Relay for Life Bayonne 2012 kickoff at HFA

More than 100 people attended the Feb. 9 kickoff of this year’s Relay for Life at Holy Family Academy, where Dr. Julie DiGioia, who is also a cancer survivor, was guest speaker.

Joanne Barani, chair of the Survivors for Relay for Life, also attended, with Co-Chairs Diane Lesiak and Mary Lindquist. Also present was Chrissy Andrascik, American Cancer Society coordinator for the Relay.

The meeting was an expo-type event with tables of information regarding the relay, which were visited by all who attended. Mayor Mark Smith, along with all members of the City Council, came out and showed their support. The committee gave special thanks to the Public Works Department of the city for their hard work each year.

The event will take place on June 15 and16, 2012 at Vets Stadium, where the city once again has waived its fees.

The group is attempting to have 100 teams this year versus 82 last year, with the goal of raising $25,000. Last year, Relay for Life raised $100,000.

The event this year will be in honor of Autumn Trackewicz, an 8-year-old survivor and resident of Bayonne. For more information on the relay please go to www.relayforlife.org/bayonnenj.

City to host first annual art show at Bayonne Museum

Mayor Mark Smith is pleased to announce that the city will host its First Annual Citywide Art Show at the Bayonne Community Museum located at 229 Broadway. The opening reception will be on Friday, April 1,3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. The show will be open to viewers on weekdays, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday, April 16, through Friday, April 27.

All artists who are residents of Bayonne are invited to submit images of their work for consideration to be included in the show. A jury of Bayonne residents headed by Anthony Sienkiewicz, painting instructor at the Fourth Street Senior Center Art Club, will judge the entries and choose the works to be exhibited.

“I am very excited about this inaugural show. The exhibition will give the opportunity to Bayonne’s many talented artists to showcase their works in a beautiful setting at the Bayonne Community Museum,” said Mayor Smith. “I invite all artists who live in the city of Bayonne to participate and for everyone to come out and see all of the wonderful paintings, drawings, and sculptures created by our own hometown residents.”

Any visual artist aged 18 and older residing in the city of Bayonne can enter. Entries must consist of original works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, collage, computer graphics, photography and sculpture. Works cannot be larger than 36” x 36” unframed or greater than 36” in height if a sculpture. Sculpture with stands preferred. All works must be suitably framed, matted and wired for hanging.

Artists interested in exhibiting may submit between one and five images via e-mail to bayonneartshow@gmail.com for consideration by the jury. The deadline for submitting work will be Wednesday, March 14, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. For more rules and details, contact the organizers.

Anyone seeking further information can call Anthony Sienkiewicz at (201) 858-3745.

Smith and O’Donnell urge Congress to renew the educator’s tax deduction

Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith and Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell called upon the U.S. Congress to renew the educator’s tax deduction for expenses incurred in 2012 and future years. Right now, 2011 is the last year teachers can take the federal deduction.

“All across America, teachers often buy school supplies for their classrooms and students with their own money,” Smith said. “Many of them are never reimbursed for these financial sacrifices they make to improve their classes. That is why the educator’s tax deduction was a fair way for the country to recognize the legitimate expenses that teachers bear each year. Restoring the educator’s tax deduction on the federal income tax would be the right thing to do.”

“School budgets are tight during these tough economic times,” O’Donnell said. “Teachers make many sacrifices to ensure that their classrooms can function properly in spite of budget cuts. The educator’s deduction was our country’s way of saying ‘thank-you’ to the principals, teachers, counselors, and aides who spend their own money to help our schools. Bringing back the educator’s deduction would be a sign of our national commitment to both education and justice.”