10/31/2007:

With Halloween festivities just about over, that means the two-month Holiday frenzy is about to begin.

Now’s a better time than ever to start identifying various organizations in need.

Holiday is a Time for Giving

The Holidays are fast approaching and 411 is putting together a list of Holiday volunteer opportunities in Hoboken. Many people do not receive a holiday bonus to share with the less fortunate, but can happily spare time to stuff stockings, mail Christmas cards to the troops or serve soup to the hungry. They just don’t know how to get started. So I thought it would be helpful to have one resource connect potential volunteers with the Hoboken or Hudson County organization that best suits their interests. Please email hoboken411@gmail.com with your organization’s needs or register and post a comment below.

Please include the the following in your request:

• Organization’s contact information,
• brief mission statement,
• number of volunteers needed,
• dates of service (i.e., 11/22 only; 11/1-12/31; anytime),
• amount of time the service would involve,
• and what skills, if any, are necessary.

Readers can also go on volunteermatch.com for other opportunities outside of Hudson County.

Happy Holidays!

Hoboken, Volunteer, Holidays, Helping Hand

10/31/2007:

I thought he’d have a “Halloween” submission, but it’s fun nonetheless.

By T.G. Heins:

Hoboken, Hobotown, Cartoon series, T G Heins

10/31/2007:

Ok, you’ve seen all the entries, now it’s time to vote.

Here’s the links:

Entry 1
Entry 2
Entry 3
Entry 4

Try to judge the submissions based on the following criteria: Quality of photos, Quality of subjects in photos, and the writeup. Vote for what you think is the “best overall” submission.

Remember 1st prize is a 10-week training session at Club KO. 2nd & 3rd prizes are (2) personal training sessions at Club KO. 4th place prize is some kind of gift certificate from a Hoboken business.

Hoboken, Hunt, Far Hills, Far Hills Race Meeting, Club KO

10/31/2007:

Coinciding with the Pepto Bismol sale they’re running at CVS, Texas BBQ will be open tomorrow. Who’s having pulled pork for Thanksgiving this year?

8/28/2007 Update:

Stopped by and updated the picture today. I asked workers on scene when they expected it’d be open. One of them said “Very quickly. Maybe one or two weeks”. Take that with a grain of salt and a side of sauce.

Oh, they also serve breakfast..

8/22/2007 Update:

Almost a year since the old Mediterranean Grill & Pizza doomed itself out of business, a new joint is ready to take it’s place. “Texas BBQ”. I wonder if it’s the same owners as Texas Arizona, and if so, they sure were lucky to have Texas in their name. What a brand they’d be building! What could be next? Texas Lexus of Hoboken? Texas Massage? Texas Realty?

I’m sure some readers are excited, as “Texas BBQ” is surely poised to compete with Joey’s BBQ uptown. Joey isn’t so lucky because if he decided to open a bar called “Joey Arizona” it would sound pretty stupid.

Since BBQ is becoming a giant hit here in Hoboken, here’s some future possibilities, promotions and BBQ style product offerings we can see in our future. What can you add?

• For the kids: “Pulled Pork Waffle Cones”
• Health and Beauty: “Texas BBQ Gravy Scented Massage Oil”
• For the carnival: “Ribs and Pulled Pork Clown Dunking Tank”
• A merger and gambling addition: “Texas Hold ‘Em Joey”
• A slogan: “Is that pulled pork in your hand, or are you just happy to see me?”
• If they have a liquor license: “Pork Shiraz Wine Tasting Night”
• Home improvements: “Ralph Lauren Barbeque Sauce colored ceiling paint”
• If they add spa services: “BBQ rotisserie steam room”

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

Hoboken, Mediterranean Grill, doomed, texas BBQ

10/31/2007:

Last but not least, is “Stpaddygirl’s” Hunt entry. Voting will start shortly.

Hunt Entry #4

On Saturday October 20, The Far Hills Race Meeting an eighty-seven year old tradition was held at Moorland Farms. The Far Hills Race showcases some of the finest steeplechasers in the world. “The Hunt” as it is more commonly known is one of the country’s top fundraisers and brings together a “well heeled” group of people for a day of both steeple chasing and tailgating. More than 50,000 spectators attend the event which since the 1950’s has raised more than $16 million dollars for the Somerset Medical Center.

Read the rest of her entry, and see her nutty timeline after the jump. How could you survive that day?

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

Hoboken, Hunt, Far Hills, Far Hills Race Meeting, Club KO

10/31/2007:

Here’s “Johnnyeye’s” entry from the Hunt. Voting will begin after the 4th submission is posted.

Hunt Entry #3

WAANNHHH, WAANNHH!! The alarm sounded with a roar. Unusually, for a Saturday–but today was different–the Hunt was here! Scrambled to the shower, bleary-eyed, got ready in a flash because the train, like time, waits for no man. It had been a couple of years since I had been (remember the cold mist and mud?) and I got the station at 9:02 for the 9:05 Far Hills Express–more like the Far Hills Stop At EVERY FRIGGIN’ STATION. I find out on the train that it will be 90 minutes until I even have a remote chance of breakfast. I settled in for a long ride.

Get the rest of the day’s details after the jump

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

Hoboken, Hunt, Far Hills, Far Hills Race Meeting, Club KO

10/31/2007:

Here’s Kathleen’s entry (a poem!) from the Hunt. Voting will begin after the 4th submission is posted.

Hunt Entry #2 (a poem)

We began our Hunt journey about 4 weeks ago.
As first time Hunt attendees we weighed our options and decided to go.

For $88 per person we called plots 1261 and 1262 our homes ALL day long.
We met at Hobson’s at 8:15 to purchase coffee, bagels and create our “drinking song”

Once aboard the NJT Express Train
We began to drink while others napped and some began to show their pain

Continue reading the rest of her poem and see the other photos after the break.

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

Hoboken, Hunt, Far Hills, Far Hills Race Meeting, Club KO

10/31/2007 Update:

It’s OFFICIAL! The light is now in full service. I guess that accident yesterday made them finally pull the switch. Come back here later to discuss how it’s affected traffic downtown.

10/26/2007:

“We have ignition!”

A reader send this blurry clip in of the freshly powered up traffic signal at the intersection of Newark & Hudson. It’s just “blinking” red & yellow now (I guess to acclimate drivers of the pending signal.. like they didn’t know it was sitting there for months already).

See previous updates and reader mail below…

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

Hoboken, Traffic Signal

10/31/2007:

Here’s “KC’s” recap and photos from the Hunt. Voting will begin after the 4th submission is posted.

Hunt Entry #1

Removed at request of contest participant.

Hoboken, Hunt, Far Hills, Far Hills Race Meeting, Club KO

10/31/2007:

I knew it’d be hard to give fun stuff away. Out of the whopping 8 entries received for the Hunt contest, only 4 were valid (pictures & a recap of the day).

So rather than try to “judge” the entries, I’ll publish them individually for you all to read, and will have a poll after you’ve had a chance to read them. And so the “4th Place” entry doesn’t feel bad, I’ll have a prize for them, too. Everyone wins!

PS, I may make the contests less complicated in the future. Like “100th caller” wins the prize. But I don’t have a radio show, and we use a computers, not phones. So that won’t work. Oh whatever, I’ll figure it out. More fun contests coming…

10/18/2007:

Let’s see how difficult it’ll be to give away over $500 worth of Club KO gift certificates!

Far Hills Race Meeting

Calling all readers attending this years hunt!

Hoboken411 is not attending the 2007 Far Hills Race Meeting on Saturday, October 20th, because besides it being my Birthday Weekend, I also have prior obligations (with some much deserved rest & relaxation too). I’ve had good times at previous events (which many call a glorified tailgate party), and other times it’s been downright horrible and painful.

In the past, some days were beautiful and warm, some were cold, rainy and a big mess. At this time, the current Accuweather forecast says: “Partly Sunny & breezy, around 69 degrees”. But there is a good chance there will be some thunderstorm activity the night before and into the morning, so you might want to be prepared for a little muddy action.

What do I have to do?

Hoboken411 wants your pictures from this years event if you’re going. You can win a Club KO membership, or gift certificates for private kickboxing sessions. All you need to do is submit a compelling & fun recount of what your day was like, along with supporting pictures.

Good, bad or ugly, I want them all! From jovial good times, to drunken nightmares, bring your cameras and try and remember what happened. From how you got there (train, bus, car) to what you did all day (drink, fall, cry) and how you got back (wiped out, vomited, hooked-up, passed out). Try and document as much as possible from start to end.

How do I win?

Submit photos and write-ups to: Hoboken411@gmail.com. I’ll then review all submissions (with a little help from some judges) and announce the winners by the end of the month.

What can I win?

Grand Prize Winner wins a ten week Club KO program (valued at $399), which is unlimited kickboxing classes, one day a week HIT training (High Intensity Weight Training), nutrition plan, and coaching throughout the process. People generally lose about 5% body fat.

2nd & 3rd consolation prizes - two Club KO personal kickboxing training sessions (valued at $90).

What if no one enters?

Well, that’s a possibility, as I have no idea how many 411 readers attend this event. Plus some folks might be afraid of getting into shape. If that happens, we’ll save the prizes for another contest.

Here’s some random photos from previous years.

More below:

[Click to continue reading the rest….]

Hoboken, Hunt, Far Hills, Far Hills Race Meeting, Club KO