Wednesday, 7 October 2020
www.TheObserver.com
Vol. CXXXIII, No. 22
MORE ON THE INSIDE Not willing to mail your ballot in using the USPS? There are plenty of drop boxes to use See Page 5
BELLEVILLE • BLOOMFIELD • EAST NEWARK • HARRISON • KEARNY • LYNDHURST • NORTH ARLINGTON • NUTLEY
After years of work & delays, the new Wittpenn Bridge is finally
UNGAPPED
By Kevin Canessa kc@theobserver.com
I
t’s taken much longer than initially expected. But the new Wittpenn Bridge that links Kearny to Jersey City is one step closer to becoming a reality. The New Jersey Department of Transportation last week installed a unique bridge deck for the new
Route 7/Wittpenn Bridge, marking a major milestone in the construction of a new vertical lift bridge to replace the existing bridge. The Wittpenn Bridge over the Hackensack River project is completely replacing the existing bridge with a new, wider vertical lift bridge, doubling the vertical clearance over the Hackensack River from 35-feet to 70-feet, resulting in
fewer openings and less congestion. The Orthotropic Deck for the new bridge was lifted into place over three days last week using one of the largest crane barges in the country. The deck was constructed in three sections, one section lifted into place each day over three days. The NJDOT’s contractor, CCA Civil, Inc., is currently bolting steel
connectors to join the three deck sections, along with the end floor beams, to make one complete lift span unit. Later this month, the full, new deck will be connected to the lift span cables. This is the first time this innovative type of deck has been used in New Jersey. It was manufactured See WITTPENN, Page 19
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In November 1999, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I was in terrible shock, but I knew I had to remain calm for my children. My health was always very well and I didn’t have a family history of this disease. I am very grateful because I had tremendous support from my mother, sisters, family, friends. My husband's love was unconditional and my children were my greatest supporters. For about three years after my diagnosis, I had been wondering how to help other survivors. Sixteen years ago for the first time in Kearny, we kicked off the "Tie a Ribbon" campaign, thanks to our Mayor Alberto G. Santos and councilmembers, Deb Belfatto, the former Executive Director of the Susan G. Komen North Jersey affiliate, Lisa Feorenzo of The Observer, Rosemary Dressler (former volunteer director of West Hudson Hospital), survivors, volunteers and family. Since 2005, we have been doing "Tie a Ribbon" in East Newark and Harrison, now with a great support of Minette's Angels Foundation and the Lucy Angel Foundation. As a breast cancer survivor, I learned keeping a positive attitude is a way to overcome any challenge. I use affirmations and uplifting messages every day, and of course, I am still dancing. Remember: "Life isn’t about what happens to you — it’s about how you handle what happens."- Emma Quintana/Kearny
Join us for a ribbon cutting, 11 a.m., Oct. 17 at Kearny Town Hall