Jersey City Fund and New Loan Program

 

Today was a very eventful day for small business owners and parents throughout Jersey City.

Small business owners flocked to city hall as Mayor Steven Fulop and Deputy Mayor Vivian Brady Phillips announced the launch of a new program that will secure loans for small businesses throughout Jersey City. The newly established group—Jersey City Fund gathered together today with their partners from The 504 Company to present the beginning of a renaissance for small businesses in Jersey City.

According to a press release from Office of the Mayor, “The Jersey City Fund will be managed by The 504 Company, a nonprofit entity authorized by the U.S. Small Business Administration to administer loan programs including the SBA 504 and Community Advantage loan programs. The $10 million dollar loan fund will provide SBA Community Advantage loans between $25,000 and $250,000 to small businesses and start-ups, helping local entrepreneurs and creating good jobs in Jersey City.”

During the press conference Mayor Fulop explained that Jersey City was undergoing an “Unprecedented economic renaissance.”

“People who are looking for capital are people who drive this city forward. Close to 500 businesses have opened here in the past two years [and] little over 100 have been restaurants. Today is an exciting announcement [and] another step in moving the city forward,” he said.

Preceding the mayor’s exit from the podium was a shower of applause.

Chief Executive Officer of The 504 Company Patrick MacKrell followed swiftly behind and reflected on his first visit to Jersey City. “When I made my first visit to Jersey City I wanted to make my best effort to align myself with the city. I am pleased and proud to share my experience with the mayor and the city. I’d like to note that all of these funds are private funds—tax dollars are not an issue [and] it is our honor to be associated with this city.

Rosemary McFadden, the chair of the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation’s board of trustees took to the stand and expanded on the growth of the community. “Jersey City is the economic engine that drives the State of New Jersey. All of the studies we have seen and its access to capital is the biggest challenge for small businesses. We will be the first city in the State of New Jersey to fund small businesses with loans. Our partners from The 504 Company have given us a grant of $25,000 which we will give away through a Business Accelerator Competition—one business will receive $15,000 and one business will receive $10,000.”

“This Fund will be a major part of that effort going forward,” she said.

---

 

Explore 2000 Vocational Middle School Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

This ceremonious event led to the open doors of Explore 2000 through a short hallway fragrant with appetizers and into a gymnasium full of parents, students, teachers and board members and community leaders.

The event began with a warm welcome and the Pledge of Allegiance steered by students Aiden Gonzalez and Daniel McLain.

A press release from the Office of the Mayor started that “Explore 2000 is a high performing middle school run by the Hudson County Schools of Technology. The middle school’s previous location, at 525 Montgomery Street, is the site of the current HCST Jersey City campus. Through a partnership between the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency and the Hudson County Executive’s Office, a new, specialized facility has been created for the STEM-focused middle school.”

Once those in attendance were seated Superintendent Frank Gargiulo stepped to the podium and reflected on the past of Explore 2000. “We are in a spot here to die for, this a beautiful, beautiful facility. Explore 2000 started 20 years ago [and] we started the school in The Liberty Science Center with 24 students. It was a great experience for the kids. I went to five grammar schools around the area and asked principals to give me five of their students and that’s how it started.”

“Explore 2000 is the only middle vocational school in the State of New Jersey. This facility will allow us to grow to 250 students eventually. The middle school here is a middle school [and] I want the citizens to know we intend on expanding our adult school at night,” he continued.

With a loud applause from the audience Gargiulo returned to his seat and County Executive Tom DeGise took his place at that lectern. “I walked in today and it brough back some memories for me. When I was the Council President of Jersey City we went to fight to get this school built as a community center. It is a great asset for the entirety of Jersey City and the Downtown community in particular.”

A press release from the Office of the Mayor stated that, “The new facility will allow the school to expand its student population over a five-year period, from 80 students in grades 6-8 during the 2015-2016 school year to roughly 240 students by the 2019-2020 school year.  The school’s new location will also allow for an expansion of the unique project-based STEM curricula to its core subject areas and traditional learning labs.’

‘The 2013-2014 New Jersey School Performance Report rated Explore 2000’s academic performance as ‘high’ when compared to schools across the state, and ‘very high’ when compared to its peers. Additionally, the school is meeting 100 percent of its performance targets in the area of academic achievement, according to the data. The school’s new enhanced and specialized facility will only help to improve the Explore 2000’s high academic performance ranking statewide.”

And Assemblyman Vincent Prieto couldn’t have said it any better than the proud parents and facilitators of Explore 2000 themselves—“We need to give our children the tools and resources to move forward. We need to invest in projects like this and this will be a model in the state as the first middle vocational school. Getting these tools and resources are what’s gonna get our children to the future.”

A loud applause led way to Mayor Fulop taking a stand at the podium and giving a list of ‘thank you’s’ to the guests. “I want to thank in particular my partners to the left with some tough votes and parents that we were going to deliver it (the school). This will be the first and only vocational school in the State of New Jersey [and] we will be shaping the future for 250 students in the years to come.”

City Council President Rolando Lavarro chimed in to the middle school’s success by saying that the city is “Creating a pipeline for education.”

With the conclusion of Lavarro’s dialogue Explore 2000 Principle Amy Lin-Rodriguez was called to the stage. The audience boomed with whistles and excitement as she approached the stand eager to speak. Students and parents alike stood for near thirty-second standing ovation before Lin-Rodriguez began her speech.

“This is an exciting year for Explore 2000 [and] 15 years ago I had no idea I would be standing here today in front of you let alone as your principle. This new beautiful building provides us with the space needed. Having our own building enables us to grow without the constraints of other programs.”

Turning her attention directly to her students she said, “The most valuable commodity is our children.”

To lead by example Alumni Brandiez Jerido took the stand to sing a song particularly dedicated to Explore 2000, “Give them the sense of light / Let the children’s laughter remind us of how we used to be / everybody is searching for a hero.”

From what could be seen, Jerido praised Principle Lin for encouraging her during her years at Explore.

The event concluded with a wonderful ribbon cutting in front of the building where members of the school board, city council, the mayor, and facilitators gathered.