Dear Neighbors,
As we head into Labor Day weekend, the traditional end of summer, cooler weather and a new school year are upon us. I want to send you my September greetings and update you on the latest affecting our community.
COVID-19 Updates
As of Thursday, 718 Hoboken residents have been confirmed as testing positive for COVID-19. The number of positive tests is steadily increasing (including 14 additional cases recently reported in testing since August 10), after flattening to around 590 cases for several weeks in July. Please remember that wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing is key to keeping our community healthy.
Thankfully, 667 people have recovered entirely. Since March 30th, 31 Hoboken residents have died from COVID-19 -- two individuals who died in April and May recently had their cause of death re-classified since my prior newsletter. For those of you who have endured such a difficult loss at this extraordinary time, know that you continue to have the full support of our entire Hoboken community. We are with you. Together, we send you our prayers and extend to you our wishes for your comfort, healing, and peace.
Indoor Dining Comes to Hoboken’s Restaurants
Tomorrow marks the return of indoor dining in New Jersey! New Jersey restaurants can now serve patrons indoors at 25% capacity. Governor Murphy’s regulations concerning indoor dining can be found here and include the following:
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Restaurant occupancy limited to 25% of capacity
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Six feet of distance required between tables
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Staffers will have to wear masks at all times
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Diners will be required to wear masks when they're not seated
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Food and drink can only be consumed by seated diners
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A table can have a maximum of eight people, except immediate family members
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Buffets and self-service will be prohibited
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Physical barriers must be installed at host areas or other places where close contact is difficult to avoid
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Staffers must be screened for symptoms daily and trained on best health safety practices
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Restaurants must provide hand sanitizers for customers and disinfect high-touch areas regularly
Hoboken’s leadership in the State of New Jersey has already created more than 50 parklets and strEATeries since June 15 — beginning on day one when Governor Murphy legally permitted outdoor dining — and has made a huge difference to many struggling local restaurants. Opening more than 50 outdoor dining establishments reflects a great partnership between Mayor Bhalla, his administration (including Directors Ryan Sharp, Jennifer Gonzalez, and Leo Pellegrini), the Corporation Counsel’s Office (including John Allen), the City Engineer, Kimberli Craft, Zoning Officer Ann Holtzman, the Department of Office of Emergency Management (including Sgt. Will Montanez and Lt. Petrosino) and the Hoboken City Council to fast-track ordinances, paperwork, regulations, approvals, and enforcement in order to build out so many spaces, with such a lean staff working really hard during this pandemic. By way of comparison, Jersey City, with a much larger budget and a much larger City Hall staff serving a population 5 times Hoboken’s size, is justifiably proud of having opened 45 parklets. Last night, my City Council colleagues and I unanimously voted to extend our innovative parklet and strEATery program through the end of 2021.
Not only is Hoboken doing a great job with parklets and strEATeries, but Hoboken is leading the way with innovative approaches to pedestrianize our City streets in cooperation with the Hoboken Business Alliance by promoting our new Summer Streets program, enhancing and supporting our business districts as well as the Slow Streets program, where each weekend we open up new safe spaces for pedestrians and businesses to thrive despite the economic challenges presented by COVID-19 and the imperative of folks practicing social distancing when venturing outside their homes during this pandemic.
I expect that our new socially distant indoor dining will be embraced by our business community, residents, and visitors alike. I encourage you to make your reservations now to help our restaurants manage the rush of enthusiastic customers or, as always, order your take-out from your favorite Hoboken restaurants (shout out to my friends at the Malibu Diner — for their killer pastrami Reuben sandwiches and Tuna Melts and to Alfalfa — for their delicious takeout salads).
I know all our Hoboken restaurants appreciate your support.
Voting in November
Governor Murphy announced last week that all registered voters in New Jersey will be receiving a vote-by-mail (VBM) ballot in the mail, with pre-paid postage for the upcoming election on November 3rd. To avoid any potential delays with the post office I encourage you to please fill out the VBM and return your ballot as soon as your ballot arrives. If you have any concerns about mailing your ballot, Hoboken and the Board of Elections will offer a convenient ballot drop off location at a dropbox next to City Hall, at the Newark Street side of City Hall near Washington Street.
Also, you will be able to drop off your ballot at drop boxes at polling sites on Election Day -- see the locations of the pollings sites below.
If you wish to vote in-person, the following poll locations will be open on Election Day. But remember, if you were mailed a VBM ballot, you will only be able to vote provisionally, using a paper ballot at the polls, and will not be able to vote using a voting machine.
The polling stations for November 3rd are as follows:
1ST WARD - 1 Marineview Plaza, Community Room (4th between Hudson & River Sts)
2ND WARD - Fox Hills Senior Citizens Building, 311 Thirteenth Street AND Brandt School, 201 9th street
3RD WARD - Hoboken High School, 820 Clinton Street
4TH WARD - Multi-service Center, 124 Grand Street, AND the Hoboken Fire House, 43 Madison Street
5TH WARD - Wallace School, 1114 Willow Ave.
6TH WARD - Demarest School, 401 Garden St.
EXTRA 1st WARD AND GENERAL VOTING LOCATION - City Hall, 94 Washington St. (Courtroom/Council Chambers)
If you have not already registered to vote, New Jersey’s deadline for the November election is October 13th. The freedom to vote is America’s most important political right. Your vote matters. Click here to get the voter registration form. For helpful information on voting, visit the Hoboken City Clerk’s website here.
Two Great Kids in the 5th Ward: Miguel and Rosie Cabelin
We all know Hoboken kids do great things. In my last newsletter, I told you about 17-year-old Dylan Zajac who created an awesome not-for-profit Computers 4 People making a difference for folks needing digital connections in this era of working and learning remotely. You can learn more about Computer 4 People here.
Today, I want to introduce you to two other awesome 5th Ward kids: Miguel and Rosie Cabelin. Miguel (14) and Rosie (16) are super-talented and doing amazing things. Miguel has his own YouTube channel, where he and his sister Rosie perform their original songs and produce their own music videos. One of Miguel and Rosie’s original songs ("Pretzel Thief") recently was featured on the Cartoon Network during Asian American Pacific Islander Appreciation Month! How cool is that?
Miguel and Rosie attend Hoboken High School, and these proud Redwings are products of Hoboken’s award-winning school district! You can watch Miguel and Rosie’s “Pretzel Thief” video here. Way to go Miguel and Rosie! Keep up the great work. You guys make the 5th Ward (and all of Hoboken) proud.
If you’d like to highlight great things Hoboken kids are doing, please email me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com and let me know.
The Hoboken Library’s Gradual Reopening
Many folks have asked when the Hoboken Library will reopen its doors, to complement the many on-line offerings that it already has available to our community. While the doors of the library have not fully “swung open” yet, the Hoboken Public Library is now open for limited "Grab & Go" pickup service and has limited, reserved computer use.
The Library doors will be open for “Grab & Go” on:
Monday 10 am – 8 pm
Tuesday 10 am – 8 pm
Wednesday 10 am – 8 pm
Thursday 10 am – 6 pm
Friday 10 am – 5 pm
Saturday 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday (closed)
Library patrons can now pick up items from the Holds Shelf near the circulation desk on the first floor and check them out at the self-checkout kiosk. Only two people at a time are allowed at the “Grab & Go” area and patrons must wear masks at all times while inside the library. Also, one-hour computer appointments at the Library are available. Call 201-420-2346 to schedule your time online. You can see additional details here.
Critical Census Responses Are Needed
Despite the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoboken’s 2020 Census participation rate has been solid, and as of September 3rd, we are at 65.9% self reported participation citywide. However, we still have a way to go.
I strongly encourage all residents to respond online at www.my2020census.gov, over the phone, or by mail. While the self-response period has been extended, we need you to respond ASAP to avoid the need for in-person follow-up from the Census Bureau.
To be eligible for critical funding for our schools, roads, housing initiatives, non-profits, Medicaid, Medicare, and so much more, it is critical that all Hoboken residents complete the 2020 Census. It takes less than ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire online, but your response makes a big impact on our community. You can learn more about the importance of completing the Census here and here.
Coffee with Cohen . . . the home edition
To practice social distancing, rather than eliminate my monthly Coffee with Cohen constituent events, I turned to the internet. On Monday, August 31st, I hosted my most recent Coffee with Cohen Livestream event. Over 270 people have viewed the event so far. My favorite part of Coffee with Cohen is answering your questions, including one of this week’s questions “will the HOP bus ever come back?” — if you haven’t seen the event, you can check it out here. You can also submit your questions to HobokenPhil@gmail.com and participate, as I try to answer each question. The event is hosted on my Facebook page @Philcohenforcouncil and you can watch it here.
As long as we have this state of emergency, I plan to continue hosting Coffee with Cohen twice a month. My next event will be at noon on Monday, September 14th and I hope to see you there. You can RSVP for this live-streaming event here.
As always, if you’d like to reach out with any questions or concerns at any time, or if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, do not hesitate to contact me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com
Stay safe everyone!
Phil Cohen
5th Ward Councilman
City of Hoboken, New Jersey
HobokenPhil@gmail.com
(862) 234-9053
P.S. You can learn more about me and my ideas for Hoboken (as well as read this newsletter and my prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.
