Midweek Reporter
CHURCH REBORN – The Bethesda Baptist Church on Mercer Street in downtown Jersey City is being rebuilt from the ground up after a November 2007 fire damaged the entrance, the sanctuary and balcony of the 136-year-old structure. Demolition began in May. (Photos provided by Alexander Calderon.) House of worship born again
Fire-damaged church being rebuilt three years later

Pastor Vincent L. Thomas knew that the Bethesda Baptist Church in downtown Jersey City, which he has presided over for the past six years, needed to be rebuilt from the ground up after a November...
Jul 29, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
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Lauren Holt Songs in the key of life
Local residents share the music they can’t live without

Last week, the Reporter asked five Hudson County residents to share their summer reading lists with their neighbors. After receiving a surprising amount of feedback from other book lovers follo...
Jul 29, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 1 1 recommendations | email to a friend
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FLYING FOR HAITI – Weehawken resident, trombonist, and flight instructor Matt Minucci will take his skills to the skies in August to help with a relief mission to Haiti. To find out how you can help in the effort, visit www.archangelairborne.com. ‘Flying trombonist’ heads to Haiti
Weehawken resident participates in relief mission

Though trained as a professional musician, Weehawken resident Matt Minucci got hooked on flying eight years ago. His dreams of one day being hired as a “flying trombonist” for a commercial airlin...
Jul 29, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend
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INDEPENDENCE DAY – Billy Carrión was awarded “Fan Favorite Latin Song of the Year” at the 9th Independent Music Awards for the title track of his latest album, “Esta Fiesta” (“This Party” in English). Carrión carries on
WNY salsa legend thrives by making shrewd choices

Now known as a “salsa legend,” West New York resident Billy Carrión got his start singing Beatles tunes in his parents’ native country of Puerto Rico. Over the past 40 years, Carrión has mixed hi...
Jul 29, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend
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Rank Amateur
You’re talking about a guy who’s been an award-winning balloon animal creator. I don’t back away from challenges. When the opportunity came to fill the position of mascot for a semi-pro baseball ...
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100 YEARS – Hoboken’s St. Ann’s festival wrapped up this past Monday, celebrating 100 years of music, food, and religious dedication at the church at Seventh and Jefferson streets. Next up as far as Hoboken Italian festivals go: The feast of Madonna Dei Martiri, otherwise known as the Hoboken Italian Festival, will run from Sept. 9 through 12, 2010. MIDWEEKS BRIEFS
O’Donnell tapped to replace Chiappone in state Assembly JERSEY CITY AND BAYONNE — Democratic committeepeople from the 31st District voted Monday night to unanimously to name Jas...
Jul 29, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 0 0 recommendations | email to a friend
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SUCKERPUNCH – A new art gallery opened last month with much fanfare in industrial southwest Hoboken. Designed Beastie Boys cover, and more
Graphic artist featured at new Hoboken gallery

Stephen Byram is a lot more than an artist of CD covers, but the graphic designer has definitely created work for well known acts. He crafted the covers for the Beastie Boys’ “Licensed to Ill,” S...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 8 8 recommendations | email to a friend
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SOUND ART – A stainless steel and black granite structure about five feet tall with a silver megaphone topping it off, ‘Techno Echo” is located near the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. It has yet to be completed, and its creator is threatening to remove it. Silent megaphone under the overpass
‘Techno Echo’ art near park waits in vain for sound components

When Daniel Nauke, a New York artist and electronics designer, was commissioned 10 years ago by NJ Transit to create an interactive sculpture to grace the area near the Liberty State Park light r...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 3 3 recommendations | email to a friend
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TWILIGHT TIME – Joe Del Priore, a prolific local writer, released his compilation of short stories, “Twilight People,” last week. The other ‘Twilight’
Local author Del Priore releases compilation of creepy, clever tales

These days, when someone talks about “Twilight,” they are most likely referring to a wildly successful series of teen vampire novels and movies. But local writer Joe Del Priore has other ideas ab...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 4 4 recommendations | email to a friend
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USING THE PAST – Doug Stern has a dream. This artist’s rendering shows what the old Maidenform Factory will look like if turned into the residential development Stern has in mind. A little bit of Europe in Bayonne?
Developer of former Maidenform factory seeks to build a community

Doug Stern sits in the only air-conditioned room in an otherwise empty factory. The four- and five-story brick former Maidenform complex takes up more than three blocks along the Eastern side of ...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend
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LAUGH OUT LOUD—Richard Dresser’s hit play “Gun Shy” opened J CITY Theater’s fifth season on July 21. ‘Gun Shy’ runs through July 31
Off-Broadway hit in limited run at J CITY Theater

J CITY Theater opened their fifth season on July 21 with the Off-Broadway hit “Gun-Shy” by Richard Dresser, at The Underground Theater at St. Michaels Church at Hamilton Park, in downtown Jerse...
Jul 22, 2010 | 0 0 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend
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The Sentence
“I’ve always felt the Pre-Raphealite painters presented more of a…” Damn. Why do I do this? I begin these sentences and have no idea how to end them. I stammer, searching for words, while i...
Jul 22, 2010 | 1 1 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend
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