important classifieds for 22 years. She’s helped by Classified Representative Barbara Johnson,

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who’s been at the Hudson Reporter for two years. “I like getting to know local people,” she says, “hearing what they’re thinking and feeling and learning about the neighborhood.” If it weren’t for the next two gentlemen, you’d never see the publications. Circulation Manager Roberto Lopez, on the job for 21 years, says he likes the fact that he distributes “Local news. It’s a forum for news that the bigger outlets don’t cover.” He works with Luis Vasquez who’s been with the Hudson Reporter for 25 years. “I’m very proud to be working with this company,” he says. “I also like making a connection to the businesses I visit. It feels like a friendship.” These loyal employees have been with the Reporter for a grand total of almost 100 years.

UPSTAIRS The last issue of Hoboken 07030 is laid out page by page on a large conference table on the second floor. Publications are displayed this way so that the art and editorial departments can perfect the contents before the final draft reaches readers. “Sometimes a story can look right on the computer screen, and then when you see it in print, you notice an error that you didn’t notice before,” says Caren Matzner, editor in chief of the newspapers. The Hudson Reporter’s newspapers cover Bayonne, Guttenberg, Hoboken, Jersey City, North Bergen, Secaucus, Union City, Weehawken, and West New York. “Sometimes news breaks, like the train crash in Hoboken,” Matzner says. “Marilyn Baer is our reporter, and she was in Hoboken all day jockeying among the local TV stations to try to get a spot at the press conference. I was there too, and I posted some breaking news on the website.” Unger adds, “We’re in the process of redoing our web presence, and hopefully in the next several months you will see a new website.”

Stories get the onceover from editors Matzner, Rounds, and Managing Editor Gene Ritchings. Staff writers Marilyn Baer, Hannington Dia, Rory Pasquariello and Al Sullivan cover towns in their beats, Sullivan writes a weekly political column titled “Between the Lines.” “Reporters who have learned the craft of journalism from us have gone on to work at the New York Times and the Associated Press and have written best-selling nonfiction books and novels,” Matzner says.

A PICTURE’S WORTH… The art department lays out the publications, integrating ads and editorial. “Beautiful images and elegant, simple layouts can really make a piece come to life,” Rounds says. Terri Saulino Bish, Alyssa Bredin, Lisa M. Cuthbert, Ines Aldaz, and Pasquale Spina make up the graphics staff. “We take all the pieces and put them together into the finished product,” Bredin says. “It’s like a puzzle.” “Combining the art of retouching and the science of color-correcting makes a great photo reproduce like a great photo,” adds Bish, demonstrating how the layout and artwork can enhance a story. “The publishing industry is not what it was 20 years ago,” says Cuthbert. “You can’t just think outside the box, you have to rebuild the box itself, and it’s our job to do that.” Spina adds. “But I think there are still people who want to feel that paper in their hands in the morning.” But Rounds, who is also editor of the Bayonne Community News, warns, “Unlike with online publications, if you make a mistake in print, it will be there forever, in the fossil footprint. We try not to make mistakes!” A transitioning newspaper industry was partly responsible for the move to Bayonne.

EMBRACING CHANGE “The Hoboken building was just way too big for us,” Malato says. “We had so much wasted space.” The company found a home in a city that is also transitioning. “This is a town that has a lot of potential, whereas in Hoboken I think that potential has been more than realized,” says Ritchings. “Bayonne is also a great news town to work in,” Rounds adds. “Buildings are going up, and there’s opposition to those developments; new, younger people are moving in, and there’s a burgeoning arts scene. It’s fun to be in a town and watch it change. But the old charm is still there, lifelong residents, one-family homes, mom-and-pop stores, and a deep community spirit.” Sullivan, whose beat was Bayonne for about 10 years, is happy to be back. “I missed its traditions, and I missed Broadway, so coming back was very familiar,” he says. “Now we’re back, and it’s like home again.”

THE NATURE OF THE BEAST The business of publishing has its own internal rhythms. “It’s not linear work,” Rounds says. “It’s circular. It never ends. You keep all the balls in the air, working on each publication in order, and then start again.” For writers, artists, and editors, creative thinking is where it all begins. “We have edit meetings, where we kick around ideas,” Rounds says. “You can’t make a good publication without a strong foundation of ideas that spark interest and engage readers. In the beginning, before those ideas coalesce, it’s a little scary. But then the stories are written, the photos are shot, the layouts are designed, and the product begins to emerge. ‘Product’ is an interesting word. We’re not making shoes, but we are making something tangible. The moment when you turn that first page can be exciting. But then, right away, it’s on to the next project.” — 07030

EDITOR’S LETTER 07030 from page 12

Off the soccer field, we talked to Dr. Alan Blumberg, the Stevens oceanographer, who has made a name for himself helping to find bodies in the Hudson River and in other local waterways. It may sound gruesome, but it’s a valuable service to law enforcement and to families, who want to see their loved ones laid to rest. Accidental activists are people who have found uplifting ways to deal with terrible tragedies. One Hoboken couple found a way to cope with the tragic death of their two-month-old daughter. Arlene Phalon Baldassari sat down with Stephanie and Matthew Cohen to hear about the organization they founded to help other infants with the same lifethreatening congenital heart defect as that of their daughter, Madison Rose. You probably see Laura Knittel at the Hoboken Public Library all the time. But what about on the bike path? Marilyn Baer worked out with Laura and got the lowdown on her very busy life. You may have seen him on the big screen, and now he’s in our pages—Alex Corrado, a Hoboken native who made it to Hollywood. Mario A. Martinez caught up with the actor and shares his fascinating story. Our intrepid married team of Tara and Max Ryazansky spent a day with the Hudson Reporter for our “On the Job With” segment. They sat in with sales, editorial, and the office staff to find out how we produce our eight weekly newspapers and three magazines. As I write this, trees are budding, and flowers are pushing up from the earth. With our waterfront bars, eateries, and piers, and the allure of the river itself, why not celebrate summer right here in Hoboken? Enjoy it! See you in the fall. — 07030

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

EDUCATION 07030

rvello Karen Se , and aide s s la c -k er pre ids from h ley with k o F n e ile Mrs. E

And Then There Was One HOBOKEN CATHOLIC ACADEMY IS ALIVE AND WELL PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

a Thursday morning in late March, Hoboken Catholic is hopping. A couple of kids come into the office for their late passes, but most of the school is settling in for the 8:20 bell. Principal Matthew McGrath is on hand for the grand tour, which starts in his office. One of his most prized possessions? A Mets shirt with number 41, worn by hall-of-fame hurler Tom Seaver. McGrath wears it on dress-down days. As we walk around, he calls kids by their names and tousles their hair. In Mrs. Pat Peterson’s first-grade class, students look spiffy in their school uniforms. No one’s shy in this class. They eagerly show Victor things they’ve made and are quick to reveal their career goals. Not one, but two students want to be paleontologists. Let’s go, fossils! In Mr. John Taormina’s science lab, seventh graders are creating a PowerPoint presentation on biomes. Also on display is a “flexible spine,” fashioned from pipe cleaners, macaroni, and gummy lifesavers.

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Going from one extreme to the other, next stop is Mrs. Eileen Foley’s adorable pre-K class. It’s really busy and noisy with toys galore, the kids wearing little maroon sweat suits. This is their playtime before they hit the serious academic stuff, like religion and circle time. “Play is an important part of learning,” McGrath says. “We have really happy kids.” In Ms. Maria Fusiak’s eighth-grade reading class, some of the students are wearing sweatshirts with the names of the high schools they will soon be attending, including Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, St. Dominic’s in Jersey City, St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, and High Tech High in North Bergen. Mr. Bert Ammerman, part-time assistant principal who’s sitting in on the class, says of the school, “It’s top-notch. I’m impressed with the commitment and dedication of the teachers and students.” The gym is brand new, the result of a major renovation after Superstorm Sandy. Mr. T, aka Mr. Michael Tallarida, has lined up a bunch of little maroon-clad kids for a phys-ed class. The gym also serves as an auditorium and theater. On the stage

There is still a powerful emotional pull toward the Catholic School experience. 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 â&#x20AC;¢

EDUCATION 07030

Mrs. Pat Peterson’s first grade class

behind a curtain, moms are preparing for an upcoming Easter Egg hunt. The school holds four fundraisers a year: Texas hold’em poker in January, spring gala, 5-k race in June, and golf outing in the fall. On the way out of the gym, we stop by the cafeteria where Chef Fred, a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, is preparing chicken parm for lunch. While we’re in the kitchen, Miss Aggie stops by. She’s such an institution as a kitchen worker and crossing guard that a street outside the school was named for her: Aggie’s Way.

When in Rome… Signs of the school’s Roman Catholic foundation are all over the building, with statues of Jesus and saints, a cutout of Pope Francis, and crucifixes on high. At one time, there were six Catholic elementary schools in the Hoboken-Weehawken area. Soon they began to consolidate, and finally Hoboken Catholic Academy was the only remaining Catholic school. The reason? This is the scenario laid out by McGrath. “Over time,” he says, “through demographic changes and smaller families, different things happened throughout New Jersey,” leading to the closing of many Catholic schools. The school, at 555 Seventh St., is affiliated with St. Ann’s, St. Francis, and St. Laurence Churches and serves 340 students from pre-K to eighth grade. In his quarter century as an educator, McGrath has been both a teacher and administrator, working in public and private schools. A Jersey City native, he’s a product of Catholic schools, graduating from Hudson Catholic and what is now St. Peter’s University. McGrath is in his fourth year as principal. He started his tenure at Hoboken Catholic a year after Superstorm Sandy devastated the west side of Hoboken. Its fury wreaked havoc on the school when 4,000 gallons of heating oil from an aban-

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doned tank flooded the building, shutting it for the balance of the school year. You can still see the watermarks about two feet off the floor on some doors and walls. Though Catholic schools are suffering from societal shifts that are hurting them financially, there is still a powerful emotional pull toward the Catholic school experience. “It’s a combination of things,” McGrath says. “One is a strong religious component. Children are taught in a religion class every day from the time they enter. They attend masses and different prayer services. Prayer is a big part of every day.” Students also complete a number of service projects through the campus ministry, student council, and honor society. They “give back and do things for people who are less fortunate,” McGrath says.

Hitting the Books Academically, the school is aligned with the Archdiocese of Newark. “We have all their curricular requirements and strong technology with smart boards in every room.” In the works are iPads for middle-school students. The school also provides a professional development program for teachers offered by professors from William Patterson University. And engineering students from Stevens offer a six-week class for middle-school students. The majority of students come from Hoboken, Jersey City, Union City, and Weehawken, where active Catholic parishes feed enrollment. “Our goal is to provide the best education we can to prepare our students academically, emotionally, and spiritually to move on to high school as confident and well-prepared young adults,” McGrath says. The Catholic high schools that they attend include Xavier in New York City, St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City, Hudson Catholic in Jersey City, and St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City. In

EDUCATION 07030

Principal Mathew McGrath with Miss Aggie

2016 and 2017, more than $300,000 in scholarships were awarded each of those years. Public schools include McNair Academic in Jersey City and High Tech High School in North Bergen. “I’m happy with our students’ efforts,” McGrath says, “and our teachers have done a terrific job.”

“I’ve always enjoyed working with children,” McGrath says.

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In His DNA “I’ve always enjoyed working with children,” McGrath says. “I began coaching CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) when I was a teenager. When I realized the impact you can have on young people, I decided to pursue education as a career.” His tenure at Hoboken Catholic has been rewarding. “You cannot go into a pre-K class and not come out with a smile,” he says. “I have the good fortune to go into all classes and watch kids evolve on a daily basis. As they mature they become more focused. At graduation it’s wonderful to see the finished product emerge.” Three factors have made it possible. Says McGrath, “I’ve been blessed with great kids, really outstanding families, and amazing staff and teachers.” —Kate Rounds

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07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

B U S I N E S S E S

M A K E

H O B O K E N

W O R K

PHOTOS BY ALYSSA BREDIN

LUCAS DENTAL ASSOCIATES 232 Bloomfield St. 200 Bloomfield St. 201-798-8899 lucasdental.com

r. Robin Lucas opened Lucas Dental Associates at 232 Bloomfield St. in 2000 and now has been putting beautiful smiles on the faces of Hobokenites for more than 15 years. According to Lucas, Hoboken citizens have a wide range of dental needs. “In Hoboken, it’s a mixed bag of people, but there are a lot of young professionals who take their appearance seriously,” she says. “We have a range of cosmetic needs that come through the door, and we definitely meet them. It can be as simple as Invisalign for people who want to straighten their teeth, or a chipped tooth, we meet all needs.” Like many of her patients, Dr. Lucas is a young professional and entrepreneur. With such a high demand in a small city, she has now opened a second office, Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, at 200 Bloomfield in order to better serve the community. “We grow as needed,” she says. “I believe that it’s important for you to do what you do well before you consider growing because it’s not about quantity; it’s about quality. You have to maintain that delicate balance.” Lucas understands that maintaining that balance is key. With more than 20 years of experience in dentistry, she has found ways to help her patients overcome fear of going to the dentist. “One of the things I like to do is take baby steps instead of jumping in knee deep,” Lucas says. “Some people need to build trust, so they can see that it is all really in their head. So I like to start with something simple and easy. I give people the time they need to help get over their anxiety.” Lucas knows the various extremes of dentophobia and tries to provide the most comfortable environment for all her patients. She allows patients to listen to music on their earbuds, offers a massage chair to help them relax, and streams TV shows on Hulu to distract them. “It’s my name on the door, and it’s my nature,” Lucas says. “I’m a people person. It’s not a stretch for me to relate and communicate with people.” Now with two fully staffed locations, Lucas provides the quickest, simplest, and most comfortable experience for her patients. Technological advancements such as digital X-rays, intraoral cameras, and preview photos of proposed smile enhancements show

DR. ROBIN LUCAS patients exactly what is happening inside their mouths in real time.

Paying It Forward Lucas believes in giving back to the community. Through the nonprofit organization TRUE Mentors, she has created an internship program for high school students who have an interest in dentistry and want to earn school credits. On the first Friday of February, Lucas holds an annual outreach program for children called Give Kids a Smile. She opens her office to children for free dentistry and to

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see what the office is like. The outreach program has had an impact on the children, and on her. “Over the years, we’ve found out that a lot of kids who are taking advantage of the program, it’s their first dental encounter,” Lucas says. “And a lot of times we see them return later, and for me that’s fulfilling.” Says Lucas: “The goal is to accommodate people and give them what they came in for to the best of our abilities, and I definitely do feel like we do accomplish that most of the time.” — Mario A. Martinez

HOW WE WORK 07030

ALESSANDRO GALIOTO

AC MILAN JUNIOR CAMP alessandro.galioto@gmail.com

ike a lot of his fellow countrymen, Alessandro Galioto loves one thing above all else: gelato. Just kidding—soccer. Galioto, a native of Milan, especially loves the AC Milan soccer team. Working with Francesco Ricci, an AC Milan recruiting coach and scout, Galioto is putting together a summer soccer camp for local kids. The Milano Football Association and the City of Hoboken will host the camp. “The reason we are doing the camp is that we want to bring the best three players to Milan to try out and play with AC Milan and stay with the team,” Galioto says. He went on, “We don’t have American players in Europe. In two years, we’d like to open a soccer academy.” The Milan Junior Football Camp will include sessions for both boys and

girls born between 2002 and 2009. The camp will take place between June 26 and 30 at the field in Sinatra Park. For more information, email alessandro. galioto@gmail.com. Galioto arrived five years ago and has really put down roots here. Though he lives in Nutley with his wife and two kids, he co-owns Blue Eyes Restaurant on Sinatra Drive, right next to the soccer field. He comes from a family of restaurateurs back in Italy. “I was working in restaurants in Italy,” he says. “I’m a good cook and always liked restaurants.” It was the spectacular views of the Hudson and the New York City skyline that sold him on the location for Blue Eyes. It’s not news that the United States has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to the popularity of professional soccer. We have a little bit of competition here from three mammoth sports: basketball, baseball, and American football.

But the success of the U.S. team and the availability of matches on TV are bringing more and more kids to soccer fields all over the country. “This is the first time the Milano Football Association has comes to the Tri-State area,” Galioto says. “With years of experience throughout Europe, our hope is to continue the tradition here in the United States.” “I really love Hoboken,” he says. “You see a lot of Italian-Americans here. I lived at 77th and First Avenue in Manhattan. New York is a beautiful city, but it’s too crazy to live there. Here it’s clean and close to New York.” He put his finger on one of the great things about living on this side of the river. “From Hoboken, you can see New York. People think they come to New York to see New York. You should come to Hoboken to see New York, uptown and downtown.” He says, “I’m in love with soccer, and now I’m in love with Hoboken.”

— Kate Rounds

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

e w how

LIVE

Clinton Mills PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

(Left to right) MATTHEW, COLLEEN, CHRIS AND LUKE

ne of the most distinctive aspects of Clinton Mills is the entrance. Behind a metal gate is a winding path with shrubbery, leading to a courtyard. I learned later that these are “award-winning grounds.” In 2001, Clinton Mills won the New Jersey Chapter Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects for “cobblestone walks and tastefully landscaped courtyards.” More to the point, it’s off the street, a great feature if you have little kids; they’re safe and away from passing traffic. Perfect for the Johnson family. Colleen and Chris have two little boys, Mathew, age 3, and Luke who will turn one later this year. On a blustery Sunday morning in March, it was a relief to enter the Johnsons’ warm, kid-friendly unit. The first thing I wanted to know was what’s the back story of Clinton Mills? Colleen is a Realtor-Associate with the Renée Condon Group at Keller Williams City Life Realty in Hoboken. The Johnsons moved from Maxwell Place in search of more space at an affordable price. When you leave a place like Maxwell’s, of course you are leaving the waterfront with its spectacular views of the river and New York City skyline. But this young family was happy to give it up in exchange for more space and a two-story layout.

50 • 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017

In fact, when you leave the waterfront, what you often find are charming cityscapes, which is what you see out the many windows of the Johnson home. CubeSmart’s colorful sign is urban art amid the complex mosaic of Hoboken rooftops. Two really awesome features of the unit are an outdoor terrace and inside, get this, a (wood-burning!) fireplace. The deck is small, but perfect for barbecues. “Chris grills in the snow,” Colleen says. Speaking of those cold, snowy days, the fireplace really warms things up. Chris admits to not being much of a lumberjack. He buys the wood at Home Depot and stores it on the terrace and in their underground parking space. The Johnsons like to entertain. Not surprisingly, their friends also have little kids. That’s where the two-story requirement comes in. All three bedrooms are downstairs along with a play area with a table, chairs, and chalkboard. “On Halloween, there were 15 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

kids under 5 down there,” Colleen says. Chris is a trader with Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Manhattan. He commutes to Bryant Park by bus. Colleen walks to her office at First and Washington. The point is, though they grew up in the Jersey suburbs, Chris and Colleen enjoy the ease of city living. They can walk to Elysian Park and Columbus Park with the kids, grab a pizza at Johnny Pepperoni, or have a date night at Grand Vin. They can also walk Matthew to the Brandt School. “We don’t have to make plans,” Colleen says, because Matthew’s school friends are all nearby, and they can go to the park together. If they lived in the suburbs, Colleen says, “Chris would be mowing the lawn instead of having valuable family time.” “We never want to leave the area,” she says. “We love it.” — Kate Rounds

POINT&

SHOOT

EMAIL YOUR HOBOKEN PHOTOS TO 07030@ HUDSONREPORTER.COM. BE SURE TO WRITE “POINT & SHOOT” IN THE SUBJECT LINE.

SPRINGTIME FOR HOBOKEN

PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

PUMPED UP FOR SPRING PHOTO BY AL SULLIVAN

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

k c i K tarter S

Soccer scores big with Hoboken kids

PHOTOS BY VICTOR M. RODRIGUEZ

eo Pellegr ini has been running the Hoboken City Futbol Club for 15 years. Here are the numbers: The club boasts 34 teams with 476 players, boys and girls, ages 8 to 18, on separate teams. Ninety percent of the kids are from Hoboken. More than 60 parents volunteer as referees and assistant coaches. They also provide the uniforms. The city of Hoboken provides the field at Sinatra Park. “It’s absolutely exploded in the last couple of years,” Pellegrini says. A main reason for the “explosive” success of the club is its association with the professional Red Bulls, who play at Red Bull Stadium in Harrison. “They get good professional training with the Red Bull development program,” Pellegrini says. Unless you’ve been held captive in a cave for the last

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three decades, you know that professional soccer is finally making headway (so to speak) in the United States. It’s wildly popular in Europe, South America, and many other places around the globe, but in this country has lagged behind the three behemoths of American football, baseball, and basketball. “Americans are catching up,” Pellegrini says. “During the last World Cup, people were out in bars in Hoboken watching the game. There was excitement when they went to the next round. Everyone coming out of the bars was cheering and screaming.” What accounts for soccer’s popularity? “It’s something simple to play,” Pellegrini says. “If you start training kids at a young age, it’s a fun, friendly type of exercise. Kids gravitate to it.” In fact, so many Hoboken kids want to play that one of the main problems is space. They currently play at Fifth and Sinatra Drive. But, Pellegrini says, “We need more fields.” The Hoboken Futbol Club is part of the

07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

LEO PELLIGRINI (Standing) with NICK PIZZO

Northern County Soccer Association. Pellegrini is proud that the league boasts the highest number of girls’ teams. With the awesome United States Women’s National Soccer team, girls have lots of role models. “We have significant girls’ teams for every age group,” Pellegrini says. The club has two seasons. Fall runs from September through November, and spring runs from March to the middle of June. In winter, they still play outside, weather permitting. “The players are passionate about the game,” Pellegrini says. “It’s changed a bit, too, since the professional leagues have been on TV in the United States. There are more games, and kids have someone to look up to.” Which is where the Red Bulls come in. A cherished perk is that the kids attend Red Bulls matches. Says Pellegrini: “Our affiliation with a professional team providing the training is very exciting for them.”—Ka te Rounds

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Knock, Knock, Knockin’ Heaven’s Door Still Open for World Record

STORY AND PICTURES BY MARILYN BAER

he Guitar Bar-All Stars Attempt at The World Record for World’s Largest Band will take place Thursday, July 20, 7 p.m. at Sinatra Park. Hoboken’s venerable music store has been rocking along the Hudson for years with its All-Star shows, which bring together the Guitar Bar staff, featuring some of the country’s greatest musicians and amateur strummers. This year marks the fifth attempt to break the world record. Last year more than 400 people joined in playing along to Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” along with other favorite classics. “We didn’t break the record, but people practiced, showed up, and we had a blast!” said Guitar Bar owner James Mastro. The Guitar Bar offers lessons and repairs. The Guinness Book of World Records lists 953 participants in Beijing, China, as the record holder for the world’s largest rock band. The largest guitar ensemble was composed of 6,346 guitarists in Poland. “We’re calling on anyone and everyone with an acoustic guitar, mandolin, ukulele, or any other acoustic string instrument to play along with us for another performance of Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, followed by other easy songs, even beginner guitarists can follow,” Mastro said. This year will include tunes by Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, and more. Cellists and banjo players are also welcome. The Guitar Bar will help experienced musicians and beginners by posting chord charts and YouTube videos of the songs that they can play along with on the Guitar Bar’s Facebook page. Mastro believes the record can be broken in a few more years. He said that while breaking the record would be nice, the event is mostly about a group of musicians coming together for a night of music. Frank Bernal, a 16-year-old Weehawken resident, walked to Hoboken specifically to play his guitar at last summer’s event. “I love rock and roll,” he said. “I love playing the guitar and the sense of community here. It is nice to join in with others playing who are like me.” Guitar Bar 160 First St. (201) 222-0915 guitarbar.com/worldrecord james@guitarbar.com 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

TONY SOARES From Mad Men to Main Street STORY AND PHOTOS BY AL SULLIVAN

ong before Tony Soares became a local businessperson, his father gave him sound advice. “He looked around Hoboken and saw large areas of vacant lots and told me: ‘Nobody leaves this much empty space this close to New York,’” Soares recalled, one of several significant memories of his father, who was a role model for him. Soares is one of those rare people who manages, after graduating from college, to gain wide experience in the business world. Even rarer, he learned a lot about the relationship between small business and government, while serving both as a city councilman—he was elected in 1999—and chair of the Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment. It was this last gig, he said, that gave him insight into the concerns of local businesspeople, who struggle to make a living in the local economy. This eye-opening experience made him realize that small business is the lifeblood of a community, and the more help government can give these people, the more likely a community will thrive. “I saw what businesses have to go through while I was on the board,” he said. This realization made him much more sympathetic to the needs of the business community at a time when government seemed for the most part to turn a deaf ear. Soares moved to Hoboken in 1991. He was working in the advertising business at the time. A coworker found an apartment at 1000 Hudson St. for $500 a month. The condo association was willing to rent the place to them, provided they fixed it up. Soares liked the look of Hoboken, decided to settle here, and started looking for a place to buy. “I looked around town, uptown and even in the historic district,” he said. He eventually found a place, and the rest is history.

In Business These days, Soares, 53, is a sales partner with the Hoboken-based Prime Real Estate Group.. He owned his own real estate firm from late 2012 until

early 2015, learning a lot about the industry and the area. He and his colleagues see a huge new potential for the west side of Hoboken and the east side of the Heights, partly due to the construction of the

SOARES LOVES DESIGN AND MADE FLOOR PLANS AS A KID.

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SOARES SAYS THAT SMALL BUSINESS IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF A COMMUNITY.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, which was extended to Hoboken between 2002 and 2004. Changing demographics also played a role. People aren’t looking for temporary housing the way they once did in Hoboken. Many are settling down to raise families or build careers in a long-term relationship with this area. After a two-decade career on Madison Avenue, Soares is sharp enough to appreciate subtle changes. For more than 20 years, he worked in advertising helping to—as he put it— bring famous products together with consumers. His quick wit and cutting-edge ideas made him stand out as a politician more than a decade ago. But he has since become more attuned to the needs of neighborhoods. For example, his new office in the Heights embraces the emerging art scene, as artists flock to the west side of Hoboken and the Heights, often taking up residence in local factories that serve as galleries and work spaces. The office triples as a meeting place, art gallery, and real estate office. Often, Soares said, a business has to take a chance, gamble on a trend, and have faith that the vision will pan out. Among Soares’s goals? To make it easier for residents and local businesses to thrive. “Sometimes it’s not easy to get through government regulations,” he said.

Early Years Soares was raised just on the other side of Hudson County in Kearny. His father, who had attended vocational school, worked for a time for a small company helping to design and make prosthetics. His father got into a newly developing Kessler Associates, which became part of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, designing prosthetics. “This kept him from having to go to Korea during the war,” Soares said. But his father did work with returning veterans at Walter Reed National Military Hospital in Maryland. His father’s work may have given him insight into the rais-

ing of his son, who has a condition called Dwarfism, and has struggled with many of the issues associated with it, such as spinal problems. He was recently struck by a vehicle which, he said, created further complications. His father, a Newark resident, met Soares’s mother on a blind date arranged by a coworker. “My mother was Italian-American and lived in Kearny,” Soares said. “I always wanted to be an architect,” Soares said. “But I was lousy in math.” But he loved design. “I used to do floor plans as a kid,” he said, a harbinger, perhaps, of things to come. His parents, whom he admired and viewed as role models, saw that he had talent for design and channeled his education in that direction. A graduate of Kearny High in a college prep track, Soares went on to study design and communications at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, focusing on advertising design, and soon found himself on Madison Avenue. Determined to be taken seriously, he said, “I had to prove myself.” Soares had a knack for clever ideas that allowed him to thrive in a very competitive industry.

Real Estate in his Blood? A number of things made Soares hunger for a profession other than advertising. He discovered that a lot of the talents he’d honed in advertising worked well in real estate. Soares went back to school, attending New York University to study commercial interior design, gradually fading out of the New York advertising scene to freelance. “I left Manhattan,” he said. “I had a few freelancing jobs. But I was looking for something else.” The next step was to get his real estate license. “I had many of the skills needed for real estate,” he said. “I’m organized and learned how to follow up. “I’m right where I want to be,” Soares said. “I like doing what I’m doing.”—07030 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

M U L L I G A N S

PHOTOS BY TERRI SAULINO BISH

ulligans opens at 4 p.m., and when we arrived at exactly 4 on a beautiful Wednesday in April, the place was already packed—and lively. Because of the weather, the door was wide open, but it was also like a welcome mat for this very welcoming place.

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What was all the noise about? In a word: soccer. At first I thought it was just one soccer match on the bar’s seven screens, but it was more than one. I caught Liverpool and Chelsea jerseys. “It’s our niche; it’s what we do,” says owner Paul Dawson, who opened the bar in 2000. “Twenty years ago no one was showing soccer in New Jersey, so we started to give it a go,

WATERING HOLE 07030

Mulligans 159 First St. (201) 876-4101 mulligansonfirst.net

on a small television. People thought we were crazy to do it. Twenty years later, it’s packed for the World Cup.” The bar posts game times on its website. How does a Dublin native find his way to Hoboken? “I met a lovely young lady from Highland Park, New Jersey, walking in London, a young American girl. I came over in 1990 to visit her and never went back.” On our visit, it seems like beer was the drink of choice. There’s a fully stocked bar, of course, but Jerry, the friendly bartender, was busy—very busy—pulling drafts and opening bottles. “They come from everywhere,” Dawson says, “Union City, South Jersey, Brooklyn to watch sports. Soccer would be nothing without customers.” Though the bar is decorated with memorabilia plastered on every square inch of wall, Dawson says, “It’s the customers that make the atmosphere. Whether they’re from Uruguay, Colombia, England, Sweden, they come together for one thing: soccer.” He added, “A lot of soccer and a lot of beer.”

And speaking of that memorabilia, it’s the customers who supply it. “They bring their own scarves,” Dawson says. “Whatever team, whatever flag, wherever you’re from, I put it on the wall.” I didn’t see much food when I was there, but Mulligans offers a nice selection of snacks, including mozzarella sticks, pigs in a blanket, fries, nachos, chicken wings and fingers. Hardier fare includes sirloin burgers, chicken sandwiches, quesadillas, fish and chips, and Irish specialties such as shepherd’s pie, sausage roll, Cornish pasties (savory pastries), and chicken madras soccer pie. A full Irish breakfast is served all day. If you’ve never had an Irish breakfast, loosen your belt. With variations here or there, it basically consists of bacon, rashers, or sausage; eggs; mushrooms; tomatoes; cold cooked potato; bread with butter and jam; orange juice; and tea (coffee, probably, for Americans). Thinking of throwing a party? Mulligans has a private party room and pool room. If you’re not a soccer fan, Mulligans could make you into one.—Kate Rounds 07030 HOBOKEN ~ SPRING | SUMMER 2017 •

Images by TBishPhoto

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T u t ta P e s c a W

ow, this is the kind of dining experience you hope for, but seldom get: a wonderful new restaurant, family-owned, with a relaxed, friendly feel. In fact, our photographers Terri Saulino Bish and her daughter, Alyssa Bredin, live down the block from owner Mike Caracappa, so it was a real neighborhood happening. It was early April, one of the first, sunny spring evenings. From the upstairs dining room, you could see white buds beginning to appear on trees lining Third Street.

When we arrive, Mike is out front, spiffing up the sidewalk. From deliveries and décor to entrees and ambience, Mike is a hands-on guy. To run a successful restaurant you have to be. His entire family is onboard: Wife Patti helps on the business end. In fact, they have a nice, modern office on the third floor, complete with terrace. Daughter Nicole is hostess and sons Mike, Jr., Jimmy, and Jason work in the family’s fish, import, and trucking business. Patti and Jimmy’s wife, Bombina, designed the dining room. Phew!

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Tutta Pesca 155 Third St. (201) 710-7727 tuttapescanj.com info@tuttapescanj.com

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You don’t have to know Italian to know that Tutta Pesca is all about fish. But you can’t really comprehend the extent of it until you walk in the door: On the first floor is a charming, lively little fish market, with the freshest fish you’ve ever seen piled on mounds of ice, just waiting for locals to pick up on their way home from work. Tutta Pesca is BYOB. My Peronis were kept chilled next to the table in an ice bucket—a really welcome gesture for beer drinkers. Mike selected three items; we were more than happy to have his expert input. First up was one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, the Seafood Tower. “For two people,” the menu says. Hmm, seems like this double-decker extravaganza could feed a few more. It’s composed of clams, mussels, oysters, jumbo shrimp, king crab leg, lump crab, and a quarter-pound lobster, served with cocktail sauce and lemon; horseradish; or mignonette sauces. I went for the shrimp and crab—two of my favorites, but I often don’t order them because they can be soft and mealy, but these were freshly chilled and crisply flavorful. I love cocktail sauce. This one was particularly zesty. Terri loves lobster and knows a good one when she tastes one. Next up, Zuppa Di Pesca, which consisted of a half lobster and calamari, along with a numerical offering of three shrimps, six mussels, and three clams. OK, this pasta was so special that Mike sat down to discuss it. Apparently, it’s made in a way that repels moisture, making for that famed al dente texture. In fact, another diner, hearing this encomium, came over to our table to get the lowdown. It was indeed delicious, but I have to say, my pasta chops are not refined enough to discern the difference. But trust me, Italian foodies can tell, and they really appreciate it. Last was an off-menu item that was making its maiden voyage on that Wednesday evening: whole branzino, stuffed with a sauce of scallops, calamari, and shrimp. I have no problem with whole fish, but Mike says that some folks have to get used to the fish-head concept. The branzino was beautifully delicate and flaky, with an equally delicate crust. Even without the swashbuckling sauce, the branzino on its own would make quite a statement.

Mike couldn’t stop himself. In the midst of this banquet, he brought out a small plate of grilled octopus served over sautéed spinach and cannellini beans. The octopus, with its row of suckers, has a Jules Verne feel to it, but it was elegantly grilled and had absolutely no “rubbery” texture. I loved the bed of spinach and beans. The regular menu has a full complement of fish-themed soups, salads, appetizers, and pastas, as well as your classic raw bar and steamers. On the off chance that you are not a fish person, the chef will accommodate you with a skirt steak or broiled or sautéed chicken. Of course, there are lots of vegetable sides. Next time I visit—and there will be next time—I’ve got my menu planned. I want to try the Tutta Pesca Mixed Greens with quinoa, kale, sliced almonds, mango, dried cranberry, fennel, and sesame seed dressing. Sounds delectable. For an entrée, under the heading “Pan Seared or Broiled,” I’ll select one of the large fillets that are “picked daily and classified sushi grade.” They’re served with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or thin fries, scampi, piccata, Cajun, or Champagne sauces, and vegetables du jour. The night we were there, mahi mahi, wild salmon, swordfish, and tuna were on offer. I also plan to stay for dessert. Panna cotta, crème brulee, and cheesecake were the choices that evening, and of course cappuccino. Fish may be the leitmotif that runs through this delightful eatery, but it’s also about family, friends, good neighbors, and gracious living.—Kate Rounds

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DATES 07030 from page 39

20 Family Fun Night: Erin Lee & the Up Past Bedtime Band, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. Erin’s original songs about loose teeth, lost baseballs, and other assorted joys and challenges of childhood have earned her national attention as one of the freshest, funniest, and insightful performers for kids and, of course, their parents. Free.

21 Movies Under the Stars: Hidden Figures, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 4202207, 9 p.m. The Oscar-nominated story of a team of African-American women mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. Free.

22 Concerts in the Park: Hey Bulldog, Amphitheater at Sinatra Park, Frank Sinatra Drive between 4th and 5th

Streets, (201) 420-2207. 7 p.m. Come join us and enjoy a tribute to The Beatles. Free.

24 171st Anniversary of Hoboken Baseball Game, Stevens Institute of Technology, Dobbelaar Field, 11 a.m. One of Hoboken’s “100 Firsts” is hosting the first officially recorded, organized baseball game played under Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr.’s rules. To commemorate the historic match, the Hoboken Nine vintage baseball team will host a game played by old-school rules in vintagestyle uniforms. Free.

27 Family Fun Night: Music Together, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. Free.

28 Movies Under the Stars: Singin’ in the Rain, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 4202207, 9 p.m. One of the most beloved movie musi-

cals of all time, Singin’ in the Rain is a romantic comedy about a silent film production company and their cast making the jump to talking pictures. Free.

comedy show like no other. There are songs for everyone, costumes, props, special effects, and more. Free.

Movies Under the Stars: La La Land, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 420-2207, 9 p.m. Aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions while jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) scrapes by playing gigs in dingy bars. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain. Free.

Concerts in the Park: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Frank Sinatra Drive between 11th and 12th Streets, at Maxwell Place, (201) 4202207, 7 p.m. Free.

JULY 6 Concerts in the Park: Hoboken Summer Bash, Amphitheater at Sinatra Park, Frank Sinatra Drive between 4th and 5th Streets, (201) 420-2207. 7 p.m. Hosted and sponsored by Frank Raia. Free.

11 Family Fun Night: Ron Albanese & his Polka Dot Pals, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. Ron brings along his Polka Dot Pals Band for a music and

18 Family Fun Night: Preschool of Rock, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. Preschool of Rock offers an exciting, entertaining and educational music show for kids. Don’t miss it! Free.

19 Movies Under the Stars: Lion, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 420-2207, 9 p.m. A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia. Twentyfive years later, he sets out to find his lost family. Free.

25 Family Fun Night: The Fuzzy Lemons, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. Get ready to jump, wiggle, and shake with The Fuzzy Lemons, the juiciest familyfriendly rock band on the scene. Free.

AUGUST 1 Family Fun Night: Jason Didner & The Jungle Gym Jam, Shipyard Park, 13th Street and McFeeley Drive, (201) 420-2207, 7 p.m. This outdoor performance offers fun for the whole family. Jason and Amy are the couple that created the Jungle Gym Jam out of the inspiration they got from

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parenting their now-4-yearold daughter. They co-write all their lyrics, often as a way of recapturing special family memories and making them universal. Free.

2 Movies Under the Stars: Trolls, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 420-2207, 8 p.m. From the creators of Shrek comes the most smart, funny, irreverent animated comedy of the year by DreamWorks. After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Free.

9 Movies Under the Stars: The Boss Baby, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive., (201) 420-2207, 8 p.m. A new baby’s arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator—a wildly imaginative 7-year-old named Tim. The instant sibling rivalry must soon be put aside when Tim discovers that Boss Baby is actually a spy on a secret mission, and only he can help thwart a dastardly plot that involves an epic battle between puppies and babies. Free.

16 Movies Under the Stars: Sing, Pier A Park, First Street and Frank Sinatra Drive, (201) 420-2207, 8 p.m. Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Buster Moon, a dapper koala, presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Now faced with the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory: by producing the world’s greatest singing competition. Free.

24 Spaghetti Dinner Block Party, Frank Sinatra Drive between 1st and 2nd Streets, 5-8 p.m. Come enjoy lots of great food, live music, and family atmosphere. Tickets available for purchase starting June 10 at City Hall in the Cultural Affairs Office.

Greatness within

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evident in the hearts and hands of people who live

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and work here. Just ask family doctors Abbie Jacobs,

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MD or Jerry Jurado, MD. They see it within the walls of Hoboken University Medical Center every day. Here, they say the staff feels like family and proudly serves patients needing everything from a more natural

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childbirth experience to the most advanced robotic surgery. Here, you feel the special character of a little hospital that does big things.

See for yourself: CarePointHealth.org/Hoboken

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