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BHS Marking Period 4 Honor Roll

Principal’s Honor Roll

Grade 9 – Miriam Kolta ElKomos, Cathryn Kuczynski, Lisbeth Mejia De La Cruz, Karolin Rezk
Grade 10 – George Attia, Britanny Figueroa Leon, Morin Frieg
Grade 11 – Isabella Attisano, Arsh Banerjee, Bavly Halaka, Daria Kukhar, Wanqi Li
Grade 12 – Mariyah Fatima, Jessica Garcia, Nora LaVilla, Danielle Zimny

First Honor Roll

Grade 9 – Demiana Abdalla, Angel Abdelaziz, Joyce Abdelmissih, Gira Abdou, Elaria Abdy, Kiara Abreu, Hezekiah Adams, Youstina Adly, Kirollos Agaybe, Aliza Ahmed, Isabella Alvarez, Angel Alvarez San Inocencio, David Amin, Rozan Armanious, Mariam Ashmalla, Anas Baal, Mueez Baig, Brandon Barboza, Julianna Basily, Mark Basta, Melanie Bello Juarez, Richard Bukowski, Mikayla Carrillo, Samantha Castro, Paul Cedillo Carchi, Michelle Chen, Brayden Cotter, Mercedes Cruz, Blesson Daniel, Cris Daoud, Gianna Dobra, Khadejah Fatima, Minatallah Fattouh, Megan Feeley, Caitlin Feeley, Katarzyna Filipkowski, Dylan Follmer, Cathrine Gabrail, Aghaby Gallab, Illiana Garcia, Anthony Gebraeil, Robert Geisler, Abanoub Gendy, Ashley German Magallanes, Maria Ghaly, Marcel Gomes, Asiyah Hafeez, Antonio Hallenbeck, Sammy Hamze, Jessica Heaney, Juliana Henao Cordoba, Eric Huang, Peter Huaynate, Maura Hundley, Angelina Ignatenko, Giacomo Incannila, Daniel Jedrzejczyk, Katiya Jenkins, Sean Klores, Jacob Kowal, Ryan Kroun, Amanda Kruchkowski, Polina Kukhar, Faith Lapinski, Mikal Leighton, Ashley Lin, Hana Mohamed, Rebecca Mosquera, Cindy Mungroo, Edilly Nunez, Israel Olivas, Simon Orellana Cruz, Sohom Pal, Jennifer Palacios Flores, Cameron Pearson, Michael Pellegrino, Sebastian Posluszny, Sidrah Rafaqat, Sarah Rafie, Ariel Rankin, Marina Rezkalla, Jumana Rizk, Christian Rodriguez, Tiana Rosario, Karla Rosario, Natalia Rutkowska, Ashley Sandhu, Aneesa Santiago, Randell Sarrosa, Maria Seif, Sara Shaalan, Syed Shahid, Timothy Sim, Lesbia Steuth-Candalaria, Asmaa Taalba, Maximo Tiu Cua, Marcus Torres, Reese Trowbridge, Crystal Trujillo, Nebula Vidal, Youanna Wiesa, Amir Wissa, Daye Xue, Angela Youannas, Daryl Young, Madison Zabnicki, Mariam Zaki, Michelle Zimny

Grade 10 – Christeen Abdelshahied, Jovanna Abdou, Rashed Abousetta, Alexis Aiello, Grace Alfonso, Sandra Aniss, Yailin Arroyo, Hammad Ashraf, Samantha Baez, Maimouna Barry, Sandra Bishara, Aaiz Butt, Maggie Caley, Ione Casais, Lisbeth Cerda, David Collins, Jaezlene Cornielle, Kaela Costanzo, Loriebel Dalina, Liliana DeMoya, Alexander Diaz, Lylah Diaz, Jenna Downey, Maysoon Elzanfali, Sara Ferdji, Angelina Figueroa, Samantha Galano, Kyrillos Georgy, Eva Girgis, Eriny Girgis, Tae Hyun Gu, Marc Angelo Gumangan, Michael Hanley, Adham Hassan, Dylan Hedler, Gesselle Hernandez, Mary Kalds, Chowon Kim, Vilease King, Sandra Lawndy, Edwyn Lopez, Tuchau Ly, Ashanty Manzo Salas, Emily Martinez, Youssef Marzouk, Owen Morales, Kaitlyn Murphy, Kelly Murphy, Simon Nashed, Michael Nashed, Karen Ni, Savannah Nosal, Victoria Nowak, Caroline O’Rourke, Alexander Ogando, Jazlynn Olea, Maxine Onkoba, Yash Parikh, Denise Payumo, Herbert Paz-Bautista, Brianne Peralta, Cristal Perez, David Uriel Perez, Anisa Powell, Emilie Puja, Angela Ragheb, Victoria Ramkelawan, Emily Ramos, Christina Reid, Alissa Rivera, Jeyline Rodriguez, Alyssa Rozario, Thomas Saleh, Amanda Shi, Madison Stefaniak, Patryk Swierzbinski, Kaisha Tingman, Alysa Vega, Seif Youssef, Chu Ming Zheng

Grade 11 – Kevin Aguilar, Keyla Almonte Vasquez, Benyamin Anton, Yanibel Arias, Joseph Arrigo, Hareem Awan, Mariam Bawy, Ahmad Bhutta, Jatna Brito Arambulo, Lauren Burghardt, Jose Cabrera, Jessica Capitano, Alba Castillo, Leonardo Cieslik, Joshua Clifton, Brian Cotter, Tristram Dacayan, Habiba Desouky, Brandon Diaz, Greuly Diaz, Jonathon Drake, Dominique Egalite, Shehab Elbadawi, Iman Elfadaly, Yaheya Elsaid, Safa Elzanfali, Emily Enriquez Lopez, Skarlett Estevez, Caroline Estfanos, Anthony Figueroa Leon, George Gaber, Iris Garcia, Sophia Garcia, Joseph Garilao, Rhiza Gavino, Marina George, Julianna Giornalista, Cindy Gonzalez Munoz, Christina Hanna, Yiree Hernandez, Zuri Hines, Brianna Hoffmann, David Humen, Justin Hunt, Shady Kamel, Kristina Kuckailis, Ahmed Lack, Cindy Le, Victoria Legregin, Milton Machuca Chavez, Sofia Marino, Daniel McAuliffe, Maria Melendez, Eduarda Mendoza Galarraga, Carlos Miranda, Erin Murphy, Makayla Myers, Harris Naqvi, Sarah Nemiri, Jayde O’Neill, Xavier Oyola, Jaquan Pakeera, Kristina Patel, Cavan Perera, Jada Phillips, Altagracia Pimentel-Vasquez, Briana Prout, Jan Quimpo, Xenia Ramirez, Daniel Robinson, Francisco Rodas, Jada Rodriguez, Adam Sakowicz, Peter Samaan, Humza Sandhu, Diorys Savinon, Emily Schumann, Khadija Shahzad, Alexus Sims, Indarjeet Singh, Danny Thai, Stephanie Toruno, Pamela Valdez, Nicholas Valencia, Trang Van, Feliciana Vargas, Alexander Wu, Daniele Yohannan, Arianna Yurek

Grade 12 – Marielys Abraham Reyes, Frankely Acosta Mendoza, Yomna Ali, Zanab Aziz, Casey Baquero, Juan Miguel Belamide, Destiny Bowens, Landy Brito Valerio, Matthew Brown, Vincent Calderone, Alex Camacho, Deven Camacho, Wilson Castillo, Julien Castro, Maria Cavero Munoz, Talia Charles, Ashley Clark, Jose Clase Ruiz, Nicholas Crescenzo, Kassandra Cruz, Tyra Cruz, Mariekler Cruz-Nunez, Victoria Cuevas, Nada Daoud, Angel Davis, Arlinda Dervishaj, Ehrin Dix, Isabelle Egalite, Maria El Saker, Youssef Elsemein, Carolle Espinili, Anna Filipkowski, Haley Fiuza, Kira Flores Murillo, Cristina Garay, Michelle Garcia, Usstina Ghattas, Ana Guerra Martinez, Alexander Hicks, Catherine Hill, James Hodkinson, Kara Jozwiak, Andres Juarez, David Juarez, Jozaven Kalds, Meryvn Keronche, Amad Khan, Athena Lambos, Alexios Lambos, Frances LaVilla, Kevin Lazaro-Vazquez, Alyssa Lopez, Amaya Loyal-Benton, Julisa Luise, Julissa Machin, Patricia Maldonado Romero, Ethan Kyle Malinao, Sara Massoud, Ryan McNamara, Giancarlo Megale, Melissa Mena, Filip Milkowski, Arman Moazampour, Alice Montes, Destiny Morelli, Sarra Nasim, Sabrina Nezaj, Alisa Novembrino, Kaia Orange, Melissa Ouhocine, Nahim Oukpedjo, Betty Paniagua, Mia Pepe, Angel Perez, Alicia Powell, Shantal Proano, Franchesca Quinonez, Cindy Ramdat, Vito Rizzi, Jacob Rodriguez, Melanie Sagun, Bryan Sanchez, Evangelina Sandoval, Isabel Santiago, Maria Schirta, Cyril Shenouda, Christopher Silva, Katherine Silven Rodriguez, Carina Spanski, Vincent Squitieri, Rosalia Suzana Mejia, Christopher Torres, Melanie Uraga, Gina Vaccaro, Eiliana Vargas, Lixsi Vazquez, Casey White, Shelby Williams, Emma Wodzanowski

Second Honor Roll

Grade 9 – Sherif Abadir, Charles Acosta, Manal Ahmed, Ashley Alvarez, Christopher Arias, Taylor Arrigo, Maikel Ashmalla, Karletta Austin, Angel Barker, Martin Betances, Khadija Bibi, Abanob Boles, Allyson Bourdoin, Michelle Bravo, Lee Akxel Brito Rosario, Victoria Caal, Micaela Caballero, Angel Caceres Umanzor, Daniela Carriel Reinoso, Alex Casais, Nicholas Cazenave, Christopher Conyers, Leiny Cordero, Christine Dahshan, Joseph Demmy, Zephora Despi, Yousra Dridi, Leo Duran, Somaia Elokda, Miguel Escalona, Monica Eskander, Rawan Gad, Ashly Garcia Perez, Melina Garcia Santana, Glenisha George, Mrmr Gerges, Kiara German, Silvana Ghattas, Crystal Gonzalez, Ava Goralski, Amy Graziosi, Jonathan Gurgus, Kasper Hooks, Siarra Howell, Maria Ishak, Mirna Ishaq, Christine Iskander, Ryan Jacobs, AAsis Jaura, Julian Kelly-Valerio, Kevin Kimball, Brandon Kobryn, Kacey Lewis, Jayden Lopez Sanchez, Victor Manjarrez, Olivia Marcano, Esmeralda Martinez, Gabriella Megale, Juliana Mendoza, Steven Mendoza-Rodriguez, Jerimayah Motino, Olivia Moussa, Muhammad Mustafa, Jia Ni, Charlotte O’Hare, Arnold Ongiri, Bryan Ortiz, Julian Pagan, Gabriella Pagan, Evan Perea, Welikadage Perera, Julian Perez, Sean Samuel Pessinaba, Issak Rivera, Liyah Rodriguez, Itzel Rojas Veyta, Christian Rosalsky, Alyson Santiago, Mawa Sarr, Anthony Scifo, Aysheh Seif, Youstina Semaan, Joshua Singer, Rita Snaky, Isis Sookram, Genesis Torres, Alex Vazquez, Sara Vidal, Savanna Vitale, Hailey Walters, Jason Wiley, Sean Williams, Natalie Winters, Pavly Youssef, Ivan Zhu

Grade 10 – Lesly Abarua Bastista, Christina Agaybe, Mahima Aktar, Ibrahim Al-Nassir, Kaitlyn Anthony, Rachael Araujo, Mina Asaad, Abanoub Awad, Melania Awad, David Ayead, Mariam Aziz, Alexandra Baburov, Gorge Badros, Marina Bawy, Kiarrah Bishop, Kyrollos Boktor, Mario Boles, Olivia Cardona, Marvin Charles, Saad Chohan, Alanna Ciarlandini, Katelynn Cruz, Mina Dawood, Elisabeth Diaz Segura, Fernanda Dubon Suyen, Myranda Freire, Danielly Garcia, Mira Gendy, Gabriel George, Juliana Ghaly, Petra Ghaly, Gianna Giocoli, Aixa Gonzalez, Lori Graziosi, Thomas Grossi, Domenica Guaman Freire, Tashu Gupta, Abbas Hamze, Jenifer Hernandez, Jeninya Holley, Damon Lin, Dariel Lopez, Yandry Macias, Michael Malloy, Stacy Martinez, Jacqueline Mauricio, Quadirah Mc Daniel, Michael Meadows, Logan Mele, Carlos Melendez, Marina Milk, Alexander Montalvo, Katelyn Moody, Michael Nargi, Zeeshan Naveed, Kiara Opoku, Joshua Ozuna, Justin Padron, Izabella Pagan, Tamia Phillips, Richely Pujols Cadet, Mya Ramos, Ashley Ramos, Amber Rodriguez, Hailey Rodriguez, Sarah Roesinger, Kareem Saad, Ahmed Saed, Simral Sajid, Sabrina Santana, Fatimah Shaikh, Aaliyah Silva, Nicole Sosa Juarez, Xavier Sylvers, Melissa Tlatelpa, Christopher Treadwell, Chi Ho Tung, Raymond Urbanski, Dominick Velez, Isabella Vera, Natalie Villegas, Jacob Wachulec, Rylee Waldron, Destiny Walker, Sydney Weber, Dylan William, Brandon Wright, Rhianna Yagual Johnson, Maryam Yousaf, Sara Youssef, Maryam Zaky

Grade 11 – Ramy Abdellatif, Gina Ahmed, Samantha Alamo, Brianna Albuja Suarez, Muhammad Ali, Rafael Alvarez, Janaaron Aquino, Naya Arroyo, Abdel Awad, Fajr Baig, Starla Bamba, Brian Baranok, Mariam Beashay, Isabella Bilotta, Gracey Boutrus, Sophia Burns, Jason Castano, Alexa Castillo, Erin Cleary, Brianna Cruz, Haili D’Angelo, Makoye Diawara, Alyssa Domingues, Isabella Dominguez, Klara Eid, Nisrine Elidrissi, Mohamed Elsayed, Kermina Eskandar, Domenico Esposito, Jamila Fogoe, Amareese Forty, Michel Gaid, Zachary Gamboa, Ada Gamez Umanzor, Amy Ghaly, Krismely Gomera, Kellie Gonzalez, Amanda Guirguis, Tynea Hardy, James Henkel, Alexia Hernandez, Joustina Ibrahim, Hamza Iqbal, Martina Ishaq, Sara Kaldas Gerges, Maria Kamel, Job Khakula, Abdul Moueed Khan, Damaris Laureano, Francis LiButti, Michelle Lopez, Alejandra Lopez, Charlotte Lowery, Taina Luna, Jason Lyons, Affan Mahmood, Claudia Mendez, James Merrick, Amanda Morales, David Morkos, David Mossad, Sydney Murillo, Jennifer Nakhla, Nicholas Nolan, Mahnoor Nooman, Katlyn O’Donnell, Khristyna Osenenko, Sotiris Papakyriakou, Yesha Parikh, Sahil Parmar, Rhemie Beatrix Patiak, Sara Petrowski, Dylon Podlinski, Melanie Reyes, Jonathan Rivera, Katherine Rodriguez, Jeraldine Rodriguez Blanco, Gianella Rosado, Anthony Salaverria, Fayez Saleh, Alexander Sandoval, Elaine Santos, Donald Savo, Gia Simmons, Maksim Sokolov, Fagr Soliman, Samantha Soto, Gisi Tarabolsi, Gianna Thomas, Alexandra Toczynski, Tah’ Shaun Townes, Andrea Urruchurto, Betsy Valencia, Tysona White, Jousiph Yakoub, Dylan Yeung

Grade 12 – Anthony Abdelmessih, Lauretta Alicea-Wohltman, Justin Almanzar, Erick Alvarado, Youanna Amir, Iman Ashraf, Joseph Astalos, Alejandra Avendano, Zachary Balint, Matthew Baron, Kevin Bautista, Christiana Bayot, Rickhraj Boadnarine, Dylan Bourdoin, Jasmine Calder, Natalia Carchidi, Amy Castellon, Catherine Castellon, Gabriela Cruz, Ivan Dayle Cua, Gina Daddio, Emily Diaz, Rahnasia Dutton, Gianna Ferrari, Martina Hanna, Troy Hollingsworth, Eleni Houston, Alya Kamnaksh, Sarah Khalifeh, Sheyla Leonardini, Jenna Lozinak, Nathan Mazak-Rivera, Ermia Melika, Meghann Mock, Maria Moro, Amanda Munoz, Jessica Nilsen, Gebrielle Nono, Larisa Oldano, Giana Orlando, Christina Pallitto, Keesha Parikh, William Parsley, Paige Pfleger, Destinee Pitt, Dylan Porcelli, Alexander Preciado, Edson Quiroga Vera, Izabella Rodriguez, Helynn Rodriguez, Samantha Rozario, Alexie Marie Sabado, Kirolous Shenouda, Kermena Shenouda, Kameela Shoaib, Stanley Siminsky, Sonia Suarez Torres, Ashley Suthammanont, Austyn Torres, Jennifer Torres Ochoa, Joseph Vasallo, Andee Vidal, Kerolos Zakher

Bayonne Briefs

Frank Perrucci remembered as beloved citizen

When Frank Perrucci passed away on Dec. 27, Bayonne lost a man who cared deeply about his community and his country. Mayor James Davis spoke for us all when he wrote:

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of a Bayonne Legend…Frank Perrucci.  If there was one man that epitomized the Bayonne spirit, it was Frank. No parade or ceremony was complete without Frank. A leader of veterans groups and civic organizations, his smile and warmth was always sought out. Frank Perrucci exuded pride; Pride for his family, pride for his service, and pride for Bayonne. Frank served his nation in World War Two with both the Merchant Marines and the U.S. Army. After the war, Frank spent his life in service to this community. For the last few years, I have been lucky enough to enjoy monthly lunches with Frank because I truly enjoyed his company and friendship.

“Our city has lost another icon, but we are stronger because he was here! To Jean and the entire Perrucci family, please accept my deepest condolences on behalf of our entire city. Rest In Peace Frank; you will be greatly missed!”

Correction

In 2018, former Bayonne Police Chief Jim Sisk died at the age of 79. In our Year in Review issue, we incorrectly reported that it was Drew Sisk who had died. We sincerely regret the error and apologize for the confusion and stress this has caused the family and friends of Drew Sisk.

Priest rescued after heart attack causes crash

A local priest crashed his car into two parked cars on 29th Street and Avenue E due to a medical emergency, according to Edoardo Ferrante, Bayonne Office of Emergency Management Coordinator. The priest, Monsignor Francis Seymour, was rescued by first responders and transported to nearby Bayonne Medical Center on Saturday, Dec. 22.

First responders treated him with a defibrillator and transported him to Bayonne Medical Center.

Bayonne organizations receive legacy grant awards for 2018

Community Health Connections Foundation, Inc. (CHCF), founded in 2016, and the former Bayonne Visiting Nurse Association (BVNA), announced the distribution of grant money to four Legacy Foundation award winners for 2018. The Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation, Community Day Nursery, Madeline Fiadini LoRe Foundation and the Jersey City-based Hudson Hospice.

Community Health Connections Foundation supports programs designed to make communities in New Jersey healthy and supportive places to live. The foundation works to make ongoing progress in key areas while addressing access to care and connecting people in the community to proper nutrition, health education, maintenance, disease prevention for all ages, and patient and family support during acute and chronic physical and mental illness through end of life.

The Bayonne Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. (BVNA), founded in 1921, reorganized in 2016 to become a private grantmaking foundation.

Firefighters rescue dog from Newark Bay

Bayonne firefighters rescued a dog from Newark Bay on Sunday, Dec. 23, after receiving a call from John Donofrio lost the dog in the bay, according to the Bayonne Office of Emergency Management (BOEM).

Donofrio, who was visiting from Virginia, was walking a dog named Bella when the dog inexplicably dove over a bulkhead wall and down 12 feet into Newark Bay.

Bayonne firefighters Jeff Spengler and Pat McGrath lowered a ladder for Captain Scott McGimpsey to climb down and rescue “a very scared and cold Bella,” according to the BOEM.

Mighty microscopic marvels featured at LSC

They’re microscopic, mighty, and play a key role in life all over our planet, but microbes get a bad rap because some of them cause disease. In reality, the overwhelming majority are beneficial to us and essential to our survival. Liberty Science Center’s newest permanent interactive exhibit, Microbes Rule!, illuminates just how good microbes are.

Visitors will find themselves in a new state-of-the-art exhibit that uses an array of interactive stops to highlight exactly how these tiny organisms shape the world, protect us from pathogens, boost the immune system, help us detoxify, assist in digestion, and keep babies healthy.

“Microbes do important and essential work everywhere, from the deepest seas to the hottest deserts to inside our very own bodies,” said Paul Hoffman, LSC president and CEO. “They shape the world around us and keep us healthy. These mighty microbes deserve to be in the spotlight.”

LSC is supporting an initiative to make Streptomyces griseus the official state microbe of New Jersey. To sign LSC’s change.org petition to help support the state’s vote and celebrate New Jersey as a pioneer in scientific and medical innovation, visit https://www.change.org/p/vote-for-the-official-state-microbe.

N.J. joins multi-state anti-drilling lawsuit

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced that the state has joined a multi-state lawsuit in an attempt to prevent offshore drilling. Grewal and the deputy director of the Department of Environmental Protection also seek to reverse the Trump administration’s decision in November to allow seismic testing for oil and natural gas reserves.

“Evidence shows the negative impact that seismic testing can have on marine mammals,” Deputy Environmental Protection Commissioner Debbie Mans told NJTV News.”We are an important migration corridor for federally endangered marine mammals and turtles. The impact of seismic air guns on whales and dolphins include behavioral changes like decreased feeding, avoidance of noise, stress and possible stranding.”

Mans and Grewal hope the seismic testing approval is reversed. Florida was exempted from offshore drilling earlier in 2018, while N.J.’s request was denied.

Measles outbreak in Ocean County climbs to 21 cases

There are now 21 confirmed cases of measles in Ocean County, and 10 more are under investigation, according to the NJ Department of Health. Three more confirmed cases are in Passaic County. The outbreak began on October 21, as a result of travel to Israel. According to the Jerusalem Post, a measles outbreak has affected more than 2,600 people and led to two deaths.

Key questions remain about NJ Transit funding

Though many politicians praised the NJ Transit reform bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in Summit on Dec. 20, crucial details remain up in the air, especially about the agency’s funding. Last year, Murphy pledged to launch a new source of revenue for NJ Transit. At the bill’s signing, Murphy said he would be “loath to make the commuter bear the burden.” He added that “it’s too early to tell” whether fares will rise after the committed freeze date, June 30, according to NJ Spotlight.

Tax amnesty program to NJ taxpayers ends Jan. 15

The New Jersey Division of Taxation is offering a limited-time opportunity for both individual taxpayers and corporations to file past tax returns and/or pay back taxes with no penalties and reduced interest, according to an announcement from John J. Ficara, director, Division of Taxation, N.J. Department of the Treasury.

The New Jersey Tax Amnesty program runs through Jan. 15, offering an opportunity for delinquent taxpayers to come into compliance and get a fresh start. Amnesty applies to individuals or businesses with outstanding tax filings or payments that are reportable on a tax return due on or after Feb. 1, 2009, and prior to Sept. 1, 2017.

Since Tax Amnesty is offered only until Jan. 15, taxpayers with an outstanding New Jersey tax liability are encouraged to take advantage of the program before the deadline so they don’t incur greater penalties.

For information regarding Tax Amnesty eligibility or process, call 1 (800) 781-8407 Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. or visit www.TaxAmnesty.nj.gov.

Industrial redevelopment plan includes waterfront walkway 

The Bayonne Planning Board has approved a redevelopment plan at an industrial site along the Kill van Kull that would require a developer contribution toward the waterfront walkway.

The plan was presented at the board’s March meeting by City Planner Suzanne Mack. The site was originally declared an area of redevelopment as 7 and 9 New Hook Road in December.

But separate redevelopment plans were drawn up for each site. The board approved the plan for 7 Lower Hook Road, formerly known as 7 New Hook Road, at its February meeting. The redevelopment area is the former site of PDQ Plastics.

This plan is for 9 New Hook Road, now known as Commerce Street and Hook Road. The redevelopment area is the former site of Atlantic Cement, totaling 5.4 acres of land along the Kill van Kull nestled between old petroleum tanks in the surrounding area.

Permitted uses

In the redevelopment plan, permitted principal uses include marine-based operations such as a boat ramp, ship chandler, or other service operations; barges, piers, platforms, fixed or floating docks, and mooring devices; green infrastructure; dock facilities including the operation of an intermodal container facility; recycling facilities such as a recycling drop-off facility; Flex Space for commercial and light industrial uses including office space and administration, logistics support, and distribution and assembly. 

Fully enclosed light manufacturing establishments are also permitted, including the manufacture, assembly, packing or treatment of merchandise from previously prepared materials, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, food processing, electrical and electronic equipment, woodworking, furniture, and upholstery, textiles and apparel, awnings and venetian blinds, machine tools and metal working.  

Other permitted uses include equipment sales, services and rentals including heavy equipment; seaport support services and operations including water dependent maritime uses that incorporate shipping, light industrial activity, offices, administration and services to the maritime industry; ship chandler; high-cube warehousing and short-term storage; cold storage warehousing; transportation support services and supply-chain logistics and distribution; renewable energy producing entities and their structures; green technology; wireless telecommunication towers, facilities and antennas; shore landing if there is offshore cables; silos or other existing structures; and agricultural growing operations. 

Permitted accessory uses include outdoor storage, business offices and administrative support space, off-street parking and loading, signage, solar arrays, and roadway barriersAll other existing uses at the site shall remain permitted uses.

Cannabis cultivation and green development

Included in the permitted use of agricultural growing operations are vertical farms, hydroponics, gardening, and the growing, cultivation and processing of cannabis. In the plan for 7 Lower Hook Road, the permitted use of cannabis establishments sparked discussion among planning board members over whether or not it should be included.

While a redeveloper could submit plans to build a cannabis establishment at these sites, the plans do not give the redevelopers the right to do so; the decision is subject to planning board and city council approvals.

A minimum of 10 percent of the redevelopment area must consist of open space and or green or sustainable features. This can be green wall, green roof or landscaping on site. Street trees will be required along public roads abutting the site.

The redeveloper must make a contribution to develop a portion of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway along their shoreline, including three dedicated parking spaces, according to Mack.

But Mack said it might be tricky considering its location in an industrial area. The plan allows for an alternative.

The redeveloper can provide a financial contribution to the city for construction of offsite waterfront access equivalent to the cost of constructing the walkway on the redevelopment area’s shoreline. The contribution amount and terms of payment will be incorporated into the agreement between the redeveloper and the city. 

The plan allows for both options, Mack said.

The plan requires design standards to make the site aesthetically pleasing from Hook Road. The redeveloper will be required to make public improvements, including repaving and paving roads, site remediation, installing lighting, and handling trash and recycling collection.

Rare opportunity

Mack said the plan was an exciting opportunity to bring in jobs and revitalize an industrial area along the waterfront with green space and design standards.

She said that the plan will allow the area, which has been underused for years, to become well developed with green infrastructure and a contribution to the waterfront walkway.

City Planner Mika Apte said that the plan aimed to allow permitted uses that would make underused properties in industrial areas economic contributors. He said the plan will require sidewalks.

Chairwoman Karen Fiermonte said it was not everyday the board votes on a waterfront redevelopment plan, especially for an industrial property. 

The board voted unanimously to approve the plan. The next meeting is on April 13 at 6 p.m. To attend, go to bayonnenj.org and click on the event on the calendar webpage.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.

Bayonne Briefs

George R.R. Martin dives into Bayonne childhood in Rolling Stone interview

George R.R. Martin, the author of “A Song of Fire and Ice,” now adapted into the hit television series “Game of Thrones,” discusses his life growing up in Bayonne in the May 8 issue of Rolling Stone. Martin, 65, grew up with his great-grandmother on 31st Street and Broadway before moving to an apartment building on First Street, near the old Brady’s Dock.

“My mother was a Brady — Irish. I heard a lot from my mother about the heritage of the Bradys, who had been a pretty important family at certain points in Bayonne history,” Martin told Rolling Stone, according to NJ Advance Media.

“To get to my school, I had to walk past the house where my mother had been born, this house that had been our house once. I’ve looked back on that, of course, and in some of my stories there’s this sense of a lost golden age, where there were wonders and marvels undreamed of. Somehow what my mother told me set all that stuff into my imagination.”

Recycling grants awarded in Jersey City and Secaucus

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection awarded $14.3 million in grants to 24 municipalities across 13 counties to enhance recycling efforts based on 2016 recycling performance in those communities. Jersey City received $423,248 and Secaucus received $156,353.

In 2016, NJ generated 9.7 million tons of municipal solid waste, which includes standard household, vegetative and yard waste. The municipal solid waste rate in 2016 is 44 percent, up one percentage point from 2015. The statewide goal for municipal solid waste recycling is 50 percent.

NJ remains above the national average of municipal solid waste recycling rate of 34 percent and was the first state to require statewide recycling in 1987.

Man douses apartment stairway with lighter fluid; does not set fire

The Bayonne Police Department arrested a 32-year-old man in possession of butane lighter fluid after allegedly drenching an apartment hallway and stairway on Jan. 3. Residents of the building on 762 Broadway saw him allegedly writing on the walls in the hallway and called the police. The man was charged with attempted aggravated arson, burglary and criminal mischief, according to police.

Central Jersey child first to die from flu in 2019, state cautions high flu levels across state

The state health department has confirmed that a child in central Jersey has died from the flu. It’s the first fatality this season. The CDC says New Jersey and New York are experiencing high flu activity this year. Some hospitals like St. Mary’s in Passaic are imposing restrictions on anyone presenting flu symptoms. It’s still not too late to get a flu shot, officials say.

According to the state Health Department, NJ is one of only 15 states already reporting high levels of the flu virus this year.

To avoid spreading the virus to others, medical professionals advise staying home while you are sick and up to at least 24 hours after your fever is gone; not visiting people in the hospital; covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing; if you do not have a tissue, cough into your elbow or shoulder; avoiding touching your nose, eyes and mouth; and washing your hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing.

If your child is sick, do not send your child to school or after-school programs until at least 24 hours after fever and symptoms are gone.

3,163 overdose deaths in 2018 breaks record

The state reported recently that drug overdose deaths passed the 3,000-mark in 2018. At 3,163, it’s higher than it’s ever been, and 15 percent more than in 2017. The counties that experienced the worst (highest) rate of growth: Salem (60%, 32 deaths); Passaic (54%, 206 deaths); Cumberland (49%, 113 deaths); Mercer (40%, 148 deaths); and Monmouth (30%, 223 deaths). Hudson County had 187 suspected overdose deaths, its highest since recording 127 in 2016.

Two plaintiffs join Jersey City payroll tax lawsuit

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association and the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce have joined a lawsuit to fight a Jersey City payroll tax that was unanimously passed by the city council in November. The 1-percent tax was first proposed to cover the loss of $175 million in school funding.

“I reject the president’s fear mongering,” Sires says

President Trump “lied to the American people” about the border wall, Rep. Albio Sires tweeted after the president’s Tuesday night Oval Office speech. The recently re-elected Sires is a Cuban immigrant who represents the 8th District, which includes areas of Bayonne. Rep. Tom Malinowski of the 7th District said Trump was “recklessly dishonest.”

Jersey City prisoner re-entry program fires former Gov. Jim McGreevey

The Jersey City Employment and Training Program voted to fire its director, former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey. The prisoner re-entry nonprofit did so without comment or explanation. No one has “given me the courtesy of a detailed reason why I am being dismissed,” McGreevey said. McGreevey resigned as governor abruptly in 2004, after coming out as a “gay American.” He is the nation’s first openly gay governor.

More people move out of New Jersey than any other state

According to data collected by United Van Lines, in 2018, more people moved out of New Jersey than from any other state. Illinois was second, followed by Connecticut, New York, and Ohio. Reasons for leaving the Garden State were varied: job change and retirement tied at 34 percent. “Lifestyle” was cited by 17 percent of former New Jerseyans, and “health” was cited by 6 percent.

Law says schools must teach ‘financial literacy’

Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver signed into law a measure (A-1414) that requires all public middle schools (grades six to eight) to teach “financial literacy.” It was supported by lawmakers from both parties, and will go live in September, for the 2019 to 2020 school year. The state Commissioner of Education, Dr. Lamont Repollet, will provide the curriculum.

Farmer feeds Christmas trees to goats

A farmer in Burlington County has been collecting neighbors’ discarded Christmas trees to feed to the 12 goats that live on her farm, according to Philly.com. Last Christmas, the farmer took in 50 trees. One of her goats can gobble down a 14-foot tree in three hours.

Farms across the country use Christmas trees as goat food. A petting zoo in New Era, Michigan, has been requesting trees for years; the owner said blue spruce, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Scotch pine, and white pine are among the varieties, according to the Associated Press.

Smoking ban takes effect

Starting Jan. 16, New Jersey will begin one of the broadest anti-smoking laws in the country, according to NJ Spotlight. Smoking and vaping in public parks, forests, historic sites, and at any other state-owned property in New Jersey will be subject to fine. Fines could burn bigger holes in pockets that cigarettes; starting at $250 for a first offense, and then up to $1,000. It’s not yet clear who will enforce the ban.

Murphy, Sweeney agree on driver’s license bill

Undocumented immigrants can legally drive in 12 states and D.C., and up to half a million people in New Jersey could be next. According to a survey of 561 voters conducted by an advocacy group, 54 percent support the idea, 29 percent oppose it, and 17 percent are unsure, according to The Record. Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate Pres. Stephen Sweeney support a measure that would issue licenses to undocumented immigrants that are different from those issued to U.S. citizens. The complicated two-licenses measure is working its way through the legislature.

New Jersey doubles security funding for private schools

On Jan. 8, Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bills to increase funding to beef up security at private schools and religious nonprofits, according to The Record. One bill (A4597) will devote $11.3 million to double security funding at private schools, which serve about 150,000 students statewide. Another bill (A3906) expands a security grant program that enables religious nonprofits to buy equipment and hire guards.

Proposed law would allow lawyers to be legal advocates for mistreated and abused animals

We have pet doctors, but not pet lawyers yet. A new bill in the New Jersey State Assembly would allow lawyers and law school students to act as legal advocates for mistreated pets and abused animals in New Jersey. The advocates would monitor cruelty cases, attend court hearings, and make recommendations to judges. The bill sponsor, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, says her proposal could ensure “animals that are abused get justice,” noting that “far too many animal cruelty cases in New Jersey … end without trial or conviction,” according to The Record.

NJDOT announces Winter Weather Congestion Alert communications campaign

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti has announced a new communications campaign to help the public make better traveling decisions during winter weather events to improve safety and the department’s ability to clear snow.

New Jersey is the most congested state in the nation; a relatively routine winter weather system can wreak havoc in New Jersey when it occurs between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

“In order for NJDOT to clear highways of snow and ice, we need roads free from traffic so our trucks can get through and do their job,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Our Winter Weather Congestion Alert plan is designed to alert the media and public when forecasted weather may cause congestion, and provide tips on what to do so our crews can get through to keep the roads clear, open, and safe.”

The alerts may provide general tips such as to consider telecommuting if possible or more specific recommendations to avoid certain highways with inclines that are often problematic during a storm, such as I-280 or parts of I-78 in western New Jersey. The media and public will be alerted through press releases, the NJDOT Facebook page, Twitter @NJDOT_info, VMS boards, and www.511nj.org.

NJDOT will encourage people to telecommute, travel before the winter weather starts, and stay put while the winter weather is occurring. Wait a few hours for the storm to subside before heading out. If you are traveling during the winter weather, pull off somewhere safe and wait it out. Always stay clear of plowing and spreading trucks.  If they are behind you, let them pass. Do not pass between trucks that are in a plow formation.

NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs to alert motorists of the campaign. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT’s traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information.

The man they call ‘Father A’

If you have attended a St. Peter’s Prep sporting event over the last 40 years or so, chances are you’ve seen him.
He’s the guy with the dark-rimmed bifocals, the one wearing the maroon windbreaker when it was a tad on the chilly side, the omnipresent white collar tucked in somewhere under the uniformed black collared shirt. He’s the one who looked as if he needed a couple more healthy bites of a cheeseburger and some swigs on a chocolate milkshake.
But there’s little doubt of the fact that Rev. Anthony Azzarto, S.J. was there because he was always there.
It’s absolutely astounding how the man, who was more recognizable by the name of “Father A” than his full name, has the energy and the wherewithal and the dedication, determination and drive than most men 50, perhaps 60 years younger than him possesses, was able to attend so many events.
It’s hard to fathom the idea that Father A has been able to attend the countless funerals, wakes, prayer services, christenings, barbeques, birthday parties, you name it that he’s attended over the last 60 or so years that he’s been associated with since his arrival at Grand and Warren from his native Brooklyn.
It’s also incredible to think about the different roles that Father A has handled as a teacher at Prep. Not only has he served as the alumni chaplain and guidance counselor at the school, but he has also taught religion classes at the school for a span of over 50 years – and even had a stint teaching English classes to the junior class, teaching Chaucer’s famed “Canterbury Tales,” in the proper Olde English language, no less.
Father A also had the dubious task of teaching moody teenagers about Shakespeare and topics like Macbeth and King Lear, but also trying valiantly to teach those same adolescent men-to-be about poetry. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to instruct high school juniors about The Old Cumberland Beggar and try to make it sound interesting?
And among the many hats Father A wore during his tenure at Grand and Warren, he was the No. 1 fan of the Prep sports teams.
Father A attended practically every game and event imaginable – and at every level, from the freshman through junior varsity and then varsity. It didn’t matter what team. Father A attended swim meets and wrestling matches and tennis games, events where he was the lone representative from the school faculty in attendance.
It wasn’t just the major sports like football, basketball and baseball that kept Father A on the go. Nope, Father A had his finger on the pulse of every single team in the school. The school just recently added sports such as crew, rugby and lacrosse to its litany of athletic teams? Sure enough, guess who was there? That’s right, Father A.
Most people didn’t know where the crew team held its home races. But sure enough, Father A found his way to the Passaic River in North Arlington to watch the Marauders row their boats ashore, Hallelujah!
Again, it was just totally astounding to see Father A at practically every Prep sporting event imaginable. You would just have to stop and marvel at both the level of energy and the consistency to which he made it to every single event.
Father A also organized a baseball club for the students at Prep, where the students would convene during their free periods and talk about the National Pastime. Of course, as the diehard Dodgers fan that he is, Father A would readily gab about the exploits of Yasiel Puig – in honesty, he’s not a fan of Puig – but he also provided a place for Prepsters to get a midday snack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Rice Krispies treats.
It was recently learned that Father A has been reassigned to the Jesuit retirement home, the Murray-Weigel facility, on the campus of Fordham University, beginning in a few weeks. The incoming freshman class at Prep will not have the opportunity to get to know Father A the same way that I did when I was a freshman at Grand and Warren in the fall of 1975.
Father A is at ease with the decision to move him to Murray-Weigel. I am not. I’m angered by the decision. These current Prep students will be deprived of the golden opportunity I had when Father A was my religion teacher as a freshman, and was enriched to have him teach that now-historic English literature class when I was a junior.
Still to this day, some 40 years after the fact, I can recite the first eight lines of “The Canterbury Tales” in the best Olde English as I can muster. I can deliver the soliloquy from “Macbeth” without missing a syllable. We had to memorize those passages back then. They are ingrained into the deep corners of my now-damaged brain.
It’s understood that he will turn 80 years old next month. Age is an opponent that no one can seem to avoid. Even some opponents of the Dodgers get to pass by Clayton Kershaw during a three-game series, but age catches up to everyone. It’s inevitable.
Simply put, there was no sense whatsoever in farming Father A out to pasture before he was truly ready. None. He might have slowed down a step and might have needed to take better care of himself to avoid the dehydration that sent him to the Jersey City Medical Center for brief stays in two of the last three years.
But to ship him off to the Bronx? Heck, he’s a Brooklyn boy to begin with. Father A had so much more to give to Prep and its students. If he was sickly, frail, and unable to care for himself, then I would have applauded the move. But Father A is alive and vibrant and such a major part of what Prep is all about.
I say this to whoever is willing to listen or read, so here goes. Father Azzarto is as close as it comes to God personified on this planet. He may not want to read those words, but it’s true.
There’s a motto that the St. Peter’s Prep brethren live by, a creed so to speak. It’s “Prep Man For Others.” Well, there has never been a better Prep man for others than Father A. His entire life has been living for others. If he gets a gift, in true Jesuit standards, he’s giving that gift to someone who in his eyes might need it more.
When I fell seriously ill a little more than four years ago and thought I would not be able to walk ever again, sending me for an extended stint at the Kessler Rehabilitation Center in West Orange, who was the first person to pay me a visit, even before members of my own family? That’s right, that man for others, Father A.
Last year, after I had the gastric sleeve surgery in a final attempt to lose weight, I was home from the hospital two days, not wanting to see a single soul because of the pain and misery. But who showed up at my door? That’s right, Father A.
In the nearly 45 years since I arrived as a freshman at Grand and Warren and got to hear his voice during freshman orientation, wondering who he was, Father A has never once forgotten my birthday. Imagine that? Never once! You have to think that there have been thousands of young men who have paraded through the halls at Grand and Warren over the last five decades. Does Father A give birthday greetings to every single one?
Geez, I can’t keep up with the hundreds of so who wish me a Happy Birthday on Facebook. How does Father A do it to all the students he has taught over the years? Again, just astounding.
This column may read like an obituary and that was not the idea behind it. It was just written as a tribute to the finest man I’ve ever known outside of my own father. I can’t even begin to repay the kindness and concern I’ve received. I know he’s not going to be pleased that I wrote this. I know he’s going to be taken back a bit. But he deserved his moment in the sun before the sun set on him.
In writing for the hundreds of Prep athletes over the years, the thousands of alumni and parents of alumni, I can just say one word. Thanks. Thanks for being my teacher, my advisor, my counselor and more importantly, my friend. Nothing will ever change that, especially not a change of address, nor will the narrow-minded thinking of some so called powers-that-be.

Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com and follow Jim on Twitter @ogsmar.

SCOREBOARD

It was shaping up to be another season to remember for the St. Peter’s Prep basketball team.

The defending Hudson County Tournament champions appeared well on their way to another championship season, winning their first eight games of the truncated COVID-19 created season of 15 contests.

The undefeated Marauders were ranked No. 5 in the entire state by NJ.com. They had some signature victories over Hackensack and Montclair Immaculate, two highly regarded squads. The win over Immaculate, the state’s No. 7-ranked team at the time, came courtesy of a 3-point shot by Rayshawn Ford at the buzzer in overtime. The Marauders also defeated Marlboro, one of the top teams in the Shore Conference, by 14 points.

“We were lucky enough to get those games to fill out the schedule,” St. Peter’s Prep head coach Alex Mirabel said. “With this pandemic, you never know when you’re going to get shut down.”

Maybe that was foreshadowing.

Mirabel said that the Marauders were having a blast every day.

“We were having so much fun in the gym at practice,” Mirabel said. “We made sure every practice was competitive. The practices have been great. The kids get after it with each other every day. It’s great to see. We have 10 or 11 kids playing regularly.”

Last Monday, the Marauders faced Memorial and won 67-23. Every single Marauder who played found a way into the scorer’s book.

“Everyone played and everyone scored,” Mirabel said. “It was a great win.”
Mark Armstrong, who scored 11 points in the win, had scored the 1,000th point of his career earlier in the season, well on his way to a possible 2,000-point milestone, which would have made him the first St. Peter’s Prep player to ever get to 2,000 points in a career.

Ford, who has already signed his national letter of intent to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University in the fall to play for fellow Prep grad Greg Herenda with the Knights, scored nine points, as did Jackson Tindall.

Gavin O’Farrell, who has declared his intentions to play at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the fall, had eight points and eight rebounds.

“Mark and Ray complimented each other very well,” Mirabel said. “Gavin is our workhorse who embraces his role.”

It was a total team victory.

Less than 12 hours later, it all came crashing down, when it was learned that a handful of Marauders started to feel sick and were tested for the coronavirus.

“When you get two or three guys not feeling well, then they all have to get tested,” Mirabel said. “They had symptoms and the most important thing was everyone’s safety.”

And because of counter tracing, not only was St. Peter’s Prep shut down for two weeks, but so was Memorial, Hoboken, North Bergen and Union City. Five boys’ basketball teams all shut down because of the coronavirus in one fell swoop.

It’s the way of the world. And with it, so went the hopes of another county championship for the Marauders.

The HCIAL athletic directors met via a Zoom meeting after hearing of the Prep shutdown and determined that there would not be a league tournament at season’s end as previously discussed.

“It made more sense to decide to do this,” said HCIAL president Nick Marniello, the athletic director and head boys’ basketball coach at Hudson Catholic. “We’re all scrambling just to get games. We tried very hard to make it work. It’s been very difficult. We were discussing the tournament and the domino effect in play. I guess in hindsight we should have not said anything. But we have a certain number of days left, so we should try to find games and play games.”

Mirabel was still hopeful to have an HCIAL tournament, but that doesn’t seem possible now.

“Well, the coaches want it,” Mirabel said. “It’s only right to find a way to make it happen. We will try to convince the ADs [athletic directors] to let it happen. We’ll see what happens. If we don’t play again this year, then that would be rough. We want to finish it out.”

If the Marauders’ season is over, then Mirabel will have a tough time telling that to his team.

“It’s tough for the seniors,” Mirabel said. “We will miss them. We have a good sophomore group and a good group of juniors led by Mark. We want to close the year out and play for something meaningful. That’s what we want.”

Mariniello said that there was no true formula to finding a solution.

“There’s no perfect science to this,” Mariniello said. “We’ve all been working together. I’ve been talking to other ADs every day and moving games all over. It’s been a lot of work. There’s been a lot of emotional wear and tear. It’s been horrible.”

Mariniello said that it was a league-wide decision for both boys and girls, which angered some of the HCIAL girls’ coaches, because some of the top girls’ teams have not had their seasons interrupted.

Mirabel said that he was aware the season could end at any point.

“We always knew it could stop at any minute,” Mirabel said. “It was hard for me to go to sleep at night for fear I would get a call or a text from someone saying, ‘Coach, I’m not feeling well.’ Everyone was feeling healthy.”

For now, the Marauders have rescheduled games with Hudson Catholic and Union City.

“It’s fortunate that it’s happening now and not later,” Mirabel said. “At least we can finish off the year on a good note. Something like this was always in the back of my mind. We were prepared for it. What do we do now for two weeks? Well, that’s the bummer.”

Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com, follow Jim on Twitter @ogsmar and listen to the Hudson County Sports Podcast, brought to you weekly by Stan’s Sports Center, 528 Washington Street in Hoboken, on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to this week’s guest, namely St. Dominic Academic track and field coach and athletic director John Nagel, whose career at the Jersey City school spans five decades.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Maddie Branigan is an accomplished artist.

The St. Dominic Academy sophomore, who is also a highly respected member of the basketball team at the school, paints on canvas regularly, creating abstracts and portraits. She also makes her own jewelry – rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, the whole works. Branigan is doing so well as an artist that she is in the process of launching her own website, featuring her artwork and her handmade jewelry.

“I draw, paint, make jewelry, whatever I feel like,” Branigan said. “It comes in spurts. I won’t do anything at all for a few days, then I sink myself into my art. I have had people ask me to make gifts for friends.”

Branigan is also an excellent student at SDA.

“I guess I get A’s on my report card,” Branigan said. “I’m really not sure. I guess I got First Honors last time.”

But right now, Branigan is making her mark as a forward on the SDA basketball team.

Branigan doesn’t come from a line of basketball players in her family, but there were certainly some noteworthy athletes, in particular, Maddie’s father, Alan, who was a standout player at Nutley High School, Rutgers University and was a draft pick of the Dallas Burn in Major League Soccer in the 1990s.

Alan Branigan enjoyed a good professional soccer career with the Hampton Roads Mariners of the old United Soccer League.

When Maddie was a youngster, it was only natural that she should take to soccer.

“I was always running around, kicking at the ball,” Branigan said. “I played soccer through preschool.”

But when Maddie was just seven years old, she retired from soccer to concentrate on basketball. Imagine a second-grader making such a momentous decision?

Maddie and her older brother Maguire played basketball throughout grade school. Maguire Branigan also played basketball at Nutley High School before stepping away this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Maguire Branigan is a senior at Nutley.

“We used to play basketball together a lot,” Maddie Branigan said. “We have a hoop in the yard and played there together.”

When Maddie was younger, she lacked confidence. She never thought she was going to be a good basketball player.

But then there was one game she enjoyed playing in the Nutley Recreation league. Branigan tossed in 18 points in just her second game of organized basketball.

“It was an instantaneous thing,” Maddie Branigan said. “When I scored 18, the coaches all said, ‘Who is this kid?’ That game gave me a lot of confidence.”

When the time came to choose a high school, Branigan decided to attend the school that her mother went to, not her hometown public school. Needless to say, it caused a little bit of an uproar in her native Nutley.

“I think we all thought St. Dominic was going to be a better fit for me,” Maddie Branigan said. “I wanted to try the private school thing. When I went to visit, I bonded with the girls there quickly.”

Needless to say, SDA head basketball coach John Hester was excited to have someone of Branigan’s talent and stature come into his program.

The 6-foot-1 Branigan averaged 14 points and eight rebounds last season as a freshman.

“I think the biggest challenge with her was for to understand her importance to the team,” Hester said. “She was trying to figure out how often she could shoot the ball. We needed her to find the right rhythm and be the focal point of our offense. I don’t think she understood that.”

Branigan said that she was her own toughest critic.

“I’m very critical of myself,” Branigan said. “I tend to focus on all the bad things I do. I watch film and tear things apart.”

Before the compacted season began three weeks ago, Branigan was poised to have an even bigger role this year with the Blue Devils than last year.

“I think I could have more success shooting the ball,” Branigan said. “I think I could be better with my ball handling. I had to sharpen those points of my game. I saw what I did as a freshman and I thought, ‘What could I do better as a sophomore?’ I was disappointed that it was only a 15-game season, but I was going to make the most of it.”

Hester knew that Branigan was poised for a better go round than last year when she was selected to Third Team All-Hudson County.

“From the first game, she has that feeling,” Hester said. “She’s making good decisions with the ball. We’re comfortable with her having the ball in her hands a lot. She’s understanding her role better. There’s not a spot on the floor where she’s not allowed to shoot it from. I told her, ‘If you’re open, shoot it. There are no restrictions. She’s an excellent shooter. Sure, there’s room for improvement, but there’s nothing stopping her.”

Branigan has enjoyed a sizzling start to the new season, averaging 21.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She’s leading the Blue Devils to a stellar 4-1 record thus far. She scored 13 points against Ferris, had 27 against McNair Academic, had 24 each in games against Lincoln and Memorial and had 18 in a win over North Bergen.

For her efforts, Branigan has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week. Branigan is the first honoree of the winter scholastic sports season.

Hester loves Branigan’s attitude.

“She has no ego,” Hester said. “Maddie doesn’t know how good she is. I have to remind her that she has a gift here. She’s a really sweet girl. She’s very talented outside of basketball. She’s very interesting. I love talking to her.”

Branigan hopes to study pre-med in college one day. After all, who’s going to stop her?

Branigan was asked what she enjoys doing more – playing basketball or making jewelry?

“I really don’t have a favorite,” Branigan said. “I enjoy doing both equally.”

But as for her start of her sophomore season?

“Oh, I’m definitely happy about that,” Branigan said. “Last year, I wasn’t even close to where I am now.”

Hester knows he’s fortunate to have an All-County star for two full seasons after this one.

“If she stays healthy, we can’t put a cap on what she’s capable of doing,” Hester said. “She’s bound by nothing. She’s very gifted.”

In more ways than one. – Jim Hague

Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com

The year in review

2018 has been a year of transition in Bayonne, when local events sometimes reflected national concerns, like danger from guns and the rights of Muslims to worship, while others like traffic and road improvements and saying goodbye to revered local officials were strictly local.

Two elections brought many incumbents back to City Hall and the Board of Education. Mayor James Davis emerged from a contentious municipal election to win a second term that ends in 2022. Development was another big story; most undeveloped properties now have buildings under construction.

Bon Voyage!

Bayonne received a $650,000 federal grant in May for construction of a ferry terminal on the southern shore of the former Military Ocean Terminal Base. In October, the city announced the ferry operator would SeaStreak, based in Atlantic Highlands. Fares, routes, schedules, and when the ferry will begin operation are yet to be determined. SeaStreak runs a ferry from Highlands and Atlantic Highlands in Monmouth County to Wall Street and 34th Street in Manhattan. Bayonne may be an added stop along the route. SeaStreak may also provide seasonal ferry service for Jersey Shore day trippers. The Bayonne terminal would be SeaStreak’s first in Hudson County. The rest are operated by NY Waterway.

Traffic and road improvements

The $310 million 14A Interchange Project, which was completed in May, increased toll plaza capacity from 11 to 13 lanes, extended the ramp from Interchange 14A westbound, expanded the Hudson County Extension to two lanes, and replaced the two-lane connector bridge with a new four-lane structure to Routes 440, Route 185, and Port Jersey Blvd.

A new flyover ramp was also constructed from the interchange and Port Jersey Blvd. to Route 440 south. The traffic signal at East 53rd Street was removed, and the new roundabout will provide permanent access to the 14A Interchange.

The project will increase access not only for truckers, but for motorists coming to and from the former Military Ocean Terminal Base, where thousands of units of residential housing and a commuter ferry are due in the coming years.

Animal control

The Bayonne City Council chose not to renew NJ Animal Control and Rescue’s contract in favor of the Jersey City-based Liberty Humane Society.

Muslim community center

Bayonne’s Muslim community successfully challenged the Bayonne Zoning Board’s March 2017 decision to deny the group a parking variance in its effort to convert an old warehouse on East 24th Street to a Muslim community center. The group was awarded $400,000 in February of 2018 as part of an agreement with the City of Bayonne, which was required to approve the group’s planned community center.

Bayonne Muslims challenged the Zoning Board’s decision based on the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and Municipal Land Use laws, which give places of worship special consideration in zoning decisions.

The damages, Davis said, will come from the city’s insurance fund and mostly consist of attorney’s fees.

Board of Education  

In April, the BBOED adopted a $130.7 million budget to fund the 2018-2019 school year. The school district, which is funded by the state and from 40 percent of Bayonne’s property tax bills, levies additional taxes when the cost of running the district increases. Bayonne experienced a 13.2 percent rate increase to the state’s health insurance plan as of January; increased spending on school security; curriculum updates to math and science programs; upgrading of aging facilities (the average building is 83 years old); a growing student population; and a low reserve of funds from the previous year.

The NJ Department of Education released its annual report cards in January, which assign a grade to every school district based on PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers). Bayonne falls in the 21st percentile. High rates of absenteeism and math readiness are two of the district’s main concerns.

Unsafe at any speed

Five people have died in four years on Route 440, including Christian Rodriguez, 22, killed on Nov. 7 by a driver who fled the scene and was later arrested. The stretch of road between 22nd and 34th streets is particularly dangerous. Businesses at South Cove Commons continue to tempt people to cross. The fatality comes after upgrades to the 22nd Street intersection improved crossing signals and allowed more time for pedestrians to cross. City officials have long considered constructing a pedestrian bridge that would extend from the current bridge that takes pedestrians over the light rail tracks and into a parking lot. The city council requested design bids and has applied for federal grants.

Shooting scares

Soon after the Feb. 14 Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, students and administrators organized the district’s participation in “National School Walkout” on March 14 on Avenue A. Students, parents, and faculty walked out of school for 17 minutes, one minute for each person killed in the Feb. 14 shooting. Some Bayonne students attended the national “March for Our Lives” protest in Washington D.C. the following week.

On Feb. 23, Bayonne High School went on lockdown after a message circulated through social media threatening a school shooting at “BHS,” an acronym for the New Mexico high school, Belan High School that was confused with Bayonne. Later in the day, police were called to Henry E. Harris Community School after a child told her parent that a student said a shooting would take place at the school. Police quickly determined the threat not credible.

A social media post on March 4 that threatened to “shoot up all Bayonne public schools” caused the Bayonne School District to close on Monday, March 5. Other threatening posts followed before the account was suspended.

The school district increased the number of security guards from nine last year to 12 this year, allowed some of those guards to be armed, and purchased metal detectors and more security wands. Security aid from the state was increased from $700,000 last year to $3 million this year.

Gun incident

A Bayonne hockey coach and social studies teacher, David McKenna, 38, resigned his position after allegedly pointing a State Trooper’s semiautomatic handgun at two people in the coach’s locker room at Bayonne High School on November 30, 2017 during hockey practice. The fallout from the incident was felt in 2018.The gun, which was holstered and hanging in the coach’s office, belonged to an off-duty NJ State Trooper and assistant hockey coach, Richard Korpi Jr. (The school’s ice rink was named for his father in 1986.)

McKenna allegedly removed the gun from its holster and walked into the hallway with the weapon. He then walked back into the office and allegedly pointed the weapon in the direction of a student and a teacher.

McKenna, who led the state in scoring as a Bayonne High School hockey player, was suspended from his position with pay. Korpi is no longer in his coaching position.

McKenna was replaced by Harvey Boehm, the former hockey varsity coach and current high school history teacher.

PLA ordinance

Project labor agreements (PLAs) are now required for all private development projects of more than $15 million that sign payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) agreements with the City of Bayonne. The city council passed the ordinance in February after it offered PILOT agreements to most of the major developers. A PLA is a collective bargaining agreement signed by one or more labor unions and a developer that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a construction project.

Bayonne is now one of only a few cities in the state to have passed such an ordinance, modeled after Jersey City’s.

Union workers support the ordinance, citing safety, fair pay, youth career building, the benefits of hiring local workers, and gender inclusion.

Curtains for old MOTBY

Most young people in Bayonne have no memory of the former Military Ocean Terminal Base (MOTBY), unlike older residents who worked there. Now, landmarks of MOTBY’s industrial past are gone. The iconic water tower was demolished in December to make room for 1.6 million square feet of industrial warehouse space slated for construction by 2021. Lincoln Equities Group (LEG) completed its acquisition of a 153-acre site on MOTBY, called the Bayonne Logistics Center, in June.

The existing World War II-era warehouses once stored missiles, tanks, and cargo to ship abroad to support war efforts from 1967, when the peninsula became a military base, to 1999, when the base closed. In 2007, Ports of America purchased the land and buildings. The old warehouses will be demolished, and the land raised by six feet, which will require two million tons of fill.

R.I.P.

Former Bayonne Police Chief Jim Sisk died in September at the age of 79. Cornelius (Neil) Carroll, a former Hudson County Freeholder, athlete, and Navy vet, died at the age of 91. His grandson, Neil Carroll III was appointed in November to replace former councilman Thomas Cotter on the Bayonne City Council. On October 15, former U.S. Representative Neil Gallagher died at the age of 97.

SCOREBOARD

When Ayir Asante was a youngster, he played two sports, namely football and soccer.

However, when Asante got older, he was forced to realize one key fact. The two sports are played during the same season in the fall.

Asante also played baseball as a grade school student.

“I played all three until eighth grade,” Asante said. “But then I had to decide on just one.”

So with that in mind, Asante elected to play football as he decided to attend St. Peter’s Prep.

“I enjoyed playing football more,” Asante said. “I was pretty good in soccer. I played the midfield and a little defense, too. It was probably one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make. I loved playing both sports. My parents told me that whatever sport I put my mind to, I had to stick with. At the end of the day, I knew I made the right decision. I knew I had to embrace it.”

Asante wanted to attend St. Peter’s Prep because his cousin, standout All-State lineman Khalil Wilkes, who went on to play at Stanford and had a brief stay with the San Diego Chargers of the NFL, played there.

“It felt like my family all believed in Prep,” Asante said. “I remember watching [former Prep great] Will Hill and I was amazed at what he could do.”

Asante played a little bit of everything on the Marauders’ freshman team.

“I played running back, wide receiver, safety, a little bit of quarterback,” Asante said. “I felt like I was going to give them all a try. I think that’s all I could ask for.”
After his freshman year, Asante realized where his future would lie.

“I settled into being a wide receiver and safety,” Asante said. “I felt comfortable there. By the time I was a junior, I was pretty much just a receiver. We had so many safeties on the team. I felt it was better for me to settle on just one position. I felt like I could be a pretty good receiver.”

Prep head football coach and athletic director Rich Hansen agreed.

“I knew he had a chance to be a good receiver,” Hansen said. “He was athletically gifted. He just had to learn the intricacies of being a receiver. He worked really hard at becoming an impact player. He showed some flashes of being a great player and by the time he was a junior, he made some great strides.”

Toward the end of his junior year, Asante had firmly entrenched himself as being one of the top receivers in Hudson County. He earned Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week on Nov. 3, 2017 for his six-reception, two-touchdown performance against Don Bosco Prep.

“He started to put it all together,” Hansen said. “He was harnessing all that athleticism. It takes time and tremendous amounts of hard work. Ayir also matured so much as a person.”

Asante said that he spent a lot of his junior season watching and learning from another standout Prep receiver, namely Shayne Simon, who would go on to receive the 2017-2018 Hudson Reporter Male Athlete of the Year before heading off to play at Notre Dame.

“I took my seat behind Shayne and learned a lot,” Asante said. “I was still finding my way. But when senior year began, I had to take ownership of the position. It was my time to carry the team.”

Last year, Asante was also introduced to track and field.

“I talked to [Prep head track] Coach [Chris] Caulfield and he told me to come out for the team,” Asante said. “I wasn’t worried about fitting in, but I definitely didn’t understand what I was doing. I just went out and tried to do the best I could to help the team. My goal was to make the team a little better any way I could. I definitely had no form of reference or anything.”

“He came out and with no training was doing 20 feet in the long jump and 6.8 [seconds] in the 55 [meter dash],” Caulfield said. “I knew then we had a tremendous athlete on our hands. He had that competitive drive and when he was really pushed, he really responded. It was great to see. I can honestly say he made us better right away. He was a great addition.”

St. Peter’s Prep assistant track coach Russell Jenkins agreed.

“He was awesome,” Jenkins said. “He was not only a good athlete, but he was a very good leader. His leadership was huge to the sport. He was just raw and doing things right away that we never saw before. It was hard to realize that it was Ayir’s first year with track, that it was his first time doing the triple jump. It was amazing to watch.”

Caulfield said that he’s been fortunate to have several football players come out for his track team.

“I think there’s a natural correlation between football and track,” Caulfield said. “It’s a great combination. The football players help our track program and I think running track helps the football team. We benefitted from Ayir having the quickness and the speed.”

Asante put everything together to have a sensational senior year in football and track. In football, Asante caught 50 passes for 808 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He also added 78 yards on six carries.

At the Hudson County Track Coaches Association championships in May, Asante finished second in the triple jump, third in the 100-meter dash and fourth in the 200-meter dash. He then was third in the triple jump and fourth in the 100 at the Non-Public A North state sectionals and was fourth in the 100 and sixth in the triple jump at the overall Non-Public A state championships.

For his efforts, Asante has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Male Athlete of the Year for the 2018-2019 scholastic sports year. It marks the third straight year that a Marauder athlete has captured the award, joining Jorge Portorreal in 2017-2018 and Simon last year and the fourth Marauder in the last five years. Corey Caddle received the award in 2014-2015.

Asante becomes the sixth Marauder to ever receive the honor, the most in the 29-year history of the year-end award. Mike Brown (2004-2005) and Kevin Innis (2009-2010) were also prior recipients.

“I never thought this was possible,” Asante said. “I never would have expected this. I’m aware of what Prep alumni have done with this award. It’s a great accomplishment and a great honor. I’m just glad I kept it [the award] in the family.”

“I think it speaks volumes to the kind of kids we’ve been able to produce,” Hansen said. “Ayir matured tremendously and that’s what I’m most proud of. He matured so much as a person and became a leader.”

Asante will now go on to The College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he will continue his football career, joining former Athlete of the Year recipients Caddle (Fordham), Portorreal (Lehigh) and Simon (Notre Dame) as top college football players.

Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com and follow Jim on Twitter @ogsmar.

HUDSON REPORTER MALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

1991-1992-Jason Casessa, Hoboken

1992-1993-Alex Rodriguez, Secaucus

1993-1994-Eduardo Gomez, Hoboken

1995-1996-Rashard Casey, Hoboken

1996-1997-Czar Wiley, North Bergen

1997-1998-Koz Perez, North Bergen

1998-1999-Mike Forcum, Hoboken

1999-2000-Jonathan Robinson, Memorial

2001-2002-Bryan Durango, Memorial

2002-2003-Jason Blanks, Hoboken

2003-2004-Danny Lopez, Weehawken

2004-2005-Mike Brown, St. Peter’s Prep

2005-2006-Garrett Askew, Hudson Catholic

2006-2007-Evan Rodriguez, North Bergen

2007-2008-Chris Jones, Lincoln

2008-2009-Michael Kuzirian, Memorial

2009-2010-Kevin Innis, St. Peter’s Prep

2010-2011-Jose Veras, Dickinson

2011-2012-Jason Pineda, Weehawken

2012-2013-Damian Corredor, Weehawken

2013-2014-Tyrik Darby, Lincoln

2014-2015-Corey Caddle, St. Peter’s Prep

2015-2016-Royaal Jones, Hudson Catholic

2016-2017-Jorge Portorreal, St. Peter’s Prep

2017-2018-Shayne Simon, St. Peter’s Prep

2018-2019-Ayir Asante, St. Peter’s Prep

Election question back in the public’s hands

The City Council has passed a resolution to allow voters to determine next November how they will hold future elections.
The majority of the council voted (7-2) to let the public determine later this year whether the city should go back to holding runoff elections for mayor and council, which were eliminated by public referendum in 2012. In the past, when more than two candidates were running for local office, the top two vote-getters would compete in a runoff election a few weeks later (unless one candidate commanded more than 50 percent of the vote). This led to longer elections, more costs, and more political wrangling.
But now that the last mayoral election, with six candidates, resulted in the winner (Mayor Ravi Bhalla) getting only around a third of the vote, most of the council wants to go back to some version of runoffs.
The question is, which version? On Wednesday, the council also unanimously passed a resolution urging the state legislature to consider allowing instant runoff elections, which would mean a winner would be chosen on Election Day rather than a few weeks later in a separate election.
This past Wednesday’s council vote negates Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s veto in January of a prior attempt to put runoffs on the ballot.
Bhalla said he was concerned with potential voter drop-off as well as illegal activity related to the election.
In fact, he has attempted to paint those voting in favor of runoffs as being also in favor of vote-buying. However, accusations of vote-buying have been made in Hoboken in regular elections in the past as well.
Councilman Jim Doyle and Councilwoman Emily Jabbour voted against the 7-2 override.
Jabbour has been a proponent for instant runoffs instead, and wrote a resolution with Councilwoman Jennifer Giattino urging the state legislature to permit them in New Jersey. In an instant runoff, instead of voting for a single candidate, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. Ballots are initially counted for each voter’s top choice, losing candidates or those with the least votes are eliminated, and ballots for losing candidates are redistributed until one candidate is the top remaining choice of a majority of the voters.

Public asks for override

Nine residents spoke at the meeting about runoff elections. Most were in favor of a referendum, including former council members Dave Mello and Michael Lenz. Mello ran for council on Freeholder Anthony Romano’s mayoral ticket in November, and had been a Zimmer ally in the past but was sometimes independent while on the council. Lenz supported Giattino’s campaign.
They both said last November’s election was divisive and the public should be able to vote in a referendum on whether to reinstate runoff elections.
“It’s true, that we have dealt with some level of election fraud in this city, but a lot of other things are also true,” said Mello. “It’s true that now-Mayor Bhalla sent out extremely negative Republican-bashing mailer after Republican-bashing mailer, mailers that directly bashed my former colleague, Councilwoman Giattino, drawing attention away from the issues that you truly should be grappling, with and moving to the worst of what electorates tend to be about: hate for somebody that’s different than us.”
“December runoffs have their problems, but eliminating the runoff entirely created an even bigger [problem],” said Lenz. “One that nobody anticipated when we made the switch from May to November that without intending to, we have created a situation where running a divisive campaign, narrowly focused, is the surest path to victory.”
Resident Franz Paetzold said he would probably be more in favor of instant runoffs should they be enabled by the state legislature, but that he feels the people should be the ones to decide if runoff elections should be brought back.
“While it may be true that there are fewer voters vote in the runoff because it is in December, in contrast to [the general election in] November … it is also true that more focus will be on the local runoff election if it is the only thing on the ballot,” said resident Dan Tumpson.
Peter Bologna, who moved to town two years ago, was the only resident to speak in favor of the veto. “I believe an examination of the evidence shows that runoff elections opens the door for improper interference and manipulation of a free voting public,” said Bologna, who added that his vote means a lot to him and should be treated as such.

Council discusses the vote

Each councilperson also weighed in on the issue before casting their vote.
Doyle, who ran with Bhalla, said he felt that the referendum shouldn’t be on the ballot in November as there wouldn’t be much else on the ballot. He cited a statement made by Councilman Michael DeFusco calling Bhalla’s veto a “cynical ploy.” He noted, “There’s a conscious decision to put this vote up in the year with the historically least amount of turnout.”
DeFusco responded, “I called it a cynical ploy after the mayor issued his veto because he spread half truths and this is a smokescreen by this current administration and his council colleagues, the two that sit on this board, to distract from the real issue,and the real issue is that we had a mayor elected with 32 percent of the vote.”
Council President Ruben Ramos, who teaches history, said that Hoboken is the only municipality in New Jersey in which a mayor doesn’t need to be elected with more than 50 percent of the vote.
DeFusco also read a leaked text message between the mayor, one of the mayor’s relatives, and others in which the relative said, “Great job with the mayoral veto memo. Important public education moment and opportunity to box in our opponents. We know an override will happen, in that scenario it makes sense to take the opportunity to shape the frame of the discussion and for our opponents to have to respond to the frame we set.” The relative does not hold a government position, so the reference to “our” opponents is unclear. Bhalla’s responses were brief and don’t use any language about strategy or opponents.
“This is the type of a cynical ploy I was talking about,” said DeFusco. “This ordinance merely offered up a question to the voters, who are then to answer, ‘Do we want to select one of two people or do we want deeply entrenched politicians introducing spoilers into an election so that the will of the majority is never heard?’ ”
Councilwoman Emily Jabbour cited her experience on the rainy election day last November as one of the reasons she was against the referendum. She said people in the campaign were worried about voter turnout once the rain began, and that in December, the chance for snow would decrease turnout.
“By the time we got to November I think the entire city was sick of hearing from most of the people out there campaigning,” she said.
“I know, the last administration, Mayor Zimmer was very good at creating a boogeyman to produce her success,” Ramos said, “to say ‘That person’s evil, that person’s bad, that person’s no good. You have to vote for me because I’ll protect you,’ and Mayor Bhalla is looking to follow the same playbook.”

Mayor says he knows of fraud

In response to the council’s override, Mayor Ravi Bhalla issued a statement through a spokesman, implying malfeasance. “On the issue of reducing voter fraud, last night Council Members Cunningham, Fisher, and Giattino have chosen to align themselves with Council Members DeFusco, Ramos and other beneficiaries of voter fraud.”
When city spokesman Juan Melli was asked what evidence he had that councilmen had been “beneficiaries” of fraud and which authorities they had reported the fraud to, Melli sent a link to a Hoboken Reporter article from nearly eight years ago, “Attorney General to probe 4th Ward votes” which details a 4th Ward election and 190 “suspicious” ballots sent to the attorney general for investigation. The article does not mention either DeFusco or Ramos.
When asked about the council people specifically, Melli responded, stating “In the specific instance referenced in that story, then-Councilman Bhalla submitted extensive affidavits and evidence of voter fraud regarding the candidate Councilman Ramos supported in the election. He reported it to the Hudson County Prosecutors Office, which referred it to the Attorney General’s office. He also personally met with and reported this voter fraud to the FBI.”
“Mayor Bhalla is talking about a systemic problem of paying large numbers of election day workers, which amounts to paying for a vote,” Melli added. “This has benefited some candidates more than others and is a problem a December runoff will make worse. He is not making any specific accusation of voter fraud.”
After reading Melli’s statement earlier, DeFusco responded, “This false, disgusting smear is the latest proof that Mayor Bhalla is totally disinterested in working with the City Council to bring Hoboken together and is instead intent on wasting taxpayer resources on completely unsubstantiated, divisive political attacks. For a mayor to use a taxpayer-funded spokesman to spread lies and deceit without any credible evidence borders on libel.”
“Mayor Bhalla,” he continued, “should be ashamed of himself for engaging in a Trump-like level of deceit and sleaze that is doing nothing to heal the wounds in our community. Mayor Bhalla should be using his first months in office to solve the problems our city faces like fixing Washington Street, not on petty political drama.”
“By now we are all aware that Mayor Bhalla has no problem in utilizing gutter politics and is once again making false accusations without any evidence to sully anyone who dare challenge him,” said Ramos in response.
Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said, “The texts are troubling and the mayor’s statement is…reckless. It’s really a shame because the council has been working really well with the administration on all issues important to residents.”
Councilman Peter Cunningham, who supported Giattino for mayor, said, “Given the divisive nature of the elections, I have been very sensitive to my 5th Ward constituents and their concerns about having a collaborative relationship with Mayor Bhalla. We can agree to disagree on this run-off election matter, but for the mayor to say one thing and do another is disappointing. His tone does not reflect the collaborative relationship that I have and will continue to work toward.”
“I find it really disheartening that the mayor met with the three of us and talked about collaborating and working together, which is exactly what I think good government should do, and then came out with a statement that’s so divisive,” said Councilwoman Jen Giattino. “ I was definitely surprised. You talk about working with people and then don’t actually talk to them about this. You just put out a statement like that.”

Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

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