West New York news
PART OF THE COMMUNITY – George Pashalidis of North Bergen has brought his vintage hot dog cart to the corner of 45th and Park in Weehawken for 45 years, garnering some pretty faithful customers. “He’s the man,” said Hector Rivera of Weehawken, who likes his dogs with “everything.” Pashalidis, 78, said he enjoys spiffing up his cart each day and bringing it out on the street because it keeps him young. What’s the right way to eat a dog?
Residents weigh in on classic summer meal

During the annual Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog eating contest in Coney Island last month, one of the competitive eating champs was arrested after hopping on stage to chow down on frankfu...
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UNFAIRLY TARGETED – Samuel Martinez of Union City has been driving his bus for 11 years. He said jitney bus drivers are unfairly targeted. Fierce competition surrounds jitney buses
Frequent violations may put riders in danger, officials say

Commuters in North Bergen and surrounding towns sometimes prefer to save time and money by skipping NJ Transit’s buses and taking the smaller, independent jitney vans that run to New York City an...
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ROCKIN’ IN THE USA – West New York rocker Sergio Michel (right) hobnobbed with the music industry’s finest at the 2010 North American Music Merchants show in Nashville this summer. Michel participated by demoing wireless guitar systems and headphones, which allowed him to meet a bevy of musicians including Roy Wooten (left). Michel will also perform at The Bitter End, 147 Bleecker St. in New York City on July 31 at 7 p.m. For more information visit www.sergiomichel.com. BRIEFS
UCHS students bid farewell to beloved teacher Union City High School students and other community members said their final goodbyes this week to Jack O’Connor, a longtime Union City English a...
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Peter Cammarano What’s changed since corruption busts a year ago?
18 have pleaded guilty, Feb. trial date set for Elwell

A trial date was set for former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and one of his political associates last week, just days before the one-year anniversary of the massive New Jersey corruption scandal ...
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SCRANTON BOUND – Vivienne Meljen, a recent graduate and the salutatorian of Union City High School, will head to the University of Scranton this fall instead of the prestigious Columbia University. Gets into Ivy League school, but can’t attend
Local salutatorian changes path after aid offer is paltry

High-achieving Union City High School graduate and salutatorian Vivienne Meljen was at a coffee shop in Hoboken last December when she first received news that she had been accepted into the Ivy ...
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FROM THE FARM TO THE FINAL CUP – Richard Seidenberg said he enjoys pouring the fruits of his labor with various coffee brewing gadgets. The perfect blend
Former silk mill becomes home to international coffee roasting

Richard Seidenberg of Weehawken dropped his food science major for art history at Rutgers University when he realized there was “too much science, not enough food.” Now, 15 years later, he’s work...
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UC residents invited to summer block party on Tuesday Union City will be holding a Neighborhood Concert & Block Party on July 20 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on 39th Street between Park and Hudson...
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NEW DEPUTY MAYOR – Newly appointed Deputy Mayor Richard Tedesco took the oath of office from Cosmo Cirillo. Movin’ on up
WNY deputy mayor appointed, police promoted

The sparkle of Independence Day fireworks was preceded by job promotions and awards for some West New York residents at the beginning of the holiday weekend. During a ceremony on July 1 at the We...
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RHYMES FROM LIFE – Taktikal gets the ideas for his rhymes from the life he’s lived first as a child growing up on the streets of the Bronx and as a teen in Union City. ‘A disgrace to your speakers’
UC rapper hopes to rise to top with heated lyrics

Though he bills himself as “a disgrace to your speakers” in one song, local rapper “Taktikal,” also known as Raymond Pearson, is a lot more graceful than a first glance would lead the audience to...
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NATIVE SON – W.S. Merwin, an internationally renowned and two-time Pulitzer Prize winning poet born in Union City, was announced as the United States Poet Laureate on July 1. Photo by Mark Hanauer. Merwin speaks
Union City native named U.S. poet laureate

W.S. Merwin lived on the corner of Fourth Street and New York Avenue in Union City from the time he was born in 1928 until his family moved to Scranton, Pa. in 1936. Enamored with the natural wor...
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CERTIFICATE OF MERIT SAFETY AWARD – The North Hudson Sewerage Authority and its operating partners, CH2MHill and O.M.I., receive the Certificate of Merit Safety Award for its West New York plant for compiling one year without a loss due to injury. At the award presentation are (from left) Mike Mitchell and Steve Hudock of CH2MHill/OMI; Mike Arnold, WNY plant project director; NHSA Commissioner Harold Schroeder of West New York receiving the award from N.J. Dept. of Labor Acting Asst. Commissioner Howard Black; Fred Pocci, NHSA executive director; NHSA Commissioners Frank Raia and Joseph Rivera, and Gary Fournier of OMI. NHSA West New York plant wins state safety award
The North Hudson Sewerage Authority, along with its operating partners, CH2MHill and Operations Management International ( OMI ), has been awarded a Certificate of Merit Award from the New Jersey...
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VOLLEYBALL CHAMPS – The North Hudson Firefighters Association recently presented jackets to the Memorial High School Ladies Tri-County 2009-2010 Volleyball Champions. Pictured (left to right): Head Coach John Wengerter, Assistant A.D. Mayra Berckes, Cookie Oliveri, and Head Trainer Angelo Ramos. The team record was 24-3. BRIEFS
Two teens apprehended and charged in UC murder Two Union City men were apprehended and charged last week with the murder of Ricardo Cruz, also of Union City, who was stabbed to death in the ear...
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