ALLIANCE FOR ACTION ANNOUNCES EAGLE AWARDS WINNERS
Reservations are going fast for what was described by NJ BIZ as one of New Jersey’s top networking events --- the 35th annual Eagle Awards Dinner of the Alliance for Action on Wednesday, October 14, at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick.

Nearly 800 people are expected to join in honoring five leaders of the state’s economic life who comprise the Class of 2009 Eagle Award Recipients. The are:
-Ben Torcivia, Sr., founder of Torcon, Inc.
-Ralph LaRossa, President and COO of Public Service Electric & Gas.
-Morris Rubino, President of the New Jersey Association of Ironworkers.
-Frank McDonough, President of the New York Shipping Association.
-Edward Cruz, Owner & CEO, E.E. Cruz & Co., Inc.

In addition, the Alliance will pay special tribute to its Board members who have given 25 or more years of service. They are Mauro Checchio, Kim Foley, Art Guida, John Mullen, Barry Rosengarten, Herman Simonse and Richard Williams.
To assure your reservation, Go Here.

SAVE THE DATE FOR CONSTRUCTION FORECAST SEMINAR
The much-anticipated 25th Annual Construction Forecast Seminar of the Alliance for Action will be held on Thursday, November 5, at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center in Trenton.

As usual, the Seminar provides a special preview of the two-year construction plans by public agencies and private industry in New Jersey. During these hard times, the results offer valuable information to all sectors of the construction industry, labor, corporate and institutional leaders and economists as a barometer to the state’s economic future.

Among the presentations will be pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, utilities, public and private colleges and universities, casinos, private developers, industrial office properties and major public agencies, such as the State Department of Transportation, NJ Transit, NJ Turnpike Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Delaware River Port Authority.

Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 9:15 a.m.

Since the usual sellout crowd of at least 200 is expected and seating is limited. Please make your reservation early by clicking here.

GROUNDBREAKING HELD FOR PAULSBORO MARINE TERMINAL
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the first phase of the new Paulsboro Marine Terminal. The terminal project will cover 190 acres, with three 40-foot berths and a 20-foot deep barge berth. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs.

Phase I will include two of the berths, 100,000 square feet of warehouse space as well as an access road and bridge --- with an estimated cost of $174 million. State Senator Stephen Sweeney said the terminal will be “a major economic victory for the South Jersey region.”

ALLIANCE FOR ACTION APPROVES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
At the October meeting of the New Jersey Alliance for Action Board of Directors the following individuals were approved as members of the Board: Caren Franzini, Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Anthony Capaccio, President/Business Manager of Construction & General Laborers L.U. 172, Suzanne Chiavari, Vice President of Engineering at NJ American Water and Donald Lynch, President, Jersey Central Power & Light

BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO OPEN SOUTH-COUNTY CAMPUS
Bergen Community College will purchase an office building in Lyndhurst to use as its South Bergen County campus. Mack-Cali Realty Corp. is divesting itself of the 121,314 square-foot building at 1280 Wall Street West for $13.8 million.

The two-year Paramus-based college plans to spend another $7.5 million to renovate the five-story building.

DEP GRANT COULD SPARK SOMERVILLE DEVELOPMENT
Somerville expects a $2 million grant from the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to spur development of the borough’s old landfill on Route 206 north that was closed in 1984.

The grant is for environmental testing and remediation of the 157-acre landfill. Working with NJ Transit, Somerville plans to develop the landfill, which is directly behind the NJ Transit train station.

The plan is to build a performing arts center, housing and parking deck on the site, with 40 acres transformed into recreational space.

Details on the status of the plans for the redevelopment were presented by Colin Driver, Director, of Economic Development, Borough of Somerville at the recent Somerset County Alliance chapter meeting.

ELECTRONIC TOLL EXPRESS LANES COMING TO TWO DELAWARE SPANS
Open-road electronic lanes will be coming to two of the busiest toll bridges over the Delaware River on Route 80 and Route 78. The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission said they would be the first open-road tolling sites at any Delaware River crossing. The open-road lanes are expected to be in place by Memorial Day.

The 2,465-foot bridge at the Delaware Gap on Route 80 carries an average of some 53,900 vehicles per day. The Route 78 toll span near Easton, PA, is used by about 56,000 vehicles on average each day.

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION APPROVED IN 19 DISTRICTS
Voters approved school construction work in 19 of 25 districts --- the highest approval rating in about five years. The approvals total more than $166 million, with $67 million available for various forms of state reimbursement.

In Rahway, voters approved $34 million in construction projects at city schools, work which includes additions and renovations to six buildings and the addition of solar panels. In East Brunswick, voters approved $16 million in bonds to replace the fire-damaged Memorial School. The biggest negative result came in Brick Township, where voters rejected all of the district’s proposals totaling some $180 million.

SENATOR LESNIAK MAKES NEWS AT ALLIANCE SESSION
State Senator Raymond Lesniak, D-20th District., informed the Alliance for Action that there soon will be an announcement of $4 billion in private investment in New Jersey that will create 8,000 jobs. He spoke to an audience of some 100 as part of the Alliance’s “Meet the Players” series.

Lesniak also commented that there would be little economic development without tax increment financing and public/private partnerships. He asserted that government does not make changes to reform key services “until there are no other options.”

On education, the Senator declared that New Jersey “wastes a billion dollars a year on education” and called for greater oversight over education spending. He also expressed support for charter schools, particularly in areas where public schools are failing their students.

STATE DEP COMMISSIONER MAURIELLO TO APPEAR AT ALLIANCE EVENT
The next attraction at the Alliance for Action’s “Meet the Players” series will be New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Mark Mauriello on Tuesday, November 10. It will be at the Alliance’s offices in Raritan Plaza II, Raritan Center (3rd floor conference room), with registration at 9:30 a.m. and the program at 10 a.m.

To hear Commissioner Mauriello’s report on what is happening at the DEP and to ask questions, make your reservation by clicking here.

MERCER ALLIANCE TO HEAR NEW JERSEY EDA EXECUTIVE
  The Mercer County Alliance for Action will meet on Friday, October 23, featuring a presentation by Caren S. Franzini, Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. The meeting will be at the Lafayette Yard Marriott Conference Center, Trenton, with registration at 8:15 a.m. and the program at 9:00 a.m.

Other presentations will be by Hamilton Township Mayor John F. Bencivengo and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which will report on plans for Route 1 in Mercer County.

Mercer Alliance Co-Chairs are County Executive Brian M. Hughes, Ridgeley Hutchinson, Council Representative, Princeton Carpenters Local 781, and Robert Innocenzi, P.E., of Public Strategies Impact.
To register Go Here.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-Anthony R. Coscia, Chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, was nominated by President Obama to the AMTRAK Board of Directors. Coscia has served as the Chairman of the Port Authority since April 2003.
-Susan Baer, has been promoted to Director of Aviation at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

To tell us what you think of our on-line news Go Here.

Back to Online News Home Page