The first public workshop for the Master Plan Re-Examination will take place on Tuesday, October 10 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Multi Service Center, located at 124 Grand Street.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issued the following press release today: PORT AUTHORITY WARNS OF SEVERE CONGESTION AND ISSUES GRIDLOCK ALERT AT HOLLAND TUNNEL THIS WEEK DUE TO LANE CLOSURES ON NEARBY NEW JERSEY ROUTE 139 RAMP AFTER FIRE Motorists strongly urged to use mass transit and consider alternate routes; PATH rail to add extra trains during peak hours on all lines Drivers who typically commute through the Holland Tunnel are urged to use mass transit –particularly during the morning and evening rush hours -- due to fire damage to the nearby Route 139 ramp in Jersey City that is maintained by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The extensive structural damage to the ramp has resulted in closures to three of five lanes nearly back to the tunnel, with the 60-percent capacity reduction expected to cause significant delays for westbound traffic in Jersey City and Hoboken. Lower Manhattan also can expect backups on local streets accessing the tunnel entrance to New Jersey, particularly if one of the tunnel’s two westbound lanes must be closed if gridlock occurs on the New Jersey side. Drivers should use mass transit, consider alternate work hours or telecommute if possible since other crossing like the Lincoln Tunnel may face delays due to the diverted traffic. The Port Authority and NJ DOT have activated their Offices of Emergency Management to continuously monitor the situation and streamline communications with other state and local officials. Agency officials are working on traffic management plans to lessen potential congestion impacts and will coordinate implementation with counterparts at NJ DOT, NJ Transit, New Jersey State Police, Jersey City, Hoboken and Manhattan, New York City officials, as well as New York Waterways ferry service. PATH rail is poised to add two extra trains hourly during the morning and evening rush hours on each of its three lines: Newark to World Trade Center, Hoboken to World Trade Center and Journal Square to 33rd Street starting Monday morning. Travelers to Newark Liberty International Airport are encouraged to use NJ Transit rail service from New York Penn Station to access the Newark AirTrain to the airport’s terminals. Along with urging drivers to use mass transit options and seeking ways to increase rail, bus and ferry capacity, the Port Authority is taking other significant steps to help its state and local partners alleviate the anticipated problems. Ongoing construction work on the Bayonne Bridge, for example, has been suspended to help ease regional traffic. “The Port Authority is urging travelers to use mass transit and consider alternate work hours and telecommuting to help minimize the anticipated gridlock at the Holland Tunnel until repairs are made to New Jersey’s nearby Route 139 ramp,’’ said Diannae Ehler, the Port Authority’s Director of Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals. “The agency will assist our transportation partners to help minimize congestion around the tunnel, and we have offered engineering help if needed to evaluate and speed repairs on the state’s ramp.” Agency, state and local officials are conferring on opening a third lane before the Monday morning rush along the Holland Tunnel’s westbound exit lanes if feasible, while also adding additional police officers, closing certain side roads and adjusting traffic light patterns to help move traffic more efficiently. On average, more than 2,600 vehicles per rush hour and 46,000 vehicles daily travel from Manhattan to New Jersey via the Holland Tunnel. Port Authority Police are currently staffing intersections to optimize and balance traffic flow on both westbound 14th street and the local north/south roadways. This presence will be maintained through the weekend, with needs reassessed for the start of Monday’s weekday travel patterns. The Port Authority’s Engineering Department has offered the support of staff and its resources to assess the extent of ramp damage and assist with implementation of a repair strategy. For the most up-to-date traffic and transit information, please see use the following links: www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/holland-tunnel www.panynj.gov/bridges-tunnels/lincoln-tunnel www.panynj.gov/PATH www.panynj.gov/bus-terminals/port-authority-bus-terminal http://nj.gov/transportation/ www.njtransit.com NY Waterway has morning and evening rush-hour service between Port Liberty and Liberty Harbor in Jersey City and Manhattan. Both terminals are accessible from the New Jersey Turnpike and have parking. Ferry terminals at Paulus Hook and Harborside in Jersey City and the Hoboken Rail/Ferry Terminal all are served but the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. Visit nywaterway.com for complete information or call 1-800-53-FERRY.

Aerial view of the Northwest Pop-up Park 📷: instagram.com/p/BZrG48TH5Io/

Due to ongoing construction related to the PSE&G Madison Street Substation Project, the block of 12th Street between Madison Street and Jefferson Street will be closed to traffic for approximately three weeks beginning on Monday, October 2nd. In order to provide access to properties on Jefferson Street south of 12th Street, the block of 12th Street between Adams Street and Jefferson Street will be temporarily reversed from east-bound to west-bound during the street closure. Once this portion of the project is complete, the roadway will be reopened and traffic will revert to the normal eastbound direction. A detour map and additional project information is available at www.pseg.com/hoboken.

The cities of Hoboken and Jersey City have come together to bring awareness to the value of water and pledge our shared commitment to improving infrastructure and prioritizing ways to sustain our communities for generations to come. October 12 across the nation is Imagine a Day without Water. Residents are invited to participate in events throughout the day that appreciate the value of water and discuss current initiatives to ensure the resilience and sustainability of our water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. Events include: • Imagine A Day Without Coffee Kick-Off At Choc-O-Pain French Bakery & Cafe • Green Infrastructure Tour of Jersey City and Hoboken City Halls and Hoboken Southwest Park • Boonton Reservoir Tour • Waterfront Cleanup • Catch Basin Cleanout Demonstration • Imagine a Day Without Beer closeout event at Departed Soles Brewing Company • Movie Screening of "A Place Ocean" Prior registration is required and space is limited. For full event details and to register, please visit www.hobokennj.gov/valuewater. Contact Jennifer Gonzalez at jgonzalez@hobokennj.gov and Jasmine Wade at jwade@jcnj.org with any questions. For more information on Imagine a Day without Water, visit www.imagineadaywithoutwater.org. October 14 will be a Hoboken Green Infrastructure Volunteer Day. Residents are invited to participate in volunteer events to build and maintain green infrastructure and public spaces. Events include: • Rain garden Build at the Hoboken Housing Authority • Community Garden Cleanup at the 3rd and Jackson Community Garden • Bioswale Planting along 1st Street and Rain Garden Planting at City Hall Prior registration is required and space is limited. For full event details and to register, please visit www.hobokennj.gov/givolunteer. Contact Kelly Diaz at volunteer1@hobokennj.gov and Sam Rosenthal at volunteer2@hobokennj.gov with any questions.

Based on discussions and written communications with Union Dry Dock, Mayor Dawn Zimmer has determined that it is important to expeditiously move ahead with the tools necessary to acquire the Union Dry Dock property for open space. The City was recently able to meet with the property owner of Union Dry Dock. Following the meeting, Union Dry Dock sent a letter advising the City that it is not legally able to even discuss a sale of the property to the City of Hoboken at this time. As a result, the City Council will be asked to authorize the use of eminent domain for the acquisition of Union Dry Dock at next week's City Council meeting. The authorization simply provides the City with the tools necessary to facilitate negotiations and does not mean that eminent domain will be implemented. However, without this authorization, the City has no ability to even begin negotiations given the position taken by Union Dry Dock. “In my experience with acquiring Block 12 for the Southwest Park and the 6-acre BASF property in Northwest Hoboken, it is not possible to acquire property without the City Council's authorization for eminent domain,” said Mayor Zimmer. “Given recent new factors that have come to light, it is important to move forward with this process at this time to expand our City's waterfront parks.” The letter from Union Dry Dock can be viewed at: www.hobokennj.gov/docs/Union-Dry-Dock-Maraziti-9-22-17.pdf.

Mayor Zimmer presented a proclamation to Raakhee Mirchandani Singh yesterday declaring September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Hoboken and commending Raakhee and Agan Michandani and local businesses for their efforts to raise awareness and funds to fight childhood cancer. More children are lost to cancer in the United States than any other disease. In the 1950’s, almost all children diagnosed with cancer died, but today, because of research, about 90% of children with the most common type of cancer will survive, and the search continues for cures for all types of childhood cancer. Agan Singh and Raakhee Mirchandani’s daughter, Satya, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at 7 months, and she became a cancer survivor before her first birthday. Hoboken businesses have opened their hearts and wallets for the second year in a row to raise money and awareness for the Tomorrows Children's Fund and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This year 10 businesses have joined the effort. This #GoGold effort is spearheaded by Satya’s All Stars, and Agan Singh and Raakhee Mirchandani in gratitude for their daughter Satya’s health. Satya is a fierce Hoboken resident - and pre-schooler - who beat cancer before her first birthday. You can read more about Satya’s story here: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/10-month-old-daughter-beat-rare-cancer-article-1.2197787 and here: http://www.elle.com/life-love/a37837/daughter-survived-cancer-one-kid/. Thank you to all the local businesses raising money for kids battling cancer. 1. Sweeten your day and the day of a kid fighting cancer this September. Choc O Pain Bakery & Café (157 1st St.) will be donating 10% from the sale of each chocopain - their best-selling and namesake chocolate pastry - to the Tomorrows Children's Fund from 9/1-9/30. All Chocopain locations will also have a donation jar near the register. 2. Love books? Hate Cancer? This is the fundraiser for you. Little City Books (100 Bloomfield St.) will be asking patrons to purchase books from a curated list (http://www.littlecitybooks.com/wishlist/41) for TCF kids. The bookstore will also donate 20 percent from the sale of each of the books on the list to TCF for the entire month of September. 3. Just keep spinning: Join local Hoboken mama + pediatric cancer crusader Raakhee Mirchandani for Bike For Life: Cyclebar x St. Jude and ride to raise money and awareness to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The ride was 9/16 and 100% of the proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 4. Life is a GIFFT: Join award-winning TV personality and "Today" show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford for a six-course wine dinner featuring her line of award-winning Gifft wine at the Chart House in Weehawken. The dinner is on Tuesday 9/12 at 6 p.m.; tickets are $175 and 50% of the proceeds benefit the Tomorrows Children's Fund. Tickets are limited. (*This event has been postponed due to a death in Kathie Lee's family.) 5. Look good, feel better. Athleta in Hoboken (316 Washington St.) held a discount with donation event on Sunday 9/17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (make a donation and receive 25% off your entire purchase). Money raised will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 6. Little school, big hearts. Hoboken Little School will be collecting change to change the lives of the kids and families battling pediatric cancer. All money collected in September will be donated to the Tomorrows Children's Fund. 7. Give a buck! Little Hoboken is donating 25% from the September sales of their “Hoboken Like a Mother” tank to benefit the Tomorrows Children’s Fund. Little Hoboken is also the media sponsor for the various fundraising efforts happening around Hoboken to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. We are grateful for their continued support in getting the word out about all the exciting ways the Hoboken community can support the children and families battling childhood cancer. 8. Work it out: Hudson River Fitness will donate $5 for any new member who join the gym in September. All money raised benefits the Tomorrows Children’s Fund. Previously this year Hudson River Fitness hosted a workout to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 9. Something to smile about: Pediatric dentist Dr. Radhika Kapoor of Hoboken Smile Specialists (33-41 Newark St., Suite 2A. 201-683-7018) will be collecting Play-Doh in her office for the TCF kids. Pop by to drop off some canisters of colorful stuff and say hello to Satya’s favorite dentist! 10. Kids helping kids: Small but mighty, the little ones at Prime Time Early Learning Center, Hoboken (410 Hudson St, Hoboken, NJ 07030) hand painted wooden ornaments, then sat at tables to sell their creations. All proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. (Ornaments were provided by Satya's All Stars.)

The Southwest Park Celebration is Today from 4:30pm to 7:30pm

This Sunday: Free bicycle class, helmet, and 1-year Hudson Bike Share membership for residents of the Hoboken Housing Authority and Section 8 recipients. Reserve a spot by Friday.