Jersey City Register

Archive for the ‘Downtown JC/Newport Area’ Category

Here’s an excellent night shot by downtown resident Steve Kelley:

Christopher Columbus Drive. Original photo here.

He describes it: “Beautiful Jersey City”

Who would disagree?

Fireworks on Hudson River. Original Photo link here.

Steve Kelley captured the fireworks on Hudson River last night (June 29, 2008). Is it a prelude to the July 4th Celebration? Here is Steve’s description on his flickr page:

Fireworks show on the Hudson River last night viewed from Jersey City, NJ towards New York City. Nice end to a very stormy day here in the New York area.

Original Photo here.

Did you see the fireworks last night?

Philippine-American Friendship Day Festival was cut short yesterday (June 29, 2008) due to the storm that started around 230PM. The lingering thunderstorm also spoiled the most awaited Filipino Idol Grand Finals.

It was actually warm yesterday morning and the sun was shining. The thunderstorm forecast appeared to be inaccurate, as the Filipinos walked from Montgomery Street to Exchange Place.

The parade (Montgomery Street, Jersey City). Photo taken by roddyrick.

Then thick clouds began to cover Exchange Place and the rain poured all of the sudden as people ran for cover.

A lady running for cover.

Strong winds toppled tents and booths. Some were unlucky to get wet, and even the guest singer Mig Ayesa was unable to stay dry. Reports said that there a few people got injured because of the fallen tents.

Two more photos and a video if you read the rest…

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UPDATE (June 30, 2008) : Due to the bad weather condition, Grand Finals of Filipino Idol will be rescheduled.
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Original Post : June 27, 2008

The Grand Finals of Filipino Idol is just two days away. Filipinos in Jersey City are eagerly waiting to watch the finalists perform. Who will be the next Filipino Idol? The Grand Finals is the highlight of the annual Philippine-American Friendship Day celebrated at Exchange Place, Jersey City. The event is preceded by a cultural, musical and variety show with two special guests: Mig Ayesa and Jessa Zaragosa.

The finalists and event organizers maintain contact with each other since the audition last June 14. And yesterday , Filipino Idol Chairperson Hector Magno gives the finalists useful last minute tips via email. In a nutshell he told the hopefuls to “just take it easy, relax and enjoy the moment.“. He also reminded them to treat the contest like the American Idol Grand Finals, where contestants vastly improved since their audition - talent-wise, and appearance-wise.

He said that it is important to follow these pointers to be comfortable during the Grand Finals:

• Display PROPER Stage Appearance - wear makeup if necessary. Contacts are suggested to replace eye-glasses. Aspirants should remember that there will be cameras and media covering this event.
• Practice - memorize songs, sing in front of a mirror if needed to improve stage presence.
• Compete - Contestants are expected to bring their SUPERB World-class performance, which brings us to the next point …
• Use Element of Surprise - If you feel you performed below expectation in the audition, then surprise everyone who had seen/heard your performance.
• Bring ENTROURAGE - Bring help. Lots of help. Let them do the small stuff for you (like organizing your CD, outfit, and other things) so you can focus on your performance.
• Remember PUNCTUALITY - Come early (around 2PM) so you can get a feel of the atmosphere. Also, the order of performance is based on “draw-lots” system, so if you are late, there’s a big chance that you’ll go up on stage first.
• Most importantly - PRAY

Online POLL

So far, Andy, Kristine May, Chelsea, and Riana are leading the POLL here with at least 50 votes each. They have worked hard to gather voters and their friends and family members showed their support by posting comments. Hopefully the number of votes translates to the actual event. The poll will close Sunday, June 28 12AM EST so tell your supporters to keep on voting!

GRAND FINALS PANEL of JUDGES

The panel of judges consists of a movie director, event/concert planner, a professional opera singer, and a record producer. The names of 4 judges are undisclosed yet. It is believed that they will adopt “open-judging” similar to American Idol. The finalists are advised to take constructive criticisms.

Good luck on Sunday, and may the best Finalist win!

Read the rest for the profile of each finalist …

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Red Arrows Air Shows flying over the Statue of Liberty.
See original photo here from Steve Kelley.

Yesterday, the British Red Arrows visited New York City and did some air show. The jets flew over the Hudson River and Statue of Liberty (photos and videos below), but some uninformed residents of Downtown, Jersey City got a scare when they heard the loud jet noises at around 630pm - 7pm, and associated it to 9/11 attack.

If you head over JCList forum, you’ll read mixed reactions from members living in downtown: some got scared; some thought the show was awesome; and some say it was dangerous — citing previous events where jets crashed.

Me, I wish I saw it but the event was too far from where I live. Thankfully, it was already up on youtube.

I compiled a few photos and short videos in case you missed it …

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Amy Goetz of ketchum.com informed me of this 4-hour event happening two days from now.

Wanted to pass along some information to hopefully be included on your events calendar!

On June 27th, Wendy’s traveling kitchen is rolling into Jersey City and giving away 1,000 1/4lb. Singles and 2,000 Wendy’s gift cards. Stop by the Taste Tour during lunch to enjoy Wendy’s hot ‘n juicy hamburgers. A mobile Wendy’s kitchen, lively music, and prizes will set the scene for a fun, spontaneous free community picnic in Jersey City! Entertainment will be provided by Wendy’s Burger Emcee.

See you all there!

Wendy’s Traveling Kitchen
Where : Exchange Place Plaza
When : June 27, 2008 10AM - 2PM

For more info, contact holly.harnisch@ketchum.com

Here are some photos from previous event (Amy didn’t mention the location)

[Show as slideshow]

There are two Jersey City library closures reported by nj.com. One short-term, and the other one is still indefinite.

Miller Branch Library will be closed today as the water will be shut off. Miller Branch is located at 489 Bergen Avenue, JC.

Meanwhile, the Vincenzo Domenico Bonetti II Children’s Room at the Jersey City Main Library will be renovated and improved. Library officials could not give a definite time-table for reopening so they encourage patrons to use neighborhood libraries. Details below.

The Perfecto Oyola Biblioteca Criolla & Cultural Center is located at 280 First St., near Newark Avenue, (201) 547-4541. Criolla’s summer hours are Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Pavonia Branch Library is located at 326 Eighth Street, near Hamilton Park, (201) 547-4808. Pavonia Branch maintains its regular hours through the summer, which are Mondays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sources: here and here.

Photo Credit: link

Just a heads-up if you are going to NY this evening: Holland Tunnel will be congested as it will be used by at least 1,500 motorcyclists headed to Little Italy in the big city.

Read the rest for the traffic advisory…

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[Show as slideshow]

They say Friday the 13th means bad luck. Well, this Jitney Bus in Downtown Jersey City (Marin Boulevard) can attest to that! It looked to me that the the bus overheated last Friday (June 13th). If I see a vehicle on fire, I would not go anywhere near it.

Photos captured by: jag9889. So if you have flickr account, head over his stream ang give him props!

Mark your calendar and save the date for the Philippine-American Friendship Day Grand Parade on June 29, 2008. This event is one of the big annual Philippine festivals in Jersey City as it symbolizes the friendship between America and the Philippines. In New York, they celebrate this sooner — as early as first day of June.

There will be lots of activities during the parade like marching bands and floats. And then at Exchange Place, there will be celebrity performers like Philippine Diva Jessa Zaragoza and musician Mig Ayesa; food galore; cultural shows; flea market; health fair; kiddie entertainment and games; and the Grand Finals of the 2008 Filipino Idol Singing Competition.

Philippine-American Friendship Day Parade
Where : From Montgomery Street and Jordan Street to Exchange Place
When : June 29, 2008 from 8AM - 7PM
Organizers : PAFCOM with the assistance of JC Mayor Jerramiah Healy, JC municipal Council, JC Dept. of Cultural Affairs

I will be there in the parade with some friends and will spend time at Exchange Place, so see you there!

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