River View Observer November 15-November 30, 2022

HUDSON HAPPENINGS

Urban Enterprise Zone Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony Set for Tuesday, November 22, on Broadway

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that the Bayonne Urban Enterprise Zone/ Special Improvement District (UEZ/SID) will hold its annual Broadway Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Tuesday, November 22, at 5:30 p.m. The lighting will take place at Lance Corporal Stanley Kopcinski Park near 19th Street and Broadway. The park is an outdoor special events space that is located on Broadway in front of the 19 East apartment house. A stage will be set up across Broadway from

the park. For the ceremony, Broadway will be closed to traffic from 19th Street (Vinny Bottino Way) to 20th Street. No Parking signs will be posted from 19th Street to 20th Street on both sides of Broadway.

At the event, entertainment will be provided by various student singers and musicians. Hot chocolate will be available. Santa Claus will participate in the program. Pictures with Santa will take place at the end of the event. A free, trackless train will offer rides on the street. See page 4 for ad

HUDSON HAPPENINGS

Large Crowd Attends Wepner Statue Ceremony in Bayonne

On Saturday, November 12, a crowd of several hundred people attended the unveiling ceremony for the statue of boxing champion Chuck Wepner at Dennis P. Collins Park. The statue was created by Zhen Wu, a Chinese-born artist who lives in Bayonne. Among those at the ceremony were boxing greats Gerry Cooney, Larry Holmes, and Iran Barkley. Also in attendance were former New Jersey Governors Dick Codey and Jim McGreevey, State Assemblyman Will Sampson, Congressmanelect Rob Menendez, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, Hudson County Chief of Staff Craig Guy, Hudson County Commissioner Kenny Kopacz, Mayor Jimmy Davis, and City Council Members Gary LaPelusa, Juan Perez, Loyad Booker, Neil Carroll, and Jacqueline Weimmer.

Marine Corps representatives marched in to open the ceremony. Their presence honored Chuck Wepner’s Marine Corps service.

Bayonne attorney Chris Patella gave welcoming remarks. He credited Chuck Wepner with having “put Bayonne on the map.” Mr. Patella said that, in New Jersey, a few celebrities are recognizable by just their first names, such as “Bruce” for Springsteen, “Frank” for Sinatra, and “Chuck” for Wepner. He noted that the statue was placed in Dennis P. Collins Park, which is named after the late Mayor of Bayonne who served in that office from 1874 to 1990.

Mr. Patella recalled that Mayor Collins was at ringside in Cleveland when Chuck Wepner fought MuhammedAli in 1975. He thanked all of the Bayonne officials and Public Works employees, and all supporters of the statue fundraisers for making the unveiling event possible.

Bayonne businessman Bruce Dillin, the cochairman of the event, reported that his late father, Neil Dillin, said to him, “Get that statue done!” He predicted that Chuck Wepner’s story will still be relevant when the statue remains standing 100 Cont’d on page 6

Wepner Cont’d pg.5 years from now.

Hudson County Commissioner Kenny Kopacz presented county proclamations to Chuck Wepner and Zhen Wu. He expressed “pride in Bayonne,” and said that the statue would be here “for generations to come.”

Assemblyman WIll Sampson thanked the veterans and the Marine Corps representatives who took part in the ceremony. He offered a New Jersey legislative resolution honoring Chuck Wepner.

Liev Schreiber, the actor who portrayed Chuck Wepner in the movie Chuck (2016), described him as “a guy who fought his own demons harder and better than anyone else.” Addressing Wepner, Schreiber said, “I am so proud and so grateful to

Wepner presented Schreiber with a hat that was emblazoned with the words “328 Stitches.”

Mayor Davis brought artist Zhen Wu to the podium. He described Mr. Wu as Bruce Dillin’s neighbor. That is how he became the sculptor for the statue.

Mayor Davis called it “a typical Bayonne story.”

Then Chuck Wepner read aloud from a proclamation from Mayor Davis for Mr. Wu.

In response, Mr. Wu said, “I love America,” and he thanked everyone for their support. Explaining the statue’s location in Dennis P. Collins Park, Mayor Davis said the decision was made to put the statue in a Bayonne park, that Dennis P. Collins Park is “a veterans’ park,” and that Chuck Wepner is a Marine.

Chuck Wepner pointed out his family members in the audience and thanked

everyone. He said he would “never leave Bayonne.” The ceremony ended with the unveiling of the statue while musi cians from The Bridgemen played the theme music from Rocky. Hundreds of people crowded around Chuck Wepner and the statue for photos while cameras from television news programs captured the scene.

Top Photo left: Actor Liev Schreiber at Chuck Wepner statue unveiling Photo right: Marine contingent takes part in the celebration

SFW’s Python Sneakers

SHIFTING TIDES NEW PAINTINGS

BY RU8ICON1

Majestic Theater Condominium Lobby

If You Go Exhibition on view in the Majestic Theatre lobby from November 2, 2022 to May 1, 2023

The Majestic Theatre Condominiums 222 Montgomery Street Jersey City, NJ 07302 201.435.8000

Artwork credit: Ru8icon1, “Big Fish 2”, Oil on can vas, 35” x 35”, 2021.

you for letting me have your story.”

JC Fridays, December 2nd

House Productions announces the lineup for our upcoming JC Fridays on Friday, December 2. Jersey City’s premiere quarterly arts festival will showcase a variety of happenings including visual art exhibitions, musical performances, and studio tours from 20+ artists, businesses, and organizations. Visitors are encouraged to travel place to place to discover artwork and to support artists and local businesses. The full event descriptions and event map are available on www.jcfridays.com.

JC Fridays is a seasonal multi-arts festival featuring art events that take place in restaurants, galleries, stores, and event spaces in almost every neighborhood in Jersey City. This season we celebrate the holidays! All events are free and open to the public. As one of the preeminent art scenes in the tristate area, Jersey City is abound with visual and performing artists of all types, musicians, and individuals with unique talents. JC Fridays is one of the best times for them to share their newest projects and works.

An interactive map is available online (www. jcfridays.com) to help patrons easily find artists and venues and create their own schedule. “There is an exciting

Artlineup of free events in every neighborhood in Jersey City! Art House Productions strives to be all-inclusive, doing our best to represent all six wards in Jersey City. JC Fridays is the perfect time to meet artists in their open studios or visit new venues and parts of the city you may not already be familiar with,” says JC Fridays Manager Christy E. O’Connor. The Current Lineup Includes… 175 2nd Street, &CO, AHP Gallery, Art 150, Art 150 Lobby Gallery, ConSHINEment, Drawing Rooms, DVORA Art House, Eonta Space, Fine Arts Gallery at St Peter’s University, Grayscale Studios, Hamilton House, House of Blouezz, Imago Beauty Group, JC Fab Lab, The Kennedy Dancers, Tarik Mendes Art Studio, Myrtle&Flossie, New Jersey City University Galleries, The Oakman, Pro Arts JC, Project Greenville, Cheryl R. Riley Studio, SILVERMAN & The Hamilton Square North Condominium Association, SMUSH Gallery, Tempest Productions Inc., Towhee Co. & More!

Some Selected JC Fridays Event ListingsDecember 2nd, 2022 Bergen-Lafayette Grayscale Studios 430 Communipaw Ave

d 4h, Jersey City, NJ

Grayscale & Cill Friday, December 2, 5pm-10pm Greenville Project Greenville 128 Winfield Avenue, Jersey City, NJ Winter Wonderland Friday, December 2, 5pm-8pm

The Heights

The Kennedy Dancers, Inc. 79 Central Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306

Celebrating our 46th Year in Business Friday, December 2, 6:30pm-10pm

House of Blouezz 195 New York Ave Jersey City Studio 3B House of Blouezz Creative’s Gathering Friday, December 2, 3pm-9pm

Historic Downtown Myrtle&Flossie 304 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Art Pop-Up Fun Friday, December 2, 11am-7pm

Tempest Productions, Inc. Grassroots Community Center, 54 Coles Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302 Dance Break Pop-Up: 50s Sock Hop Friday, December 2, 6pm-7:30pm

Art 150 150 Bay Street, Jersey City, NJ

Open Studios Friday, December 2, 6-9pm

&CO

201 Montgomery Street, Second Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302

FROSTFEST Friday, December 2, 6pm-9pm

Journal Square

SMUSH Gallery 340 Summit Avenue, Jersey City, NJ

Artist Talk & Closing Reception - Are You There? An Immersive

Poetry Installation by Benedicto Figue Friday, December 2, 6:30-9pm

Regina Ruff at conSHINEment 910 Bergen Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306

Mural Reveal Event /Meet the Artist Friday, December 2, 2pm-8pm

Towhee Co. / JC Fab Lab Mana Contemporary 888 Newark Ave., Studio B81, Jersey City

Towhee Co. Design & ArtTech Night at JC Fab Lab

Friday, December 2, 2pm-8pm

Drawing Rooms 926 Newark Ave., Jersey City

Ani Rosskam and Bill Leech: A Wonderful World 4pm-6pm

West Side New Jersey City University Galleries 100 Culver Avenue, Jersey City, NJ

The Embankment On My Mind Friday, September 9, 11:00am-7:00pm

Additional events are added to the lineup daily. To list an event on the JC Fridays website, please visit www.jcfridays.com/ sign-up.

Art House Productions is committed to accessibility and inclusivity in all the public programming presented by our organization. A list of wheelchair accessible events can be found here: www.jcfridays.com/blog/categories/ wheelchair-accessible

features Holiday Shopping, Art Exhibitions, Open Studios, Live Musical Performances, and So Much More!

This Holiday Season

by Melinda Myers

Nothing says the holidays like a poinsettia. This year, try some new ways to display this festive plant.

Poinsettias are available in a variety of colors including white, pink, hot pink, yellow, peach, marbled and speckled. These colorful parts of the plant, often referred to as flowers, are actually modified leaves called bracts.

The real flowers are small, yellow and appear at the tip of the stem surrounded by the bract.

Look for new places to display your poinsettia. To read the enite article visit www.riverviewobserver.net

HUDSON HAPPENINGS

Jersey City and Hoboken Announce First Protected Bike Lane Connection Between cities

Joint Project Includes Vision Zero Safety Improvements on Heavily Traveled JC/Hoboken Corridor

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Hoboken

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla recently announced the completion of a new protected bikeway along Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street, connecting 18th Street in Jersey City to Observer Highway in Hoboken. The connection is the latest Vision Zero initiative to create safer streets and eliminate traffic deaths and injuries in both cities.

Mayor Fulop noted “Jersey City and Hoboken are among the most unique and busiest transportation hubs in the country, and this new bikeway linking our two cities is the latest step in expanding Jersey City’s growing network of protected bikeways to provide greater connectivity

and safety for our residents and beyond,” “We are proud to work with Hoboken, Commissioner Romano, and Hudson County Executive DeGise to find innovative approaches that provide countless new opportunities for the entire community from education and employment to healthcare and economic stimulus.”

“Hoboken is committed to creating safer streets for all modes of transportation, and this protected bikeway is the latest example of that,” said Mayor Bhalla. “We are proud to

work hand-in-hand with Jersey City to better protect bicycle riders as they travel between our cities, and work toward our respective Vision Zero goals to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries. Thank you to Mayor Fulop, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, and Commissioner Anthony Romano for collaborating on this much needed connection.”

The new protected bikeway, created with a new high-visibility traffic separator curb, flexible bollards, and Endurablend surface to provide high visibility and traction, will yield a safe, and accessible option for bicycle riders who travel between Jersey City and Hoboken daily to reach major public transportation hubs, places of employment, as well as shopping and dining destinations.

The connection is the latest step both municipalities have taken to make it easier for residents to

ally friendly modes of transportation in furtherance of both cities’ climate action plans. Last year, Jersey City and Hoboken partnered to launch a unified bike share system with Lyft’s Citi Bike to provide better connectivity between the two communities.

Since the partnership launched in 2021, users have taken over 180,329 rides between both cities, accounting for 13 percent of total ridership.

In addition to the protected bikeway, the project also incorporates improvements for pedestrians and drivers including the repainting of highvisibility crosswalks, as well as new extended turn lanes onto Newark Street and Observer Highway in Hoboken. The extended turning lanes will increase queuing capacity along Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street when entering Hoboken, which is expected to provide a small improvement in traffic flow.

This Holiday Season Come Party with PARTY OF FIVE

December 17th Tommy Fox’s 32 South Washington Ave. Bergenfield NJ 201-384-0900 for booking Information 845-216-4755 visit http://www.facebook.com/partyoffiveacapelladoowop

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HUDSON HAPPENINGS

ORP at The Box Cafe

Poetry Showcase and Open Mic Fundraiser: Celebrating Rescue Poetix

OpenRoad Poetry is pleased to present its lineup for RescuePoetix Birthday Poetry Showcase and Open Mic Fundraiser at The Box Cafe, Jersey City. The afternoon will be filled with poetic, lyrical, acoustic, and mixed genre performances. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Ticket proceeds to benefit artists and Jersey City Dog Rescue organization: Rescue Treats https://www.rescuetreats. dog/. December’s Poetry Showcase and Open Mic (December 4, 2022, 12:00PM - 2:00PM) event will be hosted by Crystal Letters and feature Poet and Spoken Word Artists Mwikali Words, Dujuana Sharese, Porta Rock, and Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal in celebration of Jersey City 2020-2022 Poet

Laureate, Rescue Poetix’s birthday. Soulful Cypher is providing sound and music. Custom cake from woman-owned Jersey City based business, Sincerely Sweet Confections. The event will be held at The Box Cafe, 115 Palisade Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306.

Brunch buffet of salad and sandwiches available separately from the Box Café at $20 per person. The Box Cafe is BYOB. Check The Box out here: https://boxcafejc.com/ Tickets are $20 (early bird) and $25 (day-ofevent), seating is limited. RSVP in advance at: https://www.openroadpoetry.com/events $5 off for the first 20 people! Use code: BIRTHDAY All paid participants and

attendees will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $25 giftcard for The Box. Winner must be present at the time of drawing.

10 Person Open Mic. Sign up here: https:// podio.com/webforms/28022138/2204528, Ticket must be purchased to ensure Open Mic slot. Sign-up is First Come, First to perform. You will receive an email confirmation. We will be adhering to a strict 3-5 minute timeline to respect every performer.

If you are unable to attend and would like to donate in celebration of

If You Go

OpenRoad Poetry

December 4,2022 12PM-2PM

Box Cafe

115 Palisades Ave.

Jersey City Bayonne Historical Society Exit of Artist August Will

During the month of November, the Bayonne Historical Society will present an exhibit of the Bayonne artwork of August Will, a Germanborn, 19th century artist. His forty scenes of Bayonne depict a rural, undeveloped land before urbanization, a vision unique to this artist. A guided tour of the exhibit and a short talk for the public will be held on Tuesday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m., in the Mary E. O’Connor Gallery, on the second floor of the Bayonne Public Library. The library is located in Bayonne at 31st Street and Avenue C.

Affordable Art Show returns and includes hundreds of works of art from local artists all priced at $500 and under!

Showcasing special pieces with holiday gift-giving in mind, all works are priced for affordability and include paintings, photography, small sculptures, handmade gifts, jewelry, and more!

Opening Reception: JC

Fridays Dec 2, 6pm - 9pm Open Saturdays and Sunday 12pm - 5pm December 19 - 22 5pm-8:30pm

Closing Holiday Party: December 23 6pm - 9pm

If You Go

345 Marin Blvd, Jersey City, NJ

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at the Count Basie Theater

By Alan Sculley

Over a 40-plus-year career, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have never had a major hit single and chances are most people wouldn’t rec ognize frontman Southside Johnny Lyon if they saw him walking down the street near his Jersey shore home.

Lyon, though, has no complaints about where his musical life has taken him or about the busy touring schedule he main tains with the current lineup of the Jukes.

“We’re not making mil lions of dollars or any thing like that. But there’s a lot of work,” he said in a phone interview. “It seems as though everybody en joys being on the road.”

That doesn’t mean Lyon should not have had a big ger success. In particular, his first three albums with the Jukes (“I Don’t Want to Go Home, “This Time It’s for Real” and “Hearts Of Stone”) helped define

the Jersey sound with their rousing mix of rock and roll and horn-fueled soul and featured qual ity songs written by local buddies Little Steven Van Zandt (who produced the early Jukes albums) and a certain guy named Bruce Springsteen.

One early hub of activ ity was a hangout called The Upstage, which Lyon frequented along with guitarist Van Zant, Springsteen and some fu ture musicians in the Jukes and Springsteen’s E Street Band.

“I was the desig nated singer,” Lyon said. “Steven was the desig nated guitar player. ‘Big Bobby’ (future Lyon and Bon Jovi collabora tor Bobby Bandiera) and (original E Street Band member) Vini Lopez was the drummer, Garry Tallent (another original member who is still in the E Street Band) was the bass player. So if people came in that wanted to jam, there was a band available, a lot of musi cians available that would go up and let the guy play guitar or sing or whatever it was.”

Lyon and various lineups of the Jukes have gone on to release 11 more studio albums, the latest of which is 2015’s “Soultime.”

Fans can expect Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes to deliver their usual crowd-pleasing shows now that the group has resumed touring after the pandemic.

We have five or six songs that I know people want to hear,” Lyon said. “But we leave a lot of room on stage for us to

try and improvise and do some old stuff or some cover things. We might do some new material, too.”

If You Go

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes

December 31,2022

Count Basie Center for the Arts 99 Monmouth Street Red Bank, NJ 07701 Box Office: 732.842.9000 Box Office Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 6pm

After hours, please email boxoffice@thebasie.org

Send all events 2 week prior to www.

Riverviewobserver @gmail.com

Subject line should read event for publishing and place date of event

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