Medical Weight Loss in Hackensack, NJ

Megan Burrow

HACKENSACK — Plans for a large apartment building at the corner of Anderson and Linden streets are moving forward with an additional 30 units proposed for a mixed-use development at the site.

The City Council amended a redevelopment plan for the 2.7-acre site at 123 Anderson Street last month to include 350 apartments, with retail space on the first floor. The amended plan also includes 20 public parking spaces. The developer would pay 1.5% of the property’s value in development fees into the city’s affordable housing trust fund as part of Hackensack’s settlement with Fair Share Housing Center, city officials said.

The building would replace a Walgreens pharmacy, several other storefronts, two smaller buildings and a parking lot across the street from the train station.

The street, a short commercial strip with a mix of restaurants, hair and nail salons, convenience stores and older apartment buildings and anchored by the Anderson Street Train Station, is undergoing changes, as Main Street just to the east, is in the midst of widespread redevelopment.

A six-story, 222-unit apartment building is under construction just down the street from the proposed development, at the former site of the longtime restaurant Rudy's and the city's former Building Department.

This is the third year of a five-year state grant program to improve the neighborhood with outdoor seating, lighting, trash cans, traffic-calming crosswalks and money for businesses to upgrade their storefronts.

“The area needs to be redeveloped. We’re going to start building up Anderson Street,” Mayor John Labrosse said. “It will be up to a developer to come up with an idea that works for the city and the residents in that area.”

Some residents have voiced concerns about a largescale apartment building at that corner, just off a residential neighborhood.

Brigitte Rucker said she’s concerned the development would bring more traffic to an area that already gets backed up when a train comes in.

“Let the community be part of the conversation. Why can’t they create a forum where the community can speak, especially those that live in that area,” she said. “We don’t need another apartment building. Putting that building there you’ll be taking away from the beauty and culture of the neighborhood.”

City officials said the public will have an opportunity to weigh in when plans come before the city Planning Board. Traffic and infrastructure are part of every evaluation of a potential development, they said.

“Most of the businesses there have already closed. It’s an area that’s certainly not bringing additional revenue to the city in any way to help with taxes. It’s really become an eyesore,” Deputy Mayor Kathy Canestrino said at a council meeting earlier this month. “We all have to get our heads together and look at what makes the most sense there. The area has already been developed with apartment units. It makes sense with the proximity to the train station.”

HACKENSACK, NJ - Four senior Girl Scouts from Hackensack and surrounding communities are making it their mission to promote sisterhood on their way to their Gold Award Project, the concluding project for senior Girl Scouts.

Sylvia Brown (Hackensack), Safiya Mannan (Hackensack), Halle Palmer (Teaneck), and Zuri Thorn (Maywood), recently shared their sisterhood joy with younger Scouts, according to Jennylyn Brown, one of their troop leaders.

As part of their Mission Sisterhood Journey on the way to their Gold Award Project, the young ladies undertook the Take Action Project by visiting five younger Brownies and Junior troops to present the meaning of Sisterhood, why it is essential, and how to practice it, Brown said.

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They presented to 50 younger Girl Scouts at their troop meetings and had them participate in activity stations, including handprints on canvas, Sisterhood word art, and recording a video on what Sisterhood means to them.

After completing the presentations to the troop, the Gold Award Candidates hosted a Sisterhood Fair at the Maywood Senior Center on Saturday, April 27, Brown said. All the troops they visited were invited to come together for an afternoon of fun and activities. With 25 girls in attendance, they shared the video they produced from the individual recording, a slide show of photographs from the meetings, and an exhibit of the word art.

They played games, such as Sisterhood Bingo, 'pin the patch on the vest', musical chairs, and freeze dance. The hand-printed canvas was used as a photo backdrop.

"All the Scouts could see what the individual troops thought of Sisterhood," Brown said.

"It was a successful Take Action Project; everyone had fun and acquired new skills. The Girl Scout senior learned skills from planning and project management, working with younger groups, presenting and public speaking, time management, and prioritization of tasks," she said.

"The delegation of duties and asking for help and support from your extended community were also important lessons learned."

The next project for the Gold Award candidates? "Girltopia."

"Girl Scout Seniors know the world could be better, especially for their female counterparts," Brown said. "This Journey and Take Action Project is their chance to imagine a perfect world—for girls. After completing that Journey and Take Action, they will individually plan and work on their Gold Award Project.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest Award a Girl Scout can achieve; it requires at least 80 hours of work and must be an individual project that implements a long-term solution to a community issue. Many compare it to the Boy Scout Eagle Award.

Hackensack Elks Lodge #658: One standout recipient of this year's awards was Dallas Pettway, who took first place in the 10-11 girls Hoop Shoot Contest at the lodge, district, and state levels. Dallas went on to place third at the Northeast Regional Competition, showcasing her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.

Photo Credit: Hackensack Elks Lodge

Hackensack Elks Lodge #658: One standout recipient of this year's awards was Dallas Pettway, who took first place in the 10-11 girls Hoop Shoot Contest at the lodge, district, and state levels. Dallas went on to place third at the Northeast Regional Competition, showcasing her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.Photo Credit: Hackensack Elks Lodge #658

Youth Breakfast Awards, Hackensack Elks Lodge: April 20, 2024Photo Credit: Hackensack Elks Lodge

By Jamie England - Hackensack Elks Lodge #658

PublishedApril 29, 2024 at 2:00 PM

HACKENSACK, NJ - Several local youth were recognized for their community achievements during the annual breakfast hosted by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

On Saturday, April 20, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Hackensack Lodge #658, held their Annual Youth Awards Breakfast to recognize the outstanding achievements of local youth in the community. The event honored the first, second, and third place winners of each age group for the Soccer Shoot and Hoop Shoot competitions. In addition, the lodge proudly celebrated the recipient of the $4,000 Most Valuable Student Scholarship.

The attendees were treated to a delicious breakfast prepared by members of the Hackensack Elks, and served by the members of the Hackensack Antler Lodge #27. The Hackensack Antler Program, open to individuals ages 12-20, provides a unique opportunity for young people to become actively engaged in their community while building essential skills such as leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.

One standout recipient of this year's awards was Dallas Pettway, who took first place in the 10-11 girls Hoop Shoot Contest at the lodge, district, and state levels. Dallas went on to place third at the Northeast Regional Competition, showcasing her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.

The Hackensack Elks Lodge #658, established in 1901, has a long history of charitable work and community involvement. From supporting food pantries and awarding scholarships to sponsoring youth programs and hosting leadership initiatives, the Elks are dedicated to promoting the four cardinal virtues of charity, justice, brotherly love, and fidelity.

For more information on the Hackensack Elks Lodge #658 and their community initiatives, visit https://www.facebook.com/hackensackelks.

Opposite the northwest corner of the Hackensack Green, a 150-year-old former bank stands on hallowed ground.

Now housing law offices, the former Bank of Bergen County was built in 1874 as a monument to the county's prosperity. Gleaming in bright red brick, the building was a refreshing example of Victorian Gothic architecture and a display of Hackensack's wealth.

Today, it endures as a reminder of an even deeper history. It serves as a bridge to a time when the site at the corner of what is now Sussex and Main streets held Archibald Campbell's tavern that fed Gen. George Washington during the retreat that made a nation.

It was about dusk when the first of the troops entered Hackensack on Nov. 20, 1776, according to an eyewitness account once kept by the Rev. Theodore B. Romeyn, the mid-19th century pastor of the First Church of Hackensack. They were falling back from a series of disasters that had British generals salivating at the prospects of victory.

"The night was dark, cold and rainy," the account continues. "They marched two abreast, looked ragged, some without a shoe to their feet, and most of them wrapped up in their blankets."

For the previous 18 months, Bergen County had become increasingly involved in the Revolution. The county had been war-torn, trounced by both Patriots and Loyalists seeking to gain key footholds in the conflict.

The drums of battle would beat again after the loss of Fort Washington in Harlem Heights on Nov. 16, 1776. Within four days, 5,000 British and Hessian troops were advancing up the Palisades toward an exposed Fort Lee. The fall of Fort Lee on Nov. 20 added to a string of Patriot mishaps in Long Island, Brooklyn and White Plains, New York.

Washington wrote to Gen. Charles Lee the next day from Hackensack, informing him of the loss of the "fort called by your name" and his decision to move his troops to the west side of the Hackensack River.

Washington had been staying at Peter Zabriskie's home on the north side of the Green.

Some drunk and mostly weary, Washington's troops had left Fort Lee and marched north to Englewood, then southwest along present-day Lafayette Avenue. From there, they turned right on Forest Avenue until they hit Teaneck Road, then called Schraalenburgh Road. They then proceeded north from there to New Bridge Road, where they turned left and proceeded west, crossing the Hackensack River at the "new bridge."

Washington, the head of his army of roughly 3,000, had crossed the "new bridge" at New Bridge Landing first. His troops trudged behind Washington and stayed at Zabriskie's, 50 Main St. His supplies were furnished by the tavern keeper across the street at 41 Main St., Archibald Campbell. As the British camped across the river, their fires shone brightly - stretching more than a mile. Campbell rightly had his concerns.

Before taking his leave, Washington rode to the dock near the crossing and "viewed the enemy's encampment about 10 or 15 minutes," according to the account.

He then returned to Campbell's tavern for some wine and water. Campbell laid his concerns bare for the general.

"With tears streaming down his face, (Campbell) said, 'General what shall I do? I have a family of small children and a little property here; shall I leave them?' Washington kindly took his hand and replied, 'Mr. Campbell, stay by your family and keep neutral,' then bidding him goodbye, rode off'."

By noon the next day, the British had occupied Hackensack. The Green was packed with thousands of Hessian troops in pursuit of Washington.

On Nov. 30, from New Brunswick, Washington wrote of his thoughts on the British tactics.

“They will pay dearly for it, for I shall continue to retreat before them so as to lull them into security,” he wrote.

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In all, Washington's army retreated 90 miles in 19 days before arriving in Trenton. They were there at Christmas in 1776 for the memorable Crossing of the Delaware and victory at Trenton, Washington's first major victory of the war.

For Campbell, the conflict also continued, according to Romeyn's account. His attempts to remain neutral went for naught on the night of March 23, 1780, when an estimated 400 British and Hessian troops burned the former Bergen County Courthouse on the west side of the Green. Campbell was taken prisoner. He had been confined to his bed from a bout of rheumatism and unable to hide when his tavern was raided.

As the story goes, Campbell was able to escape in the confusion and took refuge under the "new bridge." Once it was safe, he returned home. Campbell lived until 1798 and allegedly never had a recurrence of rheumatism.

Hackensack, N.J.

Submitted by: Blanchard Turner Joint Venture LLC

Owner: Hackensack Meridian Health

Lead Design Firm: RSC Architects & Page

General Contractor: Blanchard Turner JV

Civil Engineer: Langan

Structural engineer: Reuther Bowman

MEP Engineer: Syska-Hennessy

Built on a tight urban site, the 530,000-sq-ft pavilion unites multiple programs and services within a limited floorplate. The nine-story building, which broke ground in January 2018, required 12 enabling projects to demolish existing buildings and relocate switchgear, an oxygen farm, boilers and chillers into a new four-story central utility plant across from the hospital. Over four miles of electrical wire were placed within conduits under a roadway to tie the campus together.

The building spans a public roadway and connects to an existing parking garage and four of the hospital’s floors. To make the connections, the team built prefabricated 20-ft-tall by 80-ft-long trusses to create a span. Adding to the challenge, the hospital garage needed to remain accessible during construction, including two entrances directly underneath the work zone area. A 25-ft-deep trench also had to be excavated 6 ft from the 100-year-old existing hospital to create a dedicated lobby to link with the pavilion.

The building’s surgical platform spans several existing structures, requiring a 140-ft-long by 20-ft-tall truss over the hospital pharmacy, which needed to be temporarily relocated. Two stories of a three-story building were demolished to accommodate the truss, requiring a temporary roof to safeguard the electrical equipment on the ground floor.

Photo by Jonathan Hillyer, courtesy Blanchard Turner Joint Venture LLC

The five-story patient tower, which sits atop the three-story surgical platform, was designed with two major spans to accommodate its footprint. The largest span of 85 ft encompasses a megacolumn with an 85-ft-tall, crossed-brace column. The column was brought in through an existing roof and into a one-story mechanical building to position it in place.

The pavilion, which was completed in December 2022, unites all adult inpatient surgery within two new floors of operating rooms, along with their associated support spaces. The facility’s 24 operating rooms are organized into pods of six so they can be grouped by specialization. The building also features 12 standardized prep/recovery rooms with uniform headwalls. This project was constructed during the pandemic, but the team reduced the pre-pandemic schedule by three months.