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My Best of 2023 in Photojournalism

Posted in On Assignment,Photojournalism

Before January comes to a close, here are my favorite images that I’ve taken for The Jersey Journal newspaper from 2023. If you would like to see more, here are photos from previous years: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009. Thanks for looking!

WEST NEW YORK, N.J., FEB. 8, 2023 — A rainbow appeared as firefighters put out hotspots after battling a five-alarm blaze which tore through a row of businesses on Bergenline Avenue, between 61st and 62nd streets. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., JAN. 9, 2023 — Babco building services workers picketed outside Columbus Towers to protest the company’s alleged unfair labor practices. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
NORTH BERGEN, N.J., JAN. 26, 2023 — Portrait of North Bergen High School seniors C.J. King and Jazzlynn Vargas, and art teacher Steven Defendini who were forced to withdraw from the Junk Kouture competition in the United Arab Emirates because of country’s ‘cross-dressing’ laws. Just 30 minutes before showtime, the North Bergen teens were informed by the contest organizers that a UAE government inspection deemed the outfit they created as “inappropriate” because C.J., a boy, would be walking the dress down the runway. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
UNION CITY, N.J., FEB. 7, 2023 — Marilyn Tomasso, founder and owner of Manhattan Neon Sign Corporation which relocated to 208 Paterson Plank Rd. after being displaced by a fire at the Hoboken Chambord buildings, stands on a neon sign which reads, “The Story Continues.” (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., FEB. 15, 2023 — BelovED Community Charter School teachers and aides, who have worked closely with slain kindergarten teacher Luz Hernandez, hugged each other after placing roses on the hearse which stopped at the school on its way to the cemetery. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., FEB. 15, 2023 — Ryan Valli of Kearny competed in the Hudson County King & Queen bowling all-star meet at Hudson Lanes. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 1, 2023 — Portrait of Natee Lambert of Greenville Arts, who runs his gallery in a house he also rents out as an Airbnb. His artwork are displayed in every room. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 8, 2023 — Residents, staff and administrators of Peace Care St. Joseph’s in Jersey City celebrate the 104th birthday of Juanita Portugues with cake, and citations and proclamations from city and county officials. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 16, 2023 — A man shot video of the Statue of Liberty from Liberty State Park. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., MARCH 23, 2023 — Pitcher Jassiah Vega of Ferris warmed up before the first inning of a baseball scrimmage with Linden at Caven Point’s Ed “Faa” Ford Athletic Complex. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 11, 2023 — On a dry, windy day, firefighters battled a seven-alarm brush fire which originated from a paper recycling plant then jumped the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail tracks and the Newark Bay-Hudson County Turnpike Extension into areas of trees and grass. Given the location, firefighters had trouble getting water on the fire. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 HOBOKEN, N.J., APRIL 3, 2023 — Boys with the Hoboken Little League minor team warmed up during practice on the newly opened Northwest Resiliency Park multi-purpose athletic field. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Girls with the Hoboken RBI Coach Pitch practiced on the newly opened Northwest Resiliency Park multi-purpose athletic field. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 13, 2023 — Varsity girls competed in the discus throw during the first day of the Hudson County Relays at Lincoln Park. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 NORTH BERGEN, N.J., APRIL 21, 2023 — Hundreds of Muslims prayed at James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park in celebration of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. The event was organized by the North Hudson Islamic Educational Center in Union City. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Women and a child arrived in colorful attire to the Eid al-Fitr celebration. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., APRIL 24, 2023 — His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the King of Akyem Abuakwa (Ghana), second from left, arrived with his entourage at St. Peter’s University where he addressed students, faculty, and other esteemed members of the SPU community in The Duncan Family Sky Room in the MacMahon Student Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
KEARNY, N.J., MAY 17, 2023 — Filled with emotion, April Rice hugged her mother Rosa Aiken as her sister Gigi wiped away tears, after she graduated with an associate degree from Hudson County Community College while in custody at the Hudson County Corrections & Rehabilitation Center in Kearny through the Academic Workforce Pathway Program. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., MAY 19, 2023 — Portrait of Gisele Alicea at Pier 63, the current mother of the House of Xtravaganza. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 1, 2023 — Pre-K students dressed up as elderly people for the centennial celebration of Rafael De J. Cordero Community School. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 2, 2023 — Portrait of India Edwards, 104, and her two daughters, Sondra, left, and India, at her Glenwood Avenue home. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 7, 2023 — An orange smoky haze from the Canadian wildfires hung over Journal Square. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 HOBOKEN, N.J., JUNE 7, 2023 — A woman jogged on the Pier A Park waterfront walkway as a smoky haze from the Canadian wildfires obscured the New York City skyline. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 A smoky haze from the Canadian wildfires filtered the afternoon sun over the Hoboken Terminal. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
BAYONNE, N.J., JUNE 8, 2023 — Sunspots were visible on the rising sun filtered by smoke from the Canadian wildfires. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
HOBOKEN, N.J., JUNE 12, 2023 — Grace Stratton, 3, played at the new ResilienCity Park at 12th and Adams streets which officially opened on this day. Her father, Caleb Stratton, is the city’s chief resilience officer. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/4 JERSEY CITY, N.J., JUNE 15, 2023 — Dominic Georges pumped his fist in the air as he walked in the processional during the graduation ceremony at A. Harry Moore School, a school for students with disabilities. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/4 Teacher Karyn Alexander wiped away tears as she watched a photo slideshow of the graduates during the A. Harry Moore School graduation ceremony. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
3/4 The family of graduate Dominic Georges cheered him on at the conclusion of the A. Harry Moore School graduation ceremony. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
4/4 Rachel Quimbayo received a kiss at the conclusion of the A. Harry Moore School graduation ceremony. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
BAYONNE, N.J., JUNE 20, 2023 — Members of the Bayonne fire and police departments were decontaminated after responding to a hazmat incident on East 32nd Street. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 SECAUCUS, N.J., JUNE 22, 2023 — Hudson County Schools of Technology graduates cheer at the end of the graduation ceremony for High Tech High School/ACTE Class of 2023 at the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Hudson County Schools of Technology graduates hugged at the end of the graduation ceremony for High Tech High School/ACTE Class of 2023 at the Frank J. Gargiulo Campus. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 BAYONNE, N.J., JUNE 23, 2023 — Funeral for Mickey McCabe, founder of Bayonne’s first ambulance service, at St. Vincent de Paul Church. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Funeral for Mickey McCabe, founder of Bayonne’s first ambulance service, at St. Vincent de Paul Church. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
HOBOKEN, N.J., JULY 18, 2023 — Maria Castaño watched as her son Alan, 4, shushed his newborn baby brother Kylian who was born almost a month early at the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehwken, and brought over to Hoboken University Medical Center. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
BAYONNE, N.J., JULY 19, 2023 — From left to right, Cole Klimkowski, 6, Hudson Montuori, 8, and Chase Klimkowski, 9, played in a water sprinkler during the Bayonne Recreation Summer Camp at Veterans Stadium. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 BAYONNE, N.J., JULY 20, 2023 — An officer with the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office performed a K-9 demonstration during the Bayonne PAL’s third annual Law Enforcement Day at the Bayonne PAL Day Care Center located at Midtown Community School. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Kids reacted as the N.J. State Police performed a helicopter flyover during the Bayonne PAL’s third annual Law Enforcement Day. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 1, 2023 — Eight high school students, four from Jersey City, are greeted by their parents at Urban Paddle after completing a 15-day, 390-mile human-powered traverse of the Hudson River. Sarah Jacobson, of Los Angeles, mother of Brady, 16, holds up a poster as other parents cheer for the homecoming expedition team. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Eight high school students, four from Jersey City, and their guides raised their paddles in the air as they arrived at Urban Paddle after completing a 15-day, 390-mile human-powered traverse of the Hudson River. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
HOBOKEN, N.J., AUG. 17, 2023 — Perla Serra, 82, played pickle ball at the Southwest Pop-Up Park in Hoboken. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 24, 2023 — Children dressed in national attire sat on the steps of City Hall during the Ukraine Independence Day flag-raising ceremony. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 18, 2023 — The large prayer room in a mosque under construction at 530 Montgomery St. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 29, 2023 — Vigil for Andrew “Drew” Jerome Washington, a mentally ill man who was fatally shot by Jersey City police at his home on Randolph Avenue on Aug. 27 after moving toward them with a knife. Residents and elected officials are calling on the city to implement a mental health crisis response program that was approved by the city council last year. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Vigil for Andrew “Drew” Jerome Washington, a mentally ill man who was fatally shot by Jersey City police at his home on Randolph Avenue on Aug. 27 after moving toward them with a knife. Residents and elected officials are calling on the city to implement a mental health crisis response program that was approved by the city council last year. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., AUG. 30, 2023 — A rare blue supermoon rose behind the Statue of Liberty as seen from Liberty State Park. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 11, 2023 — The Jersey City Fire Department flew a giant U.S. flag in view of One World Trade Center shrouded in fog during the annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony along the waterfront on the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Jersey City firefighters bowed their heads in prayer during the annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony along the waterfront on the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 19, 2023 — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services welcomed 35 new citizens, including Joao Machado who was overcome with emotion, during a special naturalization ceremony at the Liberty State Park Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Machado is a Newark resident who immigrated from Brazil. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services welcomed 35 new citizens, including Elizabeth resident Roberto Alcantara who immigrated from the Dominican Republic, seen here being hugged by his wife, Emilee Gallo, during a special naturalization ceremony at the Liberty State Park Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal in celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
HOBOKEN, N.J., SEPT. 22, 2023 — Attracting curious onlookers, a puppet called The Heap walked the streets of Hoboken making stops at local businesses along the way, from its home at The Monroe Center for the Arts to the Hoboken Historical Museum where it became a part of an exhibit from Sept. 24 to Nov. 3. The Heap, which was designed and controlled by Paul Andrejco, was created by the team at Puppet Heap, a design and production studio that has designed and created characters for film and television including “The Daily Show” and “The Muppets.” Here, people follow The Heap as he crosses Washington Street. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., OCT. 31, 2023 — NJCU, together with Jersey City’s fire and police departments, hosted “Frightfully Country: A Spooktacular Halloween Celebration” for A. Harry Moore School students which included a flash mob dance. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., NOV. 8, 2023 — Portrait of Maryellen McLaughlin, executive director of McLaughlin Funeral Home who said she made the decision to close the family-run funeral home after 93 years with “a heavy heart.” (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., NOV. 9, 2023 — Former Gov. Jim McGreevey spoke to reporters after he announced at a press conference at the El Labor Del Cafe restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that he is running for mayor. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Supporters held campaign signs for former Gov. Jim McGreevey outside the El Labor Del Cafe restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive where McGreevey announced he is running for mayor. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., NOV. 9, 2023 — Grand opening day for Jersey City’s first Whole Foods Market.
2/2 A woman shopped with her dog during the grand opening day for Jersey City’s first Whole Foods Market. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., NOV. 10, 2023 — Waves of fiery clouds hovered over Downtown Jersey City as seen from Newark Avenue at sunset. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
BAYONNE, N.J., NOV. 13, 2023 — The ELCO (Electric Launch Company) crane at Rutkowski Park. A resolution passed by the Bayonne Historic Preservation Commission in late September recommended the crane that helped launch vessels built for the U.S. Navy during World War II be designated a historic landmark. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
BAYONNE, N.J., NOV. 11, 2023 — The sun set over Newark Bay as seen from Bayonne. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., NOV. 15, 2023 — Portrait of Jersey-city based artist Alvin Pettit with a clay model of his winning design for Philadelphia’s Harriet Tubman monument entitled “A Higher Power: The Call of a Freedom Fighter.” Behind him at left are clay models of his other monumental sculptures including educator and philanthropist Mary McLeod Bethune and iconic singer Marian Anderson. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 WEST NEW YORK, NOV. 22, 2023 — Sorianny Vasquez saluted police officers upon arrival at West New York town hall where Mayor Albio Sires, town officials and the WNYPD surprised the six-year old, who is battling a critical illness, by fulfilling her Make-A-Wish Dream of being a police officer for a day on (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Officer Sorianny Vasquez made a mock arrest of a bag snatcher with her partner Officer Melissa Veloz, center. The “victim” was played by Det. Julissa Guzman, right. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
WEST NEW YORK, N.J., NOV. 24, 2023 — A police officer stood guard in the aftermath of a three-alarm fire on Bergenline Avenue at 53rd Street. The fire broke out Thanksgiving night. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 1, 2023 — Teacher Tracy Nimon let her students play with a Hoberman Sphere toy during the International Person’s with Disabilities Day Open House at A. Harry Moore School. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
1/2 JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 7, 2023 — Hudson County held a holiday tree lighting ceremony inside the William J. Brennan Courthouse. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
2/2 Hudson County held a holiday tree lighting ceremony inside the William J. Brennan Courthouse. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 7, 2023 — Schools Superintendent Norma Fernandez, center, and PATH Director/General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe, unveiled the grand prize winner of the 34th annual Holiday Poster Contest inside a train car at the PATH Journal Square Station. Marisol Ramirez, left, an eighth grader at Middle School 7, was the artist behind the winning poster. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
JERSEY CITY, N.J., DEC. 11, 2023 — Portrait of Stephen McIntyre, owner of Iron Monkey bar and restaurant, which is closing on New Year’s Eve after nearly 30 years in business. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
NORTH BERGEN, N.J., DEC. 12, 2023 — Cleanup began after a rockslide at The Duchess at 7601 River Rd. damaged several cars. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)

by Reena

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