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Preserving Hoboken’s charm

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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Preserving Hoboken’s charm

On Nov. 6, the Hoboken City Council will vote on an ordinance that would expand the city’s historic districts and add new properties to the list of historic sites.

The ordinance aims to better preserve the city’s historic resources, including buildings, streetscapes, monuments, and public sites, according to council documents.

That amendment includes the addition of more than 20 historically significant sites in the city.

According to the city, most of the additions recommended by the Historic Preservation Commission have long been identified by the State of New Jersey Office of Historic Preservation as “key contributors” to the history of the city and the historic character of the community.

Some of the additions include the Adams Square Condominiums, formerly the Daniel S. Kealy School, PS No. 2; Monroe Center buildings C & E, formerly Ferguson Brothers Manufacturing Co.; the North Hudson YMCA; Sybil’s Cave; Hoboken Free Public Library; the Neumann Leathers building at 300 Observer Highway; The Up-Town Bank of Hoboken Trust Company at 1400 Washington St.; Stevens Park; and Elysian Park.

Designation as a historic site will help assure that renovations and alterations made to the site will be done in a way that protects its historic character, according to the city.

This comes after the council introduced the ordinance at the last council meeting on Oct. 16.

New district boundaries

Under the new ordinance, the city would expand the historic district to protect Castle Point Terrace homes and additional portions of Washington Street, Hudson Street, and the railyard and terminal.

The three new districts will be called H1-0, H2-0, and H3-0 and will act as a zoning overlay.

The H1-0 district extends from 14th Street down the entire length of the west side of Washington Street and the east side of Washington Street from Seventh Street to Observer Highway. It will include the length of Court Street, one of the city’s oldest streets which spans approximately 7.5 blocks between Washington and Hudson streets from about Newark Street to Seventh Street. The street was paved with squared blocks of stone or “setts” from local quarries in the late 1800s and was built as an alley to act as a service entrance for people who lived along Hudson and Washington streets.

The H1-0 district includes a portion of Hudson Street from Second Street to Observer Highway as well as Hoboken’s Lackawanna Terminal, the NJ Transit rail yard, and four blocks next to the terminal bounded by Hudson Place, Hudson Street, Sinatra Drive, and First Street.

The H2-0 district extends from Second Street to 14th Street primarily along Hudson Street’s western side. It also includes the eastern side of Washington Street from 14th Street to Seventh Street.

Finally, the H3-0 district will encompass all of the Castle Point Terrace area from Eighth Street to 10th Street.

Properties in these districts will be subject to the Historic Preservation Commission’s oversight should the ordinance pass. That oversight only extends to the parts of the building that are visible from the public right-of-way like the façade. Building permits and demolition permits can’t be issued without the commission’s issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness.

That means if property owners want to change the façade of their building they would have to get approval from the Historic Preservation Commission.

This includes exterior architectural features like lintels, sills, and cornices, stoops, ironwork, paint, storefronts, windows, and signage.

It does not include the building’s interior or those parts of the building that are not visible to the public.

The Historic Preservation Commission will also issue Certificates of No Effect for minor repairs or in-kind restoration of exterior elements that will have no visual, architectural, structural, or historic impact on the building, according to the ordinance.

The commission has also established a Fast Track approval process covering general maintenance, repairs, and replacement items that have little to no effect on the historic elements of a site.

Only those alterations that would impact the visual presentation of the building would trigger commission review as part of the overall approval and permitting process.

For updates on this and other stories check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached at Marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

Clothes Make the Man

Hudson Reporter
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Clothes Make the Man

By Diana Schwaeble

Tucked inside the Neumann Leather Building is Genuardi’s tailor shop. Joseph Genuardi is known to some by reputation and to others only when they see his work, like a beautifully crafted suit that invites comment. He calls what he does an “applied art business.” The business of building a wardrobe from scratch takes time. It also requires a certain level of success from the buyer. A handmade suit is an investment.

But what better way to bespeak success than through clothing? So much of what we convey to the world is through our appearance. How we look, how we carry ourselves, the clothes we choose, all give messages. Joe realized early the power of clothes that fit.

“My entire young adult life I never had clothes that fit me right,” he says. “When I found the beauty of well-fitting clothing it really had a transformative effect on me, physically and emotionally. You feel the difference. You feel it physically, and you look so much better. It really does have an impact on a person. It impacts the way they carry themselves, the way other people see them. In the grand scheme of things, it is a small part of life, but I think it is an important part. I really love when guys discover that.”

Small Wonder

Joe acknowledges that he is a small guy, which may have something to do with his memory of ill-fitting clothes. In person, Joe doesn’t come across as small. Perhaps it’s the assured way he moves or the cut of his clothes. Even in jeans, he manages to look like he’d be comfortable leading a meeting. Unflappable is a word that comes to mind. And calm is the way you feel in his presence. Surely, good qualities when getting up close and personal measuring clients.

There’s something genteel in the notion of a tailor laboring away at his craft. You might picture an old man, needle in hand, thimble on thumb, burning up the hours as he makes alterations. That picture isn’t far off. Tailoring is hard work. It’s an old-world skill, and making anything from scratch requires time. Joe believes that some things are better when you wait for them.

He could tell you something about waiting and striving for a goal. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, he decided to ditch his education and embark on a new career as a tailor. He had some ideas about that. The first was to move to Italy and learn the art of tailoring from a master tailor—undaunted by the fact he doesn’t speak Italian.

Making the Cut

But it wasn’t Italy but Pennsylvania, where Joe worked for five years under the tutelage of tailor Joe Centofanti.  When he met Centofanti, Joe says the story took a turn: “He was unbelievably interesting as a person. I was mystified and amazed by these old guys who were in this little shop making these amazingly beautiful clothes.”

During the first four months, he received only a travel stipend of $30. “I couldn’t think about money when I started because I would have stopped in six months. I had to focus on the work. There are sacrifices. Big sacrifices. Your social life goes out the door. You aren’t living any kind of high-class lifestyle, and you are in the shop Monday through Saturday. And to make money I used to work two nights a week. It was at a department store. That’s not glamorous work, you know? Someone is throwing a pair of pants at you. But I had to do it, and that got me through the early stages, and then you just build and build and build.”

Fitting the Famous

That focus helped hone his skills in everything from drafting and cutting to hand-sewing and fitting. It paid off. His training enabled him to land a job at one of the most famous custom clothing makers, Martin Greenfield Clothiers in New York City. For five years, he managed the custom-made division, fitting clothes for the rich and famous, including President Barack Obama, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Donald Trump before he was president.

“I dressed a couple of people that are presidents,” Joe says. “I’m very proud of that. I love all my customers. I don’t do anything different for somebody that is famous. It’s all the same. Every suit is the best we can do.”

While he loved his job, he wanted to do more, and decided to open his own shop in Hoboken. “I’ll tell you, it was probably the scariest thing I ever did,” he says. “When I put in my resignation at my old job, my second son was about to be born. Living in Hoboken, it’s not cheap. I was really fortunate. People came, and we’ve been busy ever since. I couldn’t have asked for a better start.”

Suit Yourself

His Hoboken office, which opened in 2016, is strictly modern. With high ceilings, a large drafting table that takes up much of the space, and suit jackets hung on garment racks, at first glance it could be a studio apartment for a well-to-do bachelor. It’s a masculine space. The artistic flourishes come from the lighting and large canvases of urban spaces by local artist Tim Daly, who also works in the Neumann Leather Building.

When a client enters his studio, Joe first talks to him to get a sense of who he is before a single measurement is made. This is an important step, he says.

“We usually start with people who have been to other tailors, and they aren’t too happy, or they bought off the rack, and it’s subpar,” he says. “Maybe they were OK, but now they want true bespoke, where it’s made from scratch. They want the quality. They want the beautiful cloth.”

Joe is as precise with his words as he is with his measurements. He notes that the word “bespoke” is now used to describe far more than custom clothing. There are bespoke pizza, restaurants, and even water. While some have misappropriated the word, Joe’s tailoring is truly custom-made.

No average Joe

Before he opened his shop, Joe spent two years developing his own drafting process.

“We make a paper pattern for every customer we have here,” he says. “There is no standard sizing. Everything is drafted on paper from scratch for each customer. I know how guys are built because I’ve fitted and delivered thousands of suits for the past 15 years. So I made a system that is really modern and refined and relevant.”

Joe’s sincerity is appealing. Asked where he draws his inspiration, his answer is detailed and intelligent. It also reveals much about a work ethic that demands hours of time. He cites architecture, which makes sense. Design, structure, and balance are necessary when crafting a suit that’s not only functional, but visually stunning.

He channels the master painters of the Renaissance. “These guys would spend a lifetime just refining their craft, just day in and day out,” he says. “Just painting, painting, painting. Their whole career was this process of development. That sort of is the beauty of what we do. It’s this continuous process of design, refinement, and reinventing things. I think that is true for any crafts person.”

It’s not the technical aspects of building a suit, but the artistry that renders it beautiful, he says. Each customer presents different design challenges. Joe’s understanding of proportion makes tailoring an art form.

“What I really love is when the cloth and the cut and the customer all come into harmony,” he says.  “That’s the perfect equation.”—07030

Genuardi is at 300 Observer Highway. For more information, visit: genuarditailor.com or Instagram @genuarditailor.

City exempts certain areas from ‘500-foot rule’ for bars

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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City exempts certain areas from ‘500-foot rule’ for bars

The City Council voted Wednesday to amend a longstanding ordinance prohibiting liquor license holders from opening within 500 feet of each other. The new amendment allows plenary retail consumption license holders to open closer together in certain parts of the city.
Also at the council meeting, the council approved contracts to place free WiFi kiosks in town, and petitioners asked the city to try to buy the Union Dry Dock property on the northern waterfront (see sidebar).

Bar rules

For around 50 years, the city has had a rule that liquor license holders cannot open within 500 feet of each other, although previously existing businesses were grandfathered in. Hoboken currently has more than 130 liquor licenses in a square mile.
Areas that will be exempt include the Southern Redevelopment Area, the Central Business District, the Neumann Leathers Redevelopment Area, the Western Edge Redevelopment Area, the Southwest Redevelopment Area, the 3rd Ward (central west part of town), the area of the 1st Ward not included in the Central Business District or Southern Redevelopment Area, plus any area designated as a theater exception. A “theater exception” allows alcohol sales during intermission at certain theater performances hosted by non-profit groups.
In each of the above areas of exception, the amount of allowed licenses would be limited to a specific number, the greatest of which would be in the Central Business District, with 25 plenary retail consumption licenses. The least would occur in the Neumann Leathers Redevelopment Area, with three plenary retail consumption licenses.
The number of licenses in each exception area is related to what currently exists, according to Councilman Jim Doyle.
“There will be no net increase in bars in Hoboken,” said Doyle. He said the amendment simply allows those with licenses to move about more freely in these areas of exception.
The ordinance states, “Based upon changes in the conditions within the city since the prohibition’s initial adoption [in the 1960s] including growth and redevelopment of the city, the city believes that certain modifications to the outright prohibition are in the best interest of the city.”
The ordinance also gives owners of plenary retail consumption licenses the ability to petition the City Council for an exception to the 500-foot rule. The petitioner will have to cite extraordinary circumstances and get six out of nine votes for the exception.
Several members of the public spoke about the change.
Resident Michael Gallucci, owner of The Grand Vin and Green Rock Tap & Grill, said he believes the 500-foot rule has had some “unintended consequences.”
He said that because of the rule, bars and restaurants who rent their space from landlords have very little leverage when negotiating rents because landlords know the bars are unable to move.
He also said that he believes the amendment would “improve the quality of life,” and “keep businesses humming instead of slaves to their landlords.”
Resident Daniel Tumpson said he was concerned there would be a “higher density” of bars in residential neighborhoods that would lower the quality of life.
Resident Mary Ondrejka said she was against the ordinance change and cited a possible decline in quality of life.
“I am against getting rid of the 500-foot rule,” she said. “I think when the council makes changes as serious as this, the council, and the Zoning Board, and the Planning Board can’t see and may not have the foresight to see what might happen.”
Doyle said, “We are trying to create a more dynamic commercial atmosphere… We thought it would be nice to have a couple of restaurants in these [redevelopment] areas to make it a destination because in the current rule that would not be able to happen.”
The council approved the ordinance 6-1, with Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher in dissent and Councilmen Michael DeFusco and Michael Russo absent.

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“This is a really exciting proposal.” – Stephen Marks
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HUD funding distributed

The City Council approved of funding for several non-profit and charitable organizations in town by disseminating Community Development Block Grants funded by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The council approved of $25,000 to the Jubilee Center for three lead program staffers for after school and summer camp instruction for children aged 6 through 13 years old; $40,0000 to the Hoboken Shelter for rent and utilities; and $20,000 to the Hudson County Homeless Street Outreach Team Project from the Garden State Episcopal Community Development Corporation to provide shelter food and services to homeless individuals.
The council also approved of $20,500 to Hoboken Day Care 100 for a portion of salaries for an eligibility specialist/administrator and an assistant teacher; $787,241 to the Hoboken Housing Authority to upgrade security infrastructure; $19,783 to Hoboken Family Planning for an administrative assistant and personal expenses and operational costs for the STD Awareness Program; and $10,000 to The Waterfront Project which will be used to facilitate the Housing Counseling and Legal Advocacy program which will cover operational and personal expenses associated with providing free legal services to Hoboken’s low and moderate income residents.
True Mentors also received $14,684.60 in funding for the TRUE Mentors Mentoring and Club expansion Project. The funding will help cover a portion of the program directors salary “who focuses on the growth safety and improvement of the youth program.”

Wi-Fi kiosks all over

The city will move forward with two contracts, one with Verizon and one with Intersection, both subject to final negotiations, for the city’s Smart City Initiative which will provide free public Wi-Fi in areas throughout town.
According to the resolutions, Intersection will provide free public Wi-Fi via kiosks, free phone calls, USB charging, and more for a seven-year term.
Verizon will provide outdoor municipal Wi-Fi to five municipal buildings; City Hall, the multi service center, the Hoboken Public Library, and Police and Fire Departments headquarters. They will also provide mobile Wi-Fi to the city’s five Hop buses. Verizon will also provide at least 23 to 35 outdoor digital kiosks throughout the city which will provide Wi-Fi.
According to Business Administrator Stephen Marks the initiatives will be at no cost to the city. “This is a really exciting proposal,” said Marks. “Intersection is proposing 30 kiosks for seven years at no cost to the city and will provide 1 gigabyte of high speed Wi-Fi per second. Verizon proposes about 25 to 35 kiosks for a 10 year term at no cost to the city which will also provide high speed Wi-Fi on HOP buses and five municipal buildings.”

SIDEBAR

Residents urge city to buy Dry Dock

Ron Hine of the Fund for a Better Waterfront presented a 47-page petition containing 2,174 signatures to the Hoboken City Council last Wednesday to ask the city to put the Union Dry Dock property on the city’s open space plan and make acquiring the land a priority.
The Union Dry Dock & Repair Co. is a barge repair company at 901 Sinatra Drive between Maxwell Place Park and Castle Point Park. It’s still operating, but Hine believes the city should make an offer to buy it.
Last month the business owners said the property was not for sale but that they have entertained bids in the past. Those offers had exceeded $15 million.
Several residents including Hine spoke during the public portion of the meeting.
“We have felt the political will to do this is nonexistent, and that is why we put up this petition,” said Hine.
“This is an opportunity for the city to make a commitment to make this happen; to finish our last missing pieces to the waterfront park at Union Dry Dock,” said Hine. “We can complete the waterfront park at this location. I ask all of you to join with us to make sure this becomes a reality.”
Resident Randy Brummette said, “Hoboken’s waterfront is world class. It blows everyone away. It’s breathtaking. Fabulous. It’s one of the biggest assets we have.”
“When I saw this petition it instantly stirred my passion. I sent it to 50 friends and got a 100 percent response rate,” said Brummette. “There are a million questions that still need to be answered. How will it be paid for, what will it look like, how much will it cost, but putting it in the Master Plan validates the idea.”
“What doesn’t make sense is the city not grabbing the Union Dry Dock land,” said resident Ellen Effron. “There are more families and more children who enjoy living in Hoboken and enjoy our parkland. Hoboken needs to create another continuous stretch of parkland.”
Lifelong resident Nick Borg said he remembers the waterfront’s industrial past and the freight trains that lined the road along the piers. “I remember back when it was at its worst and it’s been an amazing transition,” said Borg.
Councilwoman Jen Giattino asked Councilman Peter Cunningham to put the Union Dry Dock & Repair Co. on the north end community development meeting agenda to discuss it in that subcommittee.
Cunningham said, “I should hope without getting to far ahead that there is some money left in the open space trust account that could help support some aspect of that parcel we are discussing.”

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

Celebrating a Hoboken institution

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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Celebrating a Hoboken institution

Under a red tiled awning on the corner of Second and Grand streets sits a Hoboken landmark and institution, Leo’s Grandevous, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a block party on April 27.

Leo’s Grandevous began in 1939 when Leo and Tessie DiTerlizzi had the opportunity to turn a bar into a restaurant which has been family owned and operated ever since it first opened its doors.

Now generations of families and first-time visitors who can’t resist becoming regulars visit the restaurant for its home-cooked Italian meals, Frank Sinatra memorabilia, and jukebox.

How it began

According to Nick DePalma, Leo’s grandson, who owns the business, and his sister Grace Sciancalepore, the general manager, Leo’s began after it’s prior owner moved back to Italy and sold the bar for $500 to one of his employees, named Leo.

Leo worked part-time at the bar after his shifts in the Neumann Leathers building, which was a leather factory.

“It was every immigrant’s dream or desire to live the American dream,” said DePalma.

Back then, it was only a bar with a few pool tables where men would gather to play cards or shoot some pool.

It grew into a restaurant after Leo’s wife Tessie began cooking meals upstairs in their apartment and bringing them down for the bar patrons and pool players.

“She would make steamed mussels or marinara sauce and meatballs and people would come in and ask my grandfather what his wife was making that day so he decided to scrap the pool tables and build a kitchen,” said DePalma.

Once the Western Union Telegraph business closed next door, Leo bought the property to add to the bar and turned it into the kitchen so Tessie wouldn’t have to keep going up and down the stairs.

Over the years there has always been a member of the family running the business, and Sciancalepore and DePalma grew up spending their time at Leo’s

“I think my fondest memory of Grandpa Leo is he had this tradition on Friday nights before we opened for dinner he went up and would dance with all the waitresses,” said Sciancalepore. “I remember that vividly.”

DePalma said he couldn’t just pick one memory because Leo’s Grandevous has been so involved in the lives of its patrons.

“I’ve been involved in the restaurant for 32 years and all the memories seem to melt together,” said DePalma. “We have people celebrating birthdays, getting engaged, having weddings here, we’ve had wakes here and that to us is so special, but for our customers it’s monumental.”

“It’s just fun to look out when the restaurant is packed on a Friday night and you see everyone enjoying themselves. It’s been going on since 1939. It makes you feel like you are part of something bigger,” said DePalma.

Sinatra surroundings

Anyone who has gone to dine at Leo’s Grandevous knows it has one of the largest collections of Frank Sinatra material as the walls are covered with photographs and even a surfboard of Hoboken’s famous crooner.

“Not many people have that,” laughed DePalma.

He said his favorite was actually a picture of Sinatra given to him by his father-in-law that hangs in a back corner in the dining room.

It is framed along with a Frank Sinatra autograph signed during Sinatra’s visit to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Another is a painting of Sinatra, which is hung near the Jukebox.

“There’s a painting of Sinatra with a green background that has been here a long time, since the early 70s, which was given to my uncle when he was running Leo’s,” said DePalma. “It was in lieu of payment. There was a guy here who didn’t have any money and said ‘You know, I’m hungry, and I am an artist,’ and he painted a portrait and brought it in the next day to pay for his dinner.”

“We have all the stories we hear that grandpa fed a lot of people and in the ’70s people were hard on their luck,” said Sciancalepore.

“We had people come in and say the economy was bad and they just wanted a beer and a meal and that our grandfather didn’t charge them and they will always remember that,” said DePalma.

Leo’s Grandevous also has one of the largest selections of Sinatra’s music on their jukebox.

“Sinatra’s music and the growth and experiences of the people who come to Leo’s mirror one another. It is the perfect marriage,” said DePalma. “You have love, you have heartbreak, like in the song ‘A Very Good Year,’ he talks about his life and it mirrors the lives of people coming in here.”

80th-year celebration

To celebrate its anniversary Leo’s is holding a block party on April 27 on Second Street from Grand to Adams Street. The restaurant held a block party when it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The block party begins at 12 p.m. and will include performances by The Fuzzy Lemons, Casey and The Dirty Water Dogs, and Matthew Friedman & Uptown Sounds as well as face painting, and a special presentation from the city at 3 p.m.

There will also be an outside beer garden and specials from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., including 80 cent pizzas.

Sciancalepore said it was important to celebrate the milestone with the entire community, noting that Hoboken isn’t just where she works but were she and her family live.

For updates on this and other stories check http://www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached at Marilynb@hudsonreporter.com

Art House Productions Announces The Winner of Online Art Competition: “Pressing Pause: Living Life While Staying Put”

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Art House Productions Announces The Winner of Online Art Competition: “Pressing Pause: Living Life While Staying Put”

Art House Productions has announced the winner and honorable mentions for their first Visual Art Competition sponsored by Mack-Cali Realty/Harborside JC: “Pressing Pause: Living Life While Staying Put”.

The winner is “An Invincible Summer” by Karen Abada. Honorable mentions include “Zoom with Friends” by Donna O’ Grady, “The Opposite of Confinement” by Dorie Dahlberg, and “Organisims l” by Robert Burger. The winner was selected from 170 works of art from a total of 74 New Jersey Artists based on creativity, artistic excellence, and relevance to the theme.

The selection panel included Andrea McKenna, Artist and Art House Gallery Director; Loura van der Meule, Artist; Miguel Cardenas, Artist and Arts Educator, and Cheryl Mack, Owner and Director of Bridge Art Gallery.

The winning piece is “An Invincible Summer” by Karen Abada. Karen is an artist and freelance Creative Director from Montclair.

She says, “I created this painting to express the hope that our shared journey will lead us out of this nightmare into better times. The title comes from a line in an essay by Albert Camus, who also wrote The Plague: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was within me an invincible summer.”

Karen Abada will be awarded a $500 cash prize, her work will be featured on the Art House Productions’ website and social media for one month, and the winning piece will be displayed as part of Art House’s group show for the 30th Annual JCAST in October 2020.

“‘An Invincible Summer’ speaks of healing and hope. It resonates a feeling of freedom during a time when we feel like we have none. We dream of better days, we reminisce of what we had and look to the future for what will be.” says Andrea McKenna, the Art House Gallery director.

“As a first time juror in an art competition, I found that it wasn’t easy to select a winner but, at the same time, I was delighted to see so much good art from artists I did not know,” says panelist Loura van der Meule.

“It was a pleasure to have acted as one of the judges. Seeing all the amazing entries gave me a sense of connection, a glimpse of hope and the time to contemplate on how our creative community is responding to and expressing the sense of resigned isolation we are all collectively feeling during this ‘pause,’” says panelist Miguel Cardenas.

Honorable Mentions

“Zoom with Friends” by Donna O’ Grady
Donna was born in Jersey City, currently resides in Hoboken and has her studio in the Neumann Leather Building.

“The Opposite of Confinement” by Dorie Dahlberg
Dorie currently resides in Long Branch less than a mile from the beachfront. At present, Dorie is the co-president of Pro Arts Jersey City, an all-volunteer artist-run organization. In the fall of 2019, Dorie became an adjunct professor in the art department of New Jersey City University, Jersey City NJ.

“Organisims l” by Robert Burger
Robert is an award winning artist from Stockton, NJ.

Art House is working creatively to deliver digital content during this pandemic. While the doors to our physical space might be temporarily closed, we are here in the digital space as a source of strength, creativity, humor, and light when you need inspiration and affirmation.

In the coming days, weeks, and months, we’re planning artist features & profiles, performance videos, online galleries, and livestreaming community events! For information about upcoming digital events and features, please visit www.arthouseproductions.org/collections/art-house-online, along with our Facebook, Twitter & Instagram for more information.

To sign up for Art House’s mailing list, please click here: http://bit.ly/398W33P.

Art House Productions is located at 262 17th Street in Jersey City and is a 5,500 square foot facility with elevator access, accessible bathrooms, and wheelchair ramp accessibility. For additional accessibility requests and inquiries, please contact info@arthouseproductions.org

Follow Art House on Twitter @arthouseprods or Instagram and Facebook: @arthouseproductions

Eighty Years and Counting

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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Eighty Years and Counting

Under a red tiled awning on the corner of Second and Grand streets sits a Hoboken institution, which is celebrating 80 years of good food, good beer, and good cheer.

Leo’s Grandevous opened in 1939 when Leo and Tessie DiTerlizzi turned a bar into a restaurant. Since then, generations of families and first-time visitors have become regulars, returning again and again for home-cooked Italian specialties, Frank Sinatra memorabilia, and a legendary jukebox, with one of the largest selections of Sinatra songs.

In April, Mayor Ravi Bhalla and the city of Hoboken celebrated the contributions of the storied restaurant with a street renaming. The sign “Leo’s Way” was unveiled. Leo’s grandchildren, owner Nick De Palma and his sister, general manager Grace Sciancalepore were on hand. The ceremony took place during a block party to mark its anniversary. Grace says it was important to celebrate the milestone with the entire community, noting that Hoboken isn’t just where she works but were she and her family live.

“Over the past 80 years, many things have changed in our Mile Square, but one has remained the same, the family tradition of Hoboken’s oldest restaurant, Leo’s Grandevous,” said Bhalla. “No restaurant embodies the Hoboken spirit more than Leo’s.”

“We are extremely proud to have been part of the Hoboken community for these 80 years,” Grace said. “We are so happy to be a source of Hoboken tradition, and we are resolved to work just as hard as the mayor to keep Hoboken a great place to live.”

In the Beginning …

The landmark has been family owned and operated for all eight decades. When the former owner moved back to Italy, he sold the bar for $500 to Leo, one of his employees.

Leo worked part-time at the bar after his shifts in the Neumann Leathers building, which really was a leather factory before it became a hub for Hoboken’s art scene.

“It was every immigrant’s dream or desire to live the American dream,” Nick says.

Back then, it was just a bar, where men gathered to shoot pool or play cards.

It morphed into a restaurant when Leo’s wife Tessie began cooking meals upstairs in their apartment and bringing them down for the bar patrons and pool players.

“She would make steamed mussels or marinara sauce and meatballs, and people would come in and ask my grandfather what his wife was making that day, so he decided to scrap the pool tables and build a kitchen,” Nick says.

When the Western Union Telegraph business closed next door, Leo bought the property turning it into a kitchen so Tessie wouldn’t have to keep going up and down stairs.

Total Recall

Grace and Nick were pretty much raised at Leo’s.

“I think my fondest memory of Grandpa Leo is he had this tradition on Friday nights before we opened for dinner, he went up and would dance with all the waitresses,” Grace relates. “I remember that vividly.”

“I’ve been involved in the restaurant for 32 years, and all the memories seem to melt together,” Nick says. “We have people celebrating birthdays, getting engaged, having weddings here; we’ve had wakes here, and that to us is so special, but for our customers it’s monumental. It’s just fun to look out when the restaurant is packed on a Friday night, and you see everyone enjoying themselves. It’s been going on since 1939. It makes you feel like you are part of something bigger.”

Frank Who?

Leo’s boasts one of the largest collections of Frank Sinatra memorabilia. The walls are covered with photographs, and there’s even a surfboard, which pays him homage. Somehow, surfing and Sinatra don’t exactly track.

“Not many people have that,” Nick jokes.

He said his favorite picture is one of Sinatra given to him by his father-in-law that hangs in a back corner in the dining room.

It’s framed along with a Frank Sinatra autograph signed during Sinatra’s visit to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Good Neighbors

Another is a painting of Sinatra, which hangs near the jukebox.

“It’s a painting of Sinatra with a green background that has been here a long time, since the early ‘70s, which was given to my uncle when he was running Leo’s,” Nick says. “It was in lieu of payment. There was a guy here who didn’t have any money and said ‘You know, I’m hungry, and I am an artist,’ and he painted a portrait and brought it in the next day to pay for his dinner.”

“We hear that Grandpa fed a lot of people in the ’70s when people were hard on their luck,” Grace says.

“We had people come in and say the economy was bad, and they just wanted a beer and a meal, and that our grandfather didn’t charge them, and they will always remember that,” Nick says.

“Sinatra’s music and the growth and experiences of the people who come to Leo’s mirror one another,” Nick says. “It is the perfect marriage. You have love, you have heartbreak, like in the song ‘A Very Good Year,’ he talks about his life, and it mirrors the lives of people coming in here.”—Marilyn Baer

Safety improvements proposed for Newark Street

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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Safety improvements proposed for Newark Street

The city may undertake construction on Newark Street to make it safer for motorists and pedestrians, according to a public meeting held on Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Multi Service Center.
Roughly 40 residents filled the community room to hear a presentation by project designers Kimley-Horn.
According to project manager Adam Gibson, Newark Street may soon have curb bump outs, a mid-block raised crosswalk, a protected bike lane along the southern side of the street, unprotected sharrows on the northern side of the street, additional crosswalks, dedicated loading zones, flashing lights, and green space.
“It’s a balancing act, making sure the cars can flow through, but that it is totally safe for pedestrians,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I live in this neighborhood, so I understand the concerns about this area. Cars don’t stop, and the idea is to change that.”
“These improvements will hopefully make drivers a little uncomfortable driving,” Gibson said, “so they pay more attention and are more likely to stop, including narrowing the roadway with bike lanes and bump outs.

Proposed work

At the intersection of Willow Avenue and Newark Street, the proposal includes two bump outs on the northern side of Willow Avenue with a loading zone on the northwest corner. On the southeast corner there is potential landscaping.
At the intersection of Newark and Clinton streets, there will be curb bump outs on the northern side of Newark Street shortening the crosswalk across Clinton Street.
On the southern side of this intersection will be a protected bike lane and a painted jug handle for cyclists to turn left, and a new crosswalk across Newark Street connecting to the northwestern corner.
At Newark and Grand streets there will be a new crosswalk across Newark Street from the northeast to southeast with landscaping to the east. There will also be a bump out at this corner and a painted bump out to the northwest corner of Grand Street. This intersection will also have a potential Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) sign which flashes alternating lights, much like a police vehicle, when a crosswalk button is pushed to alert drivers of a crossing pedestrian.
At Newark and Adams streets there could be a bumpout on the northwestern side shorting the crosswalk across Adams Street met by a painted and textured bumpout on the northeastern corner. There is also a proposed loading zone along the northwestern side of this intersection.
At Newark and Jefferson streets there would be a new partially-raised crosswalk to the east of the intersection connecting the north side of Newark Street to Observer Highway. This intersection may also utilize the RRFB signal. There is also potential landscaping space along the northeastern corner of Jefferson and Newark streets.
The southern bike lane will be protected by bollards and will begin at the intersection of Observer Highway and Newark Street and head north on Newark Street to Willow Avenue. The northern shared bike lane will span the same blocks.
The plan also proposes additional signs such as “bikes yield to pedestrians” and “pedestrian ahead” signs, directional signs, and upgrades to existing crosswalks.

Feedback

Neil Blecher, a resident of the area, asked why the city hadn’t considered a traffic signal.
“Why are we using flashing signs and no traffic lights?” said Blecher. “It still seems like a relatively long corridor without any real traffic control.”
Gibson said traffic volume off the side streets is not high enough to warrant a traffic signal.
Neighbor Ron Rosenberg suggested a stop sign and lit crosswalks.
_____________
“It isn’t uncommon for us to take to the road hands up to oncoming cars to cross.” – Ron Rosenberg
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“I think Neil is spot on when he says we need another excuse for traffic to stop,” said Rosenberg, a resident of Hoboken for 35 years. “I get your point about a light but maybe a stop sign is better. I notice that you guys thought very carefully about every intersection … and understand why you need some stuff, but is there a tech that would allow you to imbed some LED light in inlets so driver will see pedestrian trying to cross the road. Part of the problem is darkness.”
Gibson said there are crosswalks that imbed lights in the pavement. “This is a step by step process. We started with the basic functions and now we are going to the next step. We haven’t yet discussed lights in the sidewalk or road but it is something we can look at.”
Rosenberg said, “It isn’t uncommon for us to take to the road hands up to oncoming cars to cross.”
“I think this is going to make a significant change in our safety, at least for residents in my building and incoming Neumann Leathers building years from now,’ said Rosenberg.
Resident Jim Vance wondered when the project could begin.
“It needs to be done now,” said Vance. “In this town it takes forever to get anything done.”
Zimmer said they are trying to take a proactive approach and will get feedback from the public and the county before finalizing the project plan. “We are looking to get this done this year.”
Councilman Michael DeFusco asked if there would be a loss of parking spots. Gibson said there would not.
Hoboken resident Angela Montero said as a mother in the area with small children, the new second crosswalk at Newark and Grand streets would make her feel safer.
“It makes me feel safer because of right turn lanes out of Grand Street onto Newark,” said Montero.

Past safety improvements

The city has tried to improve the safety conditions of the corridor, according to the mayor and Gibson.
They have utilized in-street pedestrian crossing signs, police pedestrian decoy operations, restriped crosswalks at Grand and Adams streets, striped a shoulder along the southern side of Newark, painted bump outs, and installed flashing LED pedestrian crossing signs.
Marilyn Baer can be reached at marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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HOBOKEN BRIEFS

We stand corrected

Two recent columns and one news story that appeared in The Hudson Reporter contained factual errors. The columns and story were about an alleged rape by a campaign worker in Phil Murphy’s gubernatorial campaign.

Katie Brennan has accused Albert J. Alvarez of allegedly raping her in April 2017 in Jersey City after a campaign event. Alvarez has denied the charge, claimed the encounter was consensual, and has not been charged with a crime.

The errors appeared in a news story on Jan. 24 by Al Sullivan and in his columns on Feb. 7 and 14.

The column speculated on Feb. 7, stated as fact on Feb. 14, and amplified on material reported in a Jan. 24 news article – erroneously in all cases – that someone in the office of Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez had communicated with Peter Cammarano, Gov. Murphy’s soon-to-be-chief of staff, about pending charges against Alvarez and, later, that Cammarano had a role in the decision that no charges would be filed.

Testimony by Cammarano before the Legislative Select Oversight Committee indicates this was not true. Another issue raised in the Feb. 7 column – suggesting someone in Suarez’s office kept her in the dark about the case, yet had the political savvy to communicate with the governor’s chief of staff – was based on that error of fact. Cammarano has testified he was not in contact with Suarez or anyone in her office.

His testimony was corroborated by Murphy’s Deputy Chief of Staff Justin Braz, a friend of Brennan, who also testified before the same committee that he told Cammarano about the pending charges based on information from Brennan.

City issues stop work order to NY Waterway

After NY Waterway ferries appeared at the former Union Dry Dock site and work appeared to be underway Wednesday, Feb. 13 the city issued a stop work order later that afternoon ceasing all work.

“All persons acting contrary to this order or mutilating this notice are liable to arrest unless such action is authorized by the department,” reads the neon orange legal notice taped to the property’s gates.

The Union Dry Dock property was purchased by NY Waterway in November 2017 to become the ferry company’s ferry homeport for maintenance and refueling.

City, county, and state officials have opposed the project, determined to make the property public open space citing public safety, health, and environmental concerns.

According to city spokesperson Vijay Chaudhuri, NY Waterway was permitted to do minor work on the site that does not include changes to the use, including trailer and debris removal.

He said the stop work order was issued for ferry maintenance work, which was not permitted or authorized by the city adding that “no use or conditional use of the site has been approved by the city to NY Waterways or Port Imperial Marine Service.”

In a statement, Mayor Ravi Bhalla said NY Waterway agreed to temporarily cease ferry maintenance operations in response to the stop work order and with the assistance of  Gov. Phil Murphy’s office.

“We look forward to working cooperatively with the governor’s team to find solutions that advance the best interests of Hoboken’s residents,” said Bhalla. “I’ll continue taking all necessary actions to preserve Union Dry Dock for public open space. Hoboken residents deserve a park, not a ferry refueling depot. We need to do everything possible to protect our environment and our waterfront.”

Public hearing announced regarding Community Development Block Grants

The Hoboken Department of Community Development will host a public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoboken Multi Service Center,  124 Grand St. regarding its Annual Action Plan for 2019 for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

During the meeting, the city will gather public input on the content of the Annual Action Plan, which is created every year and assists the city in determining community needs.

Public input will inform the city’s anticipated Annual Action Plan for 2019 which the city intends to submit to HUD for review and acceptance in May.

Members of the community are invited to complete an online survey to provide their feedback: https://goo.gl/forms/1S8dA3ANfjzmUeXd2.

The survey will be available until Monday, February 25.

Register for art or fitness in the park

Residents can now register for Art in the Park and Fitness in the Park programs. Art in the Park is a six-week creative arts program this summer for children ages 1-4 years of age. A parent or guardian must accompany children. You must be a Hoboken resident; proof of residency is required.

Sessions will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at Elysian Park at 10th and Hudson streets and on Wednesdays at Pier A Park at First Street and Sinatra Drive.

Participants can sign up for the session from 9 to 10:30 a.m. or the one from from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Classes begin the week of June 17; it costs $40 for the full six-week program. To sign up go to www.hobokennj.gov/register.

Hoboken is also scheduling a free outdoor fitness, yoga, and meditation series in the park for this summer.

Dates are available for fitness instructors to host fitness classes on Tuesday night in Southwest Park and Thursday night in the Northwest Pop Up Park as well as meditation classes on Wednesday night at Pier C.

Any interested instructors should email Geri Fallo at gfallo@hobokennj.gov

Youth tennis programs launched

Hoboken will launch a tennis recreation program for children.

The city has partnered with Tennis Approach to offer tennis lessons to children ages 6 to 14.

Registration is now open to Hoboken residents on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Tennis Approach’s certified tennis professionals will provide lessons at the tennis courts at the Northwest Pop-up Park.

Parents can register their children, who must be Hoboken residents, at http://www.hobokennj.gov/register.

Class times start the week of April 15 through the week of June 3, Monday through Friday.

Parents can only register their children for one session per week. Parents may request that their children be placed on a waiting list to take part in additional sessions if space is available.

‍FBW to host open house to save the waterfront

On Sunday, Feb. 24 from 12 to 4 p.m. the Fund for a Better Waterfront will host an open house to discuss what residents can do to save the waterfront.

NY Waterway plans to develop the former Union Dry Dock site along Hoboken’s northern waterfront into its ferry homeport for ferry maintenance and refueling.

Elected officials and residents have said they would like the property for public open space and cite environmental, safety, and health concerns with the ferry facility.

Attendees will enjoy live music, mimosas, chocolate, and learn what they can do to help save the waterfront.

FBW will be writing, calling, emailing, and tweeting the governor all day; he will make the final decision about the property according to a press release.

The FBW open house will be in the Neumann Leathers Building at 300 Observer Hwy, Fifth floor.

 Noir at the Bar comes to Hoboken

On Sunday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. Noir at the Bar will take place at Mulligan’s Pub at 159 First St.

Noir at the Bar is an international series of readings devoted to crime and mystery stories; this is the first time it will be hosted in Hoboken.

Participating authors include E.A. Aymar & Erika C, Jen Conley, Jim Fusilli, Kellye Garrett, Caren Lissner, Lizzie Skurnick, Jeffrey Somers, John Vercher, and host Jason Pinter.

Little City Books will sell books at the event, which is free.

 

 

 

Hoboken’s new municipal complex vision gets a public airing

Mark Koosau, Staff Writer
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Hoboken’s new municipal complex vision gets a public airing

The city of Hoboken laid out it’s newest version of the municipal complex proposal, and discussed the costs of the project and other aspects during a community meeting Monday night.

Originally slated to be a new municipal works garage as part of the Monarch agreement, the city has expanded its vision and proposed a new municipal complex in the northwest end of the city, a facility that will include public safety departments, city offices and community spaces.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla said that the current police, fire and public works facilities are worn out, and that the city is also looking at other community needs, such as recreation and the public library, to ultimately create a place for the long term.

“What we’ve proposed with professionals that are a lot more talented than I am is a municipal complex that can meet multiple essential city functions, and create a much better quality of life for our residents,” he said. “This is what I think residents of the city of Hoboken deserve.”

Newest version of proposal

The city had initially held a virtual meeting going in-depth on the project proposal last month, and made changes based on the feedback they received since then. Architect John Nastasi said that the public wanted to have the 15th St. side, which was going to be the fire station, to be more community based, as well as having a municipal pool at the complex.

In the newest version of the proposal, the Department of Public Works would be on 16th St. across from the Hudson Hudson Sewerage Authority. The front of the building would be the fire department, and above the DPW would be the police headquarters, as well as the Office of Emergency Management.

“You can imagine in a city like this with 55,000 people, under one roof, we have all the public safety,” said Nastasi. “When there’s a crisis event, we could have joint efforts, have shared spaces and have fire, police, OEM and public works working together under the same roof.”

One of the public’s most requested features were creating a community space and having a pool. Photo by Mark Koosau.

The 15th St. side of the complex would be the community building for public access, such as having art classes, going to the north branch of the library or reserving space for a community meeting. The roof of the lower building could also be a community park and municipal pool.

The project would also have a new city courthouse, City Council chambers and city offices. It could also potentially have a 549 vehicle parking garage, a recreational center and a field house.

The city presented four options for the complex: the base option, one that includes the municipal pool and parking, one that also includes the recreational center, and one that also includes the indoor field house, and sought for additional feedback from residents on the proposal.

Costs of the project

The overall budget for the project would cost at least $152.2 million, with $115 million for public services, $18 million for sitework, and $19.5 million for site acquisition. Adding the pool and parking would cost $10 million more, adding the recreation center would cost an additional $20 million, and the field house would cost another $10 million more.

The city administration said that they want to have as little taxpayer impact as possible in creating the project. Environmental Services Director Jennfier Gonzalez said that they’re looking at multiple sources, starting with private funding from PILOT agreements for the LCOR Site 2 PILOT at $21.5 million and the Neumann Leathers PILOT at $31.7 million.

Once they use up their developer options, they’ll then look at potential assets that the city currently owns that they could redevelop, such as the police and fire headquarters, the fire museum, the automated garage and the North Lot (though they would consider the lot if the pool and recreation options were selected), which would all be worth another $55 million.

The municipal complex proposed is estimated to cost at least $152.2 million. Photo by Mark Koosau.

They could also have contributions from the Hoboken Public Library for the uptown library branch, and grant funding such as the FIRE Act Authorization.

The potential taxpayer contribution over 30 years for the project would be at least $28.5 million and up to $38.5 million. Referencing the later amount, Gonzalez said that it would cost taxpayers about $130 per year.

“This is just a starting point,” she said. “We are continuing to work and get more and more details, and more potential funding sources, namely developer funding.”

Gonzalez said that consolidating their facilities would result in resource sharing and operational savings for residents, and there would also be financial savings from developing one building instead of multiple.

The Poggi factor

The city wants to locate the complex at 1501 Adams St., the site of the Poggi Press building. But the property’s owner, Charlie Poggi, is opposed, saying he wants to redevelop the property himself.

Poggi said in a statement that the city’s plan is “voodoo math,” and questioned the city’s usage of PILOT money. “The city is willing to give more tax breaks to developers to pay for its complex – but the reality is that the city can’t pay for its project by diverting revenue needed to provide services and pay employees,” he said.

“I believe my original redevelopment proposal would have been better for the city and the residents of the North End,” he continued.

The City Council adopted an ordinance last month to allow the city to buy the property or acquire it through condemnation, known as eminent domain. A $40 million bond ordinance to acquire the property has been held off the agenda since then.

When asked about Poggi’s opposition to the plan, Bhalla said that they want to work “very cooperatively” with him and reach an agreement.

For updates on this and other stories, check hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at mkoosau@hudsonreporter.com or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.

HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Marilyn Baer, Staff Writer
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HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Council members defend colleague after union attack ad

Elec 825, an affiliate of the Local 825 Operating Engineers union, ran an attack ad on local TV against a Hoboken councilman two weeks ago, a strange move since the councilman isn’t even up for election.

The union ran an ad criticizing Hoboken Councilman Jim Doyle for his “No” vote on the proposed Hilton hotel in Hoboken on Oct. 17 Doyle was the only council member who voted “no.” He voted that way even though he usually supports the administration’s initiatives.

The ad said Doyle “abandoned Hoboken’s children” for voting against the plan.

“The commercial was both troubling in its attack on Jim for his vote as it was in its messaging to all Hoboken elected officials – vote ‘yes’ or else,” said Councilman Peter Cunningham in a press release on Oct. 29. “This type of bullying by a union, or any large contributor, will not be tolerated. ”

The hotel currently proposed is 20 percent larger than what was previously passed by the City Council in April 2017, which Doyle stated he did not support.

“Jim, along with then-Councilman Bhalla before he was elected mayor, consistently voted for a more moderate hotel.  Jim, however, held to his beliefs, voted accordingly, and should not have to be subjected to such public threats,” said Council Vice President Jen Giattino in the press release.

The redevelopment agreement is with KMS Development, which plans to put a 20-story Hilton on the property behind the post office at 89 River St. The council vote was to approve the redevelopment plan. Construction may start as soon 2019.

Hoboken resident pleads guilty in vote-by-mail scheme

Hoboken resident Lizaida Camis, 55, has pleaded guilty to participation in a 2013 voter bribery scheme, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

Carpenito said Camis pleaded guilty on Nov. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an indictment charging her with conspiracy to use the mail to promote a voter bribery scheme during the 2013 municipal election in Hoboken.

Former city council candidate Frank Raia and campaign worker Dio Braxton have been indicted on similar charges.

According to the same announcement, Camis, Braxton, and others “at former Hoboken City Council candidate Frank Raia’s direction, [allegedly] agreed to pay certain Hoboken voters $50 each if those voters applied for and cast mail-in ballots for the November 2013 Hoboken municipal election.”

Camis and others allegedly provided these voters with vote-by-mail applications and then delivered the completed applications to the Hudson County Clerk’s office.

The Nov. 8 announcement also states that after the mail-in ballots were delivered to the voters, “Camis and others went to the voters’ residences and, in some cases, allegedly instructed the voters to vote for a rent control referendum that Raia supported.”

They then allegedly promised the voters they would be paid $50 for casting their mail-in ballots and told them that they could pick up their checks after the election at an office Raia owned.

“Bank records show that voters who interacted with Camis and Braxton received $50 checks from an entity associated with Raia,” the announcement states.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2019.

Hoboken City Council votes to remove Planning Board member

After a two-hour public hearing held during their Nov. 7  meeting, the City Council voted to remove Gary Holtzman from the Hoboken Planning Board with a 6-2-1 vote. Councilman Michael DeFusco abstained.

Holtzman was an unpaid volunteer on the board and had served since 2011.

The council’s reason was that Holtzman sent an email to developers, architects, and real estate professionals that included a list of 16 attorneys who could potentially represent applicants before the board.

Holtzman said that the list was compiled because Bob Matule, a local land-use attorney who often came before the board, was retiring and many people had asked for suggestions for a land use attorney.

Members of the council said they felt the email opened the city to potential risk and litigation. For instance, an applicant who didn’t use one of the land use attorneys on the list might feel he or she was at a disadvantage.

During the hearing, Holtzman said, “If I’m guilty of anything at all, it’s of trying to help applicants have a good experience dealing with the planning and zoning boards and expedite and improve the process for everyone involved.”

Holtzman said that in hindsight, compiling the list of attorneys and emailing it was the result of a good intention but bad execution.

Two council members who voted against removing Holtzman, Councilman Jim Doyle and Emily Jabbour, who ran with Mayor Ravi Bhalla last year. Those who voted for removing him are often politically opposed to Bhalla.

For a more detailed story on the hearing, look to the Nov. 22 edition of The Hoboken Reporter.

Rockin’ Redwings march to victory in competitions

The Hoboken school district’s Rockin’ Redwings marching band placed in several competitions last month.

They won a first place trophy in the Class A Competition at the West Orange Marching Festival on Oct. 6.

They followed this performance by earning a 77.2 rating and a Silver Award at the highly competitive Wayne Hills Marching Festival on Oct. 20.

The Rockin’ Redwings earned their highest score of the season and an “Excellent” rating during the state ratings portion of the Bloomfield Marching Band Festival on Oct. 28

Marching Band Director Dave Stasiak attributes this year’s successes to a number of factors, including an expanded group of support staff and a larger student population.

Several skilled high school musicians, such as drum major Amiah Edmondson, captain Mariah Torres, and lieutenant Jared De la Rosa, have also helped to improve the musicianship of the band and will audition for Northern New Jersey’s Region I Honor Band after marching season.

The Rockin’ Redwings are also scheduled to perform once again in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington D.C. in 2019. For more information visit the Rockin’ Redwings on the web at www.rockinredwings.com.

City expands composting program 

In partnership with Community Compost Company, the city now offers free weekly curbside pickup of food scraps for local businesses and schools. The city also now offers a free compost drop off site for Hoboken residents. To get started, businesses and schools should take the short business compost pickup survey at www.hobokennj.gov/compost. To register for residential compost pickup service go to www.communitycompostco.com

The city will also visit local businesses to discuss waste disposal operations if requested. For any questions on composting or to schedule a visit, please contact Dave Calamoneri at dcalamoneri@hobokennj.gov or 201.420.2000 x4000.

A book of dreams about Bob Dylan

Mary Lee Kortes has compiled a book of dreams that musicians have had about Bob Dylan. She’ll present the book Friday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m., at Little City Books, 100 Bloomfield St., Hoboken.

With her will be Hoboken’s Guitar Bar All Stars Jim Mastro, Boo Reiners and Patrick Conlon and special guests Warren Zanes, Dave Schramm, Glenn Mercer of the Feelies, Elena Skye, Richard Barone (Bongos), The Kennedys, and Laura Cantrell.

Tickets are $40 in advance on line or in store. For more information call (201) 626-7323, or visit https://www.littlecitybooks.com/dreaming-dylan-115-dreams-about-bob

Hoboken Artists’ Studio Tour drew many

The  Artists’ Studio Tour on Saturday, Nov. 3 and Sunday, Nov. 4 drew hundreds of visitors to the city’s art studios, restaurants, and other creative venues to enjoy paintings, photography, fashion, music, and all other art forms. The free event ran both days from noon to 6 p.m.

Especially popular were two former factory buildings that now hold artist lofts and businesses: the Neumann Leather building near the city’s southern border, and 720 Monroe St. But there were also numerous individual workshops, apartments, and businesses to visit, including eight galleries.

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