General Meeting June 17th, 7pm

We will be kicking our meeting off early with an in-person mixer from 6:30-7 to meet your neighbors before the hybrid meeting starts at 7pm. Light snacks will be provided.

In person: Barrow Mansion. 83 Wayne Street.

Zoom: with the Meeting ID: 851 7077 0500 https://zoom.us/j/85170770500

Agenda

6:30 In-person Mixer

7:00 Opening Remarks from VVNA President Craig Zehms

Announcement: Turnpike Expansion Public Forum on Wednesday, June 18, 6 to 8:30 pm at Woodrow Wilson School #10, 101 W. 56th St., Bayonne, NJ. Provide Public comment here and in person!

7:05 Grove St Public Realm Plan Presentation (including impacts to surrounding streets such as Wayne St.) with Director of Infrastructure Barkha Patel and/or Director of Transportation Planning Michael Manzella. View the plan here: https://cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_6189660/Image/Community/Transportation/Projects/Grove%20Street%20Public%20Realm%20Plan.pdf

7:30 Pride Celebration with Drag King Myster E Mel Kiki

7:45 Park Construction Update from FVVP President Marc Wesson

7:55 St. Matthew’s Food Pantry Update from Pastor Menzi

8:00 All Other Business

Dear Neighbors,

As I walked home from our Board Meeting on Wednesday night the street lamps were aglow, and all good things felt possible.  Several Board Members accompanied me and I felt lucky to be surrounded by such strong and caring friends. 

Thank you for braving the weather to attend the Book Swap and the Stoop Party.  It was good to see so many new faces! We have lots in store for the rest of the year and look forward to your input and participation.

If ever there was a time to celebrate community, it’s now.  Thank you for being a part of it.

Remember:  Neighbors Make the Neighborhood.

Onward!

Craig Zehms
VVNA President

OPPOSE THE TURNPIKE EXPANSION

The Public Hearing held by the NJ Turnpike Authority is your chance to speak up against the widening of the NJ Turnpike leading into Jersey City to the Holland Tunnel. If this project moves forward as planned, it will increase traffic on the turnpike leading into & through Bayonne and Jersey City up to the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, increase noise & air pollution, and increase the risk of asthma in children. Please take the time to share your opinions in advance and make them part of the public record.

Submit public comment online here: https://bit.ly/NBHCEComment

From the NBHCE:

To join virtually, visit NBHCE.com for more information. 

Pre-register here: https://bit.ly/NBHCE-PublicHearing-PreRegistration 

An open house will be held starting at 6:00 p.m. with a presentation by Turnpike Authority representatives at 6:30 p.m. The public will be given the opportunity to provide both oral and written comments. Written comments may be submitted prior to the Public Hearing and the window to submit comments will remain open for an additional 15 days following the Public Hearing; through Thursday, July 3, 2025. 

To submit a comment online, visit: https://bit.ly/NBHCEComment
or 
To submit a comment by voicemail, call our toll-free number: 800-340-8977 
or 
To submit a comment by mail, send to: Lisa Navarro, P.E., Senior Supervising Engineer, 1 Turnpike Plaza, P.O. Box 5042, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 

All comments received at the Public Hearing or submitted prior to the close of the 15-day public comment period will become part of the public record. The Authority will review and consider all comments made and will prepare responses, which will be posted at NBHCE.com and kept on file at the Authority's Administrative Offices, with copies forwarded to the municipalities and counties in which the Project is located. 

New VVNA Merch has Launched, now in even more colors!

VVNA Merchandise is now available on our website. We have T-shirts, sweatshirts, journals, water bottles, beanies, onesies, kids shirts, tote bags and more. Now in even more colors! Can’t find something in your size? Email us and we’ll get it printed! Order yours today!

Jersey City’s Calendar

Looking to join a Planning Board, Board of Adjustment, Zoning or Historic Preservation Commission meeting? Find them all here on Jersey City’s Planning Calendar:

https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/calendar

You can also use this link to find agendas for these meetings, and other important city meetings!

Support St. Matthew’s Food Pantry

St. Matthew’s Food Pantry is aiming to raise $12,000 over the year to prepare for possible cuts to food programs like SNAP, which are already straining their pantry. They raised $1,020 last month and hope to keep the momentum going.

You can donate below, or in person at the VVNA Meeting on Tuesday June 17th. The VVNA is planning to match donations up to a certain amount, so if you donate through this link, bring your receipt!

Here’s the link: https://gofund.me/76a316ab

Upcoming Events

Our online calendar is being updated frequently with community bike rides, socials, street fairs, and more!

Worth Reading or Watching

Widening Highways Doesn’t Fix Traffic. Here’s What Can.

Get Involved

Join our Slack Workspace!

Sign, forward and share our active campaigns for a Better PATH Service, stop the Turnpike Trap, #FixJFKBlvd, 14th St. Viaduct, and Boulevard East.

Visit our local advocacy groups and reach out to them.

Make a donation to support our movement!

Social Media

Do you love taking photos and videos around our beautiful neighborhood? We're looking for a new volunteer who can help the VVNA reach more people through social media. 

No professional experience required, a content calendar will be provided to guide you! In just an hour or two each week, you can connect people across the Van Vorst Neighborhood through the power of compelling images. 

Interested? Please email us at welcome@vvnajc.org

Neighborhood History

Do you have historical photos/flyers from the Van Vorst Park Neighborhood? Send them in to us for a chance to be featured at welcome@vvnajc.org

6/16, 6:30pm - YA Graphic Novel Club at the Library

6/17, 11am - Storytime at the Library with Harmonica Sunbeam

6/17, 3:30pm - Juneteenth Day Craft at the Library (registration required).

6/20-6/22 - Jersey City Birds at the Barrow Mansion

6/25, 6pm - Black Music Month Celebration at City Hall

6/26, 6pm - Gun Violence Awareness Day Panel Discussion at St. John’s

Ongoing - Select Wednesdays, 6-7:30pm - SEWcial Meetup at the Library

Ongoing - Fridays, 3-4:30pm - Fun Fridays at the Library

Hudson Grinding Knife Sharpening will be at the Farmer’s Market on the following dates: 7/5, 8/2, 9/13, 10/11, & 11/1.

See below fliers for details.

Jersey City Birds at the Barrow Mansion!

Friday, June 20th, 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Jersey City Birds Art Show Opening Reception
The birds are back! More than 60 photographs, paintings and drawings from dedicated birders will show the beauty that is chirping all around us. This show will open your eyes to the diversity of avian life in and around Jersey City; from the smallest Carolina wren to the most forbidding osprey. It will also connect you to the community of bird lovers who work so hard to protect their habitats. We will also be showing video shot by John Dunstan at Caven Point and other locations. Cash bar for those over 21. The exhibit will also be on display at the Mansion on Saturday from 10:30am - 5:00pm, and Sunday from 1pm - 4pm.

Saturday, June 21, 10:30am - 5:00pm
JC Birds Family Day
Bring your kids for an exciting day of activities and education. We'll kick off the morning with Jeff Train of the Hoboken Tern Parade explaining how he is working to protect a small colony of terns living on the Hoboken pier -- and you can join the parade by decorating your own tern! At noon, marvel at the owls and kestrels and other birds of prey from Flat Rock Brook Nature Center. At 2:00pm, enjoy a musical from Dave Lambert of the Fuzzy Lemons. We'll also have an art show scavenger hunt, bird themed crafts, and more going throughout the day.

To subscribe to the Jersey City Free Public Library Newsletter, please follow this link.

For a full list of upcoming events at the Priscilla Gardner Main Library, click here (there are so many more!)

Looking for General Meeting Notes or Recordings?

Find them HERE

Looking for Previous Newsletters?

Find them HERE

Thank you to our sponsors: Barrow Mansion Development Corporation and the Friends of Van Vorst Park!

The VVNA depends on fundraising and sponsorships from local businesses and community members. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Find out more information here & email welcome@vvnajc.org.