One of the commercial properties on the west side of River Road now included in the redevelopment plan. Image via Google Maps.
North Bergen has created a new zoning district in the township.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance at a Dec. 7 meeting to implement a Master Plan amendment creating a new zoning district after the measure was introduced at a Nov. 9 meeting. Known as the RRC-2 River Road Commercial 2, the district permits commercial use along a portion of the west side of River Road.
The Planning Board adopted a “Periodic Reexamination and Report of the Master Plan and Land Use Plan Element Amendment” at its Nov. 1 meeting. It recognized the character of certain properties on the west side of River Road between Bulls Ferry Road and the border with Edgewater as predominately nonresidential.
The commercial nature of that portion of the street has occurred despite being residentially zoned.
In addition, a number of lots don’t conform to existing zoning bulk standards. Those factors, coupled with significant residential growth in the vicinity, warrant an amendment to the current zoning for these lots in terms of uses and bulk standards.
The Board of Commissioners is responsible for implementing recommendations of the Master Plan to create the new commercial zone district. The new zone permits retail and commercial uses on that side of River Road.
What’s permitted in the new commercial zone?
Permitted uses in the district includes retail sales, personal services, professional offices, banks and eating and drinking establishments without drive-thru or walk-up service.
Cannabis retailers and medical cannabis dispensaries with the proper permits are allowed. According to the ordinance, this is only as long as there is only one within the district and it does not exceed the township’s limit of two dispensaries.
According to the ordinance, the bulk standards now require a minimum lot area of 2,500 square feet, a minimum lot width of 25 feet, a minimum lot depth of 27 feet, no minimum setback from the street or side yard setback or 5 feet if provided, a minimum rear yard setback of 10 feet, a maximum building coverage of 50 percent, a minimum landscaped area of 10 percent, maximum impervious coverage of 90 percent and a maximum building height of three stories or 40 feet.
Buildings with expansive blank walls facing the public right of way are prohibited. According to the ordinance, large horizontal buildings must be broken into segments having vertical orientation.
Architectural elements and design variation, including building offsets, must be integrated to preclude a continuous uninterrupted facade, according to the ordinance. Side and rear building elevations must receive architectural treatments comparable to front facades when visible from a public right-of-way.
A significant landscape feature must be provided. Total landscaping must not be less than 10 percent of the site area, according to the ordinance. Street trees must be provided around parking areas. Parking rows longer than 20 spaces must have a 6-foot-wide landscaped island. There must be particular focus on landscaping the River Road frontage in a “creative and aesthetically-pleasing manner.”
Board unanimously approves Master Plan amendment
Sacco noted the lack of residents this time around to discuss the ordinance. At the Nov. 22 meeting, Nenad and Kathy Krickovic spoke in favor of the Master Plan amendment ordinance, but against the lack of specification of some bulk standards in the district. They also pointed to issues with telephone poles blocking the sidewalk that would be exacerbated by the lack of certain bulk standards, specifically when it comes to setbacks in the front yard.
The amendment went back to the Planning Board for another approval on Dec. 6 before a public hearing for it returned to the Board of Commissioners. With no changes from the Planning Board, the ordinance authorizing the amendment was back for a public hearing and vote by the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 7.
“The people that were here last meeting, I guess they were satisfied with the ordinance,” Sacco said in December. However, Nenad Krickovic was actually in the audience at that meeting.
While he did not address the board from the podium like last time, Krickovic confirmed to Sacco that he was “very satisfied.” The board then voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
The next meeting of the Board of Commissioners is on Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. in the municipal chambers at Town Hall at 4233 Kennedy Blvd. For more information, go to northbergen.org.
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.
Shaya Brodchandel, CEO of the Harmony Foundation. Photo courtesy of Harmony.
Secaucus’ Harmony Dispensary recently made headlines after getting state approval to expand from medical cannabis sales to recreational adult-use sales. However, what went somewhat under the radar was that, at the end of October, the workers of the dispensary unionized.
On Oct. 22, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 announced the decision of workers at the Harmony Foundation and its Harmony Dispensary to unionize as members of UFCW. Harmony employees added their names to the fast-growing ranks of UFCW Local 360 from New Jersey’s fledgling cannabis economy.
“This is great news for these workers and their families. They carefully considered and then selected the career-enhancing benefits that come with joining Local 360,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360 organizing director.
“From ensuring sick and ailing patients get the help they need, to educating them on how to properly experience the benefits of medical marijuana, to supporting the expansion of this industry, they have shown their commitment to the promises of the cannabis economy,” Giordano said.
“Across the cannabis industry, a new breed of workers is discovering that true unions play a critical role in properly balancing the needs of workers, communities and employers,” said Sam Ferraino Jr., president of UFCW Local 360.
”This vote is not only a sign of support for the union’s pledge to make a positive impact on businesses, families and communities, it is also a statement of support for high operating standards and a diverse and skilled workforce with good working conditions,” Ferraino said.
From “seed to sale,” UFCW is a leader in organizing cannabis industry employees and is the official AFL-CIO-designated cannabis labor union. Representing tens of thousands of cannabis workers in dispensaries, labs, delivery, manufacturing, processing, grow facilities and more, UFCW said it works with employees and business owners to achieve “the shared goal of a regulated cannabis industry that delivers family-sustaining jobs and is focused on social equity.”
“We have always said that the UFCW supports cannabis industry workers from seed to sale,” Giordano added. “And with a company like Harmony, that’s clearly the case. They’re already a name in medical marijuana, with their own cultivation and dispensary operations, and they’re actively looking to expand, both geographically through new businesses and by entering the adult-use market. It is the right time to join Local 360 and we are proud that these employees have come to the same conclusion.”
Harmony now joins the ongoing unionization of cannabis workers nationwide. While it has been approved to enter into the adult cannabis market at its Secaucus dispensary, Harmony also plans on opening medical dispensaries in Hoboken and Jersey City, in addition to its new cultivation site in Lafayette.
“Harmony has always believed that the men and women that come to work every day in our dispensaries deserve to have their voices heard on the job,” said Shaya Brodchandel, CEO of Harmony. “We look forward to our future discussions with our team members, and UFCW Local 360, to build on Harmony’s reputation as being a truly great place to work.”
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.
Hudson Regional Hospital is facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines from the NJDOH over the incident, but is working to prevent such occurrences in the future. Image courtesy of the hospital.
Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus is facing $63,000 in fines from the New Jersey Department of Health after a weapons cache was discovered at the facility in July.
That month, law enforcement uncovered the weapons after investigating a bomb threat at the hospital. While it was ultimately a hoax, over 38 different types of weapons were discovered at Hudson Regional Hospital.
Handguns, shotguns, rifles and ammo found at hospital
On July 18, police swept the building in response to reports of a bomb threat, according to a statement by Police Chief Dennis Miller at the time. He said that during the sweep, bomb detection canines from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and Bayonne Police Department gave a positive indication on an unlocked closet within an office in which police discovered a large cache of rifles, shotguns and handguns, and assorted ammunition.
In total, 11 handguns of various calibers and 27 rifles and shotguns were discovered. Among these was a .45 caliber semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine. Additionally, a 14-round high-capacity handgun magazine was also seized. The bomb threat was later determined to be a hoax.
In the wake of the incident, Reuven Alonalayoff, a 46-year-old from Elmwood Park, was arrested on Aug. 7 at Newark Liberty International Airport with assistance from the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations. He was charged with possession of an assault firearm and two counts of possession of a high-capacity magazine. These charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
While the police described him as the marketing director, in a statement at the time, Hudson Regional Hospital clarified that he was a “non-employee consultant.” In August, police body camera footage of the incident was released.
The video reported by multiple news outlets showed the sheer amount of weaponry stored at the hospital by Alonalayoff. This was a frightening revelation given mass shootings occurring with increasing frequency across the United States.
“The presence of weapons in a hospital is inexcusable beyond comprehension and contradicts our mission of care and our commitment to the safety of our community of staff, patients and the extended community,” the hospital said in a statement at the time. “While regrettable, this incident has given us occasion to review security protocols and we have taken steps to assure that it will never happen again.”
Reuven Alonalayoff, image via the Secaucus Police Department.
Fined for multiple violations with NJDOH
Now, the hospital has been issued fines from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH), according to the four-page assessment of penalties issued on Nov. 30. The NJDOH conducted a complaint survey at the hospital on Aug. 23.
The reason behind the the fines is for the hospital not notifying the state within three hours of the Secaucus Police Department investigating the bomb threat and uncovering the weapons cache. According to the NJDOH, Hudson Regional Hospital was also in violation because it failed to keep a violence prevention plan and implement policies and procedures to maintain a safe hospital environment.
The NJDOH stated that the facility security failed to inquire about and identify the weapons brought to the hospital by a now-former employee. The state also highlighted how a facility staffer did become aware of the weapons, but did not report the discovery to hospital security.
According to the NJDOH, when Alonalayoff brought the firearms into the facility, they were not visible to onlookers or security personnel as they were contained in cases and were covered with plastic. In addition, when the unnamed staffer discovered Alonalayoff’s weapons cache one day when she entered his office to use the restroom while he wasn’t there, she saw the weapons inside but did not report them because it was not any “of her business.”
As such, the hospital faces a $63,000 fine. $61,000 of that consists of a $1,000 per day fine for the staff member leaving the firearms in the closet without reporting them from July 11 to Sept. 9. September 9 is the day that the facility educated staff on policies and procedures to maintain a safe hospital environment.
Hudson Regional Hospital also faces two more violations for an additional $2,000 in fines for not reporting the bomb threat and weapons cache to the NJDOH within the required time period. This includes two violations of $1,000 each for not reporting the bomb threat or weapons cache within three hours.
Hudson Regional Hospital working with NJDOH
Following the news of the fine, Hudson Regional Hospital released a statement noting they were working with the NJDOH. The hospital said it was working to ensure this would not happen again.
“Hudson Regional Hospital designed a corrective action plan in response to a notice from the Department of Health concerning an incident where firearms were discovered in the hospital,” Hudson Regional Hospital said in a statement to the Hudson Reporter on Dec. 7. “The DOH accepted our plan, which was implemented and is in force, preventing any such incidents from occurring in the future. The DOH noticed us of its penalties for the infraction, which we are remitting in due course.”
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.
“No filing, no exemption,” said tenants from Portside Towers who stood in front of Jersey City council members, pleading to follow through with city rent control ordinances as tenants faced rent increases of over 30 percent.
“Who is at fault starts to shift, when there is an awareness, like this very public awareness, of wrongdoing, but it is allowed to continue,” said Kevin Weller, a tenant who has lived in Portside Towers for around two years.
The issue of unenforced rent control ordinances by the city at Portside Towers was not unbeknown to the city’s council members, said Weller, who spoke on the issue at the last Jersey City Municipal Council meeting earlier in November.
“Here we go again after three weeks later, the press is here with us again, only now there is even more interest,” said Weller, referring to the article published by the Wall Street Journal indicating residents in Jersey City are facing over 40 percent rent increases.
As reported by the WSJ, Jersey City has undergone significant rent growth nationwide. “The average asking apartment rent in Jersey City was $2,850 a month in October, up 28% from 2012,” as reported by the WSJ.
The state of New Jersey carries out one of the highest numbers of municipal rent control laws in the country. Current housing laws limit annual rent increase to no more than 4 percent, according to the city’s rent control ordinance.
In Jersey City and Hoboken, rent control ordinances apply to buildings that have been around for more than 30 years, but can also apply to recent buildings where developers never filed for a state exemption when constructed.
Jessica Brann and other tenants saw rent increases of up to 34 percent, eight times higher than the city’s rent control ordinance permitted. In another instance, the Hudson Reporter interviewed tenants who also faced rent increases of up to 30 percent more than their original rent.
“My increase was one of highest increases tenants in Portside Towers East or West received in the past several years. It was, however, amazingly, not the highest increase,” said Brann, who has lived at the property managed by Equity Residential, a real estate company.
The Hudson Reporter attempted to reach out to Equity Residential and the city’s Rent Leveling Board department in relation to the rent level increase at Portside Towers, none have provided comment so far.
“Why is the rent control enforcement authority for Jersey City trying to be the first in the history of New Jersey to allow illegal rents?” said Jessica Rasulo, who has been a tenant at Portside Towers on 100 Warren St. for nine years and a mother of two.
She added, that a claim to a rent control exemption was not filed prior to the 30 days of issuing a Certificate of Occupancy, which according to Jersey City Ordinance, indicates the completion of construction, and is necessary before occupancy.
Under New Jersey State law, all landlords of residential rental dwellings are required to register their rental units through a Landlord Registration statement, filed to the Division of Housing Preservation and the Office of Landlord/Tenant Relations, both departments that are under the city’s Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce.
The Hudson Reporter found out through reviewing documents filed by Equity Residential, owned in 1998, in a question asked if the property fell under rent control, the real estate firm responded “yes.”
Ward E Councilman James Solomon added that in a determination made by the city’s Rent Leveling Board concluded that Portside Towers fell under the city’s rent control ordinance, “however she [Dinah Hendon] exempted them for 30 years under the state law,” he said.
Under state housing laws new construction, “In the event that there is no initial mortgage financing, the period of exemption from a rent control or rent leveling ordinance shall be 30 years from the completion of construction.”
Tenants such as Kevin Weller and Jessica Brann argue that Equity Residential did not comply with the filing requirement that is mandated by the NJ Statute and Jersey City ordinance and did not satisfy the filing requirement.
” … because if paperwork was not filed correctly, I see your point. I do. I just think that as a city, when we fall short, we just gotta own it, so to say,” said City Council President Joyce Watterman. “I don’t know how you live it,” said Watterman, referring to the rent increase fallen on tenants at Portside Towers.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Jordan Coll can be reached at jcoll@hudsonreporter.com.
Jeffrey Machno, former programming director at the Secaucus Public Library. Images courtesy of Machno.
Jeffrey Machno is a Secaucus resident and emcee who hosts an array of events in the metropolitan area. He jokingly dubbed himself something of a “roving Bob Barker,” having been involved in the entertainment industry for many years.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” he told the Hudson Reporter. “It’s like, ‘Hey we’re doing a show. Jeff, do you think you could host it?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, all right. Come on. Give me the mic.’ And I get all these bookings.”
The 42-year-old Machno has done voice-over work in the past and even did a show out in Las Vegas, eventually coming to work for the library part-time three years ago. But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, his sister-in-law Lisa Machno, who is the Branch Director for the Katherine Steffens Library Annex in Secaucus, recommended he bring some events to the library.
So began the weekly events, first starting with “Trivia Night.” Amid the era of the stay-at-home order, the virtual event was a haven for those seeking community during the isolation.
“I started doing this weekly trivia program for the library, which ended up taking off,” Machno said. “We also used my connections to have people on to do an interview series, like the in-town Barbara Walters.”
Machno is technically not a librarian, humbly admitting he doesn’t have the master’s degree for that, but nevertheless, since getting involved he has played a key role in programming at the Secaucus Public Library throughout recent years. He was also essentially the face of the library, too, manning the front desk and greeting library-goers with radiant positive energy.
“That’s what I started doing for the Secaucus Public Library,” Machno said. “I became their cruise director. I was always emceeing their live events. The library would have a festival, they’d give me the mic, and all day long I’d be out there.”
With a background in the entertainment industry, this came easy to Machno. He also took over the library’s social media pages at a time when no one had anywhere to go and everything was online.
“I was providing online content during the pandemic,” Machno said. “They were looking for programming things that could be done while people were at home.”
From ‘Trivia Night,’ to celebrity interviews and more
The trivia took place every Friday night, with a diversity of themes from Bollywood to American television shows and more. The event was held in a virtual format given the nature of the obvious pandemic circumstances of the time.
“I’ve got a software that I work with where people came on, they were able to interact with each other and me online in the comments section,” Machno said. “It was a way for people during the shutdown to still socialize. It just took off, and people just enjoyed doing it. Every type of trivia, whether it be Disney trivia, Seinfeld trivia, we would have prizes.”
Given the diversity of the population of Secaucus, the idea was to have something for everyone when it came to the weekly offerings. Machno added, “Any time a different group would have a holiday, I would make sure to include them.”
According to Machno, local businesses would donate gift cards for restaurants and other stores. He said it “really became a community thing.”
“It went beyong the library,” Machno said. “It’s something that now other communities are starting to sniff around for. I was chatting with some people in Jersey City … and it’s growing.”
According to Machno, following the trivia series, his programming expanded to include an interview series with everyone from local officials like the mayor and police chief, to authors and some celebrities he knows through his work, as well as community heroes he wanted to honor. Guests have included Jack Black and Kelsey Grammer to even former Gov. James McGreevey.
“I had quite a few people involved there,” Machno said. “It was a way to keep the community involved. It was going on for about three years. And it reached people from other towns or other states.”
In addition to that, Machno had celebrities or those adjacent to them at “Trivia Night.” The guest was usually relevant to the theme of that week.
“Joan Crawford’s grandson is a good friend,” Machno said. “He comes on for programs where we do Joan Crawford nights. He shows her private home movies. We bring a little something for everyone. I’ve had Peter Freestone, that’s Freddie Mercury’s personal assistant who lived with Freddie for the last 12 years of his life and was in the room when he died. So these are people that I know from being in the business.”
Machno is not only a local sensation, but has reached many across Hudson County.
Using industry connections to produce content
From those close to Joan Crawford and Freddie Mercury, to Dolly Parton herself, Machno has an array of celebrities whom he knows from his “9 to 5.” He used his connections in order to orchestrate the interviews and provide that type of entertainment content through the library.
“Dolly Parton, she’s another one I know just from being around. Being in the business, you get to know people,” Machno said. “Sometimes you’re lucky enough to make some really good friends, and everybody is willing to help each other. As small and tight-knit a community as Secaucus is, the entertainment industry is the same way.”
Machno said this type of programming during the stay-at-home order era of the pandemic was “extremely important” to residents. That’s why it was a no-brainer for the library to allow him to expand to include the interview series and other weekly live events.
The events took place both virtually and in-person, as the state of the pandemic allowed it. Machno’s programming continued to grow in popularity, leading to many regulars of the events akin to fans.
“People absolutely needed an outlet,” Machno said. “They needed an outlet to socialize. It just was a way for that to happen. Everyone was having those family Zoom meetings and getting together on there for birthdays. Everyone was finding all these different ways to stay connected and this was just another way to do that. It was a way to be connected, to be entertained. You have to be able to laugh, whether there’s a pandemic out there or not. If you can’t laugh … it’s only going to seem bleaker.”
Event programming in Secaucus and the rest of Hudson County
Now, Machno is actually no longer doing programming with the Secaucus library. He is in talks with some other entities to bring the same type of programs he offered in Secaucus to their municipalities. However, being a resident of the town, he was happy to be of service especially at a time when people needed a happy distraction.
“Secaucus is a wonderful town, being where I grew up,” Machno said. “That’s where I went to grammar school. For high school, I went to Hudson Catholic in Jersey City. But Secaucus … that town could grow as much as it wants to grow and it’s always going to have a small-town feel.”
Machno dreamed of working at the library. He’s always loved books and people, frequenting the library many times as a kid. And his programming aimed to make the library, as well as reading, fun.
According to Machno, for grammar school, he attended Immaculate Conception and then attended Hudson Catholic High School. Following that, his interest in show business and the like was sparked by performing as a standup comedian and serving as an emcee at clubs in New York City.
After that, he performed a show in Las Vegas, and also attended the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. Also making a foray into voice-over work, he eventually found his way back home.
According to Machno, his family having lived in Secaucus impacted him greatly. In addition to his sister-in-law working at the library, his brother is a local officer for the Secaucus Police Department.
“Everybody does know each other,” Machno said. “You feel safe when you’re there. Even just driving through it going from Point A to Point B, there’s a sense of home when you go through it … It’s a strong community. It’s a community that endures. And really, during that pandemic, the town really came together.”
Machno said other towns have contacted him and that the programming is going to be growing to other towns. He wants to continue the trivia nights and interviews with celebrities as well as the other weekly events he used to host.
Machno’s programming has undoubtedly made an impact in Secaucus and beyond. Residents touched by him even reached out to Hudson Reporter to underscore that he deserved recognition for his trivia nights.
“Word got out, and now let’s see if we can make the state of New Jersey, or at least Hudson County, one big community,” Machno said. While he sets his sights on making his trivia events bigger than Secaucus, Machno said he would return in a heartbeat to emcee any such events again in town.
Machno has also hosted events for other Secaucus entries such as the Secaucus Rotary Club.
Making an impact on local communities
“It doesn’t matter what town, what state, you can always find my programming on social media platforms,” Machno said. “A lot of the communities that I go to, it really exposes it. So if it’s the Jersey City Library, the Secaucus Town website, whatever it is, it’s going to let people know we’re there. If you share the links … I’ve had people in Virginia, New York … Other people are coming just because they know I’m calling numbers, or I’m doing a dunk tank. They always show up. It’s flattering.”
Machno takes pride in what he does. He said: “I truly love people and I love being able to make a difference.”
And people love Machno, too, from your average resident to even Mayor Michael Gonnelli. Secaucus resident Evan Comer said, “His shows continue to be watched by the Secaucus community and the surrounding towns, and his presence has even reached people in other states … I believe he is someone that brings such joy to his own community and many others and who people should be watching and talking about. He has brought many communities together with good, wholesome fun and informative entertainment. That sort of thing seems to be rare these days.”
While many of his trivia events and other programming were virtual given the nature of the time, they can still be rewatched and enjoyed. Machno’s content is immortalized on his Instagram at @mrjdm80 and other social media platforms.
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.
The Secaucus Town Council meets in person at Town Hall, with the meetings recorded and posted online afterwards.
Secaucus has made some changes to its residential parking zones.
Mayor Michael Gonnelli and the Town Council adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 127A of the municipal code entitled “Residential Parking.”
The ordinance was first introduced back in October.
According to the ordinance, Gonnelli and the council recognize that safe parking for all residents, visitors and motorists is “of utmost concern.”
The town has a residential parking program that was developed to alleviate unfavorable parking conditions and address conditions created on residential streets.
The ordinance states that the mayor and council have determined based on resident needs and review by the Secaucus Traffic Division that updates were needed to add locations and correctly reflect the zoned areas.
The ordinance removes Arch Avenue, Fisher Avenue, Franklin Street, Myrtle Avenue and Poplar Street from Zone I. It adds them and Gary Terrace, the entire length of the streets, to Zone II.
Other changes under the ordinance include the removal of sections related to the “time limits nonresidents [are] authorized to park in residential parking zones.”
Sections removed touched on that parking is prohibited for nonresidents of the parking zone, sections regarding temporary visitor placards and penalty minimums.
The town council also introduced another ordinance that would add Farm Road, the entire length and the public lot, and the entire length of Riedel Court into Zone II. The town is divided into four zones in total.
The next council meeting is on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 1203 Paterson Plank Road.
Meanwhile, the town is also considering other parking-related changes to Hops Lane.
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.
Cannabis consumers over the age of 21 can rejoice and soon make purchases at the Secaucus dispensary. Photo courtesy of Harmony Dispensary.
Harmony Dispensary, a medical cannabis dispensary in Secaucus, has received approval from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) to begin selling recreational adult-use cannabis. The nonprofit medical cannabis dispensary had been working toward this end for many months, much to the anticipation of eager future customers across Hudson County.
The commission voted 4-1 on Friday, Dec. 2, to approve Harmony’s expansion of operations to include recreational cannabis sales under its vertically integrated medical permits. The facility near where Castle Road meets Meadowlands Parkway, which was among the first few medical dispensaries in the state after it opened in 2018, can now begin selling recreational cannabis to adults over the age of 21 in the next few weeks.
At the NJCRC meeting on Dec. 2, which was streamed online, Executive Director Jeff Brown said that Harmony was among four facility-modification applications that the state had approved. Additionally, Harmony was also approved for medical home delivery.
Later in the meeting, Brown explained his recommendation for approval for the alternative treatment center’s (ATC) adult-use expansion application. Brown added that the NJCRC’s considerations for the application was focused on patients, the number of patients enrolled statewide, patient enrollment at the specific ATC, inventory statewide and at the ATC, sales statewide and at the ATC, the current medical cannabis canopy, the canopy needed to serve enrolled patients, and the ATC’s production capacity.
“When an alternative treatment center entity permitted to operate in our medical market wants to expand to adult use sales, they have to meet a number of statutory and regulatory provisions,” Brown said. “These include municipal approval, proof of sufficient supply to continue to meet patient need after expansion, plans to ensure patient access, and plans to address social equity and safety.”
According to Brown, the Harmony Foundation, which operates Harmony Dispensary, had submitted their plans to expand into adult-use sales. According to Brown, they include adding point-of-sale systems for patients only, have undergone a facility modification to their dispensary, have committed to all the patient access standards and provisions that the commission has recommended and included with other ATC expansions. Because of that, he said Harmony Foundation’s application was recommended for approval, which includes both cultivation and dispensing at the facility in Secaucus and cultivation and manufacturing at its Lafayette facility.
Harmony Dispensary received a Class 1 cultivation license for its facilities in Secaucus and Lafayette, at 144 Route 94, a Class 2 manufacturing license for the Lafayette facility, and a Class 5 retailer license for the Secaucus facility. While the Secaucus facility is both a dispensary and cultivation location, the Lafayette facility is only for cultivation and manufacturing.
There was also a condition of approval included in the recommendation. Brown said that if the dispensary could not adequately serve patients at its medical-only point-of-sale systems, then it would have to add more or convert some of the adult-use point-of-sale systems.
“Our recommendation of this approval is that the issuance of the Class 1 cultivator license is conditioned on the first harvest from their Lafayette facility,” Brown said. “This is to ensure that the cultivation in Secaucus continues to meet the needs of patients while their new cultivation capacity is fully operational … They are opening new patient-only point-of-sale systems. If those are insufficient, a condition is that they will have to move their adult-use point-of-sale systems back to serving patients as well if the patient-only point-of-sale systems are not sufficient to meet the needs of patients.
The move follows Harmony Dispensary’s expansion application not being approved by the state board in October after filing its application in July. It was expected to be on the NJCRC’s October agenda, but it was not, which in response, CEO of Harmony Foundation Shaya Brodchanel called the move “inexplicable” and a “delay.” Meanwhile, spokeswoman for the NJCRC Toni-Anne Blake said that Harmony’s certification was still under review. While it wasn’t clear then what the hold-up was, it seems it may have been related to the aforementioned conditions of approval relating to cultivation and point-of-sale systems.
The NJCRC approved Harmony’s expansion from medical only to recreational cannabis sales at its December meeting.
Town is ready for recreational sales at Harmony Dispensary
Meanwhile, the town of Secaucus has already given all necessary approvals to Harmony. The town has been preparing for it in recent months, further ironing out things relating to its cannabis ordinances like license applications as more entities seek to apply to open.
Secaucus originally banned recreational cannabis sales temporarily in 2021 via an ordinance prior to the state deadline to enact local parameters or automatically have it all permitted. At that time, Town Administrator Gary Jeffas said the ban was a placeholder until the town figured out where and how it wanted to allow recreational sales.
In May of this year, the Town Council lifted the ban after it ironed out all the details. That new ordinance outlined the rules and regulations for the local industry in town.
With that, Secaucus limited the area where dispensaries and the like can open in a light industrial area. That area consists of five warehouse lots on Castle Road, of which one of the lots is where Harmony Dispensary is already operating with an official address of 600 Meadowlands Parkway.
After the state approval, Harmony has a new pop-up on its website that reads: “Congratulations Adult Use Patrons of NJ. We look forward to serving you soon, but at this time Harmony Dispensary is MEDICAL ONLY. Stay tuned!“
According to Harmony Dispensary’s website, the company still only serving medical-use patients with valid NJMMP ID cards and plans to enter the adult-use recreational market in the “very near future,” and encourages eager customers to sign up for its newsletter “to stay up to date” about the announcement while it continues to serve medical patients.
“Harmony looks forward to continuing to serve the patients of NJ and the new Adult Use Cannabis community,” according to the company website.
Following the NJCRC approval, Shaya Brodchandel, the Harmony Foundation CEO, put out a press release celebrating the action that makes the medical dispensary the first in the state to expand to recreational sales. Brodchandel said that they “have been preparing for this for a long time.”
“This is a historic day for Harmony, and, we believe, for the growing cannabis industry in New Jersey,” Brodchandel said in a statement. “As the first New Jersey-based ATC to expand into the adult-use market we are going to show that cannabis businesses born in this state have the ability to join those multi-state operators and thrive, reinvesting our successes into our local communities.”
According to Brodchandel, Harmony is ready to sell recreational cannabis to adults while maintaining its supply to medical patients. Part of this plan to enter the recreational market in addition to the medical market translates to the planned medical dispensaries by Harmony in Hoboken and Jersey City.
“We are ready to begin welcoming a new population of clients, while simultaneously giving our longtime patients the same great service they deserve and have become accustomed to,” Brodchandel said. “We have a proven track record of serving the medical cannabis community for many years, and we will not turn our back on those that use our products for health purposes.”
The move marks a shift in the recreational adult-use industry, given that it is currently dominated by eight large multi-state operators that own the 21 dispensaries presently licensed to sell. Most of those entities have maxed out the limit of three dispensaries each, but three have not, meaning that total can be brought up to 24. However, Harmony will likely be the first smaller and New Jersey-based entity to operate a dispensary in the state once sales begin, right here in Hudson County. Brodchandel hopes Harmony will be an example to local entities seeking to enter the market, which is expected to continue to experience massive growth each year.
Brodchandel concluded: “Harmony has a commitment to the state and people of New Jersey. As Harmony continues to grow, and achieve even greater business success, our core mission will match the intentions of Governor [Phil] Murphy for the industry and be a force for lifting up others that have previously not been afforded opportunities for entrepreneurial success.”
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.
Cristina Fontanelli (www.cristinafontanelli.com), award-winning singer/actor and PBS/-TV host for Andrea Bocelli, along with musicians, a youth dance troupe and choir, will perform Italy’s best-loved songs, Arias, Neapolitan and Christmas classics in Cristina Fontanelli’s 19th Annual “Christmas in Italy®.”
This is a charitable concert takes place at the Bruno Walter Auditorium for the Performing Arts at the Lincoln Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza (Street entrance: 65th Street at Amsterdam Avenue), New York City,10013, on Saturday, December 17th, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Ms. Fontanelli says, “I began this annual Holiday tradition to preserve Italy’s great classic and popular songs, and the values they represent, for younger generations. We are continuing, along with the tree in Rockefeller Center and the Rockettes, a beloved NYC Holiday tradition.
Program includes Italian songs: Torna a Surriento, Mamma and Ave Maria, plus Christmas classics such as White Christmas; operatic selections from La Boheme and La Traviata; and guitar and mandolin solos such as the Godfather Theme. Here is Ms. Fontanelli’s CBS-TV interview and performance of the famous Neapolitan song “O Sole Mio.”
Musicians include: Matthew Hayden, accompanist; Joyce Balint, mandolin (NY Philharmonic); Bill Schimmel, accordion (Grammy nomination) and David Galvez, guitar. Matthew Cerillo, young guest tenor; the Xaverian High School Choir (Brooklyn) and the youth of the Dream Studio of the Performing Arts (Staten Island) will dance to “Dominick, the Italian Christmas Donkey.”
This concert was conceived by Cristina Fontanelli and is produced by the 501 c-3 The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation, Inc. The mission statement includes creating family-friendly musical productions giving young people performance opportunities and growing the awareness of the scientifically proven societal benefits of classical music and the arts. Tax-deductible donations can be made thru: www.thecristinafontanellifoundation.org
Tickets: $79 (VIP), $68 (General), $62.50 (Seniors) and $35 (Children under 12) are available thru Purplepass Tickets: (800) 316-8559 or on-line: www.purplepass.com/ItalianChristmasMatinee and www.purplepass.com/ItalianChristmasEvening. Call the office of The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation Inc. (212) 967-1926 for more information/group tickets.
Accolades: Cristina Fontanelli has been called a “Vocal Genius” in the NY and international press. The New York Times said: “The best work came from Cristina Fontanelli.” The New York Daily News said: “Fine, fine work from soprano, Cristina Fontanelli.” The Epoch Times: “Cristina Fontanelli, Preserving Values Through Opera.” The New York Sun: “Vocal Genius”
About Cristina Fontanelli: Brooklyn-born Cristina Fontanelli has performed throughout the United States and internationally singing title roles with the Palm Beach Opera, The Boston Pops and the St. Louis Symphony and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts from the Order Sons of Italy in America (previous recipient Luciano Pavarotti). She has appeared on PBS-TV and was honored by the Italian Government as an artist of Pugliese descent. She has performed for the Clinton White House and for the George W. Bush Presidential Inauguration. She appears annually at 54 Below and for Opera & Broadway of the Hamptons. She has won Best Actress in two International Film Festivals and sings in 9 languages.
West New York Commissioner of Public Affairs Cosmo Cirillo. Screenshot of Cirillo's announcement video posted to social media.
West New York Commissioner of Public Affairs Cosmo Cirillo has declared his candidacy for mayor in 2023. This sets up a showdown with outgoing Rep. Albio Sires, a Democrat currently representing the 8th Congressional District of New Jersey and former three-time mayor of the town, who has also announced his candidacy for mayor.
Sires decided to retire, and was replaced by Congressman-elect Robert Menendez, Jr. after the November midterm elections. Sires decided to retire and said he would run for mayor of West New York instead of running for re-election for Congress because Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez is going to run for the state Assembly for a seat after the new map takes affect post-redistricting.
Now Cirillo has thrown a wrench in Sires’ plan. He announced his candidacy in a video message on social media on Thursday, December 1, touting his accomplishments from expanding recreational opportunities, to maintaining rent control among other things.
“For the past eight years, I’ve had the honor of serving as your Commissioner of Public Affairs,” Cirillo said. “As someone who has grown up here, went to school here, and spent my entire life in town, I am extremely proud of the work I have been able to accomplish, such as expanding and improving recreational activities for our residents, starting a brand new tutoring program at the library, maintaining strong rent control regulations, having my office assist a countless amount of residents with rental assistance during the pandemic and feeding thousands of families every summer through our Recreation Food Program.”
According to Cirillo, in addition to those activities in town, he has also been key in the ongoing plans to renovate parks and construct parking garages. He said that he plans to continue the work that the “New Beginnings” slate ran on and won in 2019 leading to the election of Rodriguez, indirectly calling out Sires.
“I am also happy to have assisted in the implementation of upgraded parks and fields, a plan for three brand new and much needed parking decks throughout town, the first of which is scheduled for completion within the next months, and other improvements around West New York,” Cirillo said.
“When our current team of Commissioners ran four years ago we ran on a slogan of ‘New Beginnings’ for our town, yet here we are at a critical crossroads where we can choose to move backwards or stand together and move West New York in a positive and promising direction forward.”
Cirillo ran with Rodriguez, who is also Sires’ godson, as well as Commissioners Victor Barrera, Yoleisy Yanez, and Margarita Guzman in 2019. In a sweep of the election, they defeated incumbent Mayor Dr. Felix Roque and his slate of commissioners.
Sires has confirmed that the two didn’t see eye to eye and that he stands by his track record in town, according to the Hudson County View. Apparently, Barerra and Yanez are expected to run with Sires and Guzman is expected to run with Cirillo.
“I believe actions speak louder than words,” Cirillo said. ” West New York needs and deserves a mayor that is willing to put in the hard work, effort and time, that will be available and accessible to listen to and address the concerns of our community and understand the issues our residents face on a daily basis and also work day and night to be a true servant for our community. It is for these reasons, after careful consideration and listening to the words of encouragement of my family and supporters, that I am officially declaring my candidacy to be the next Mayor of the Town of West New York.”
Prior to being a commissioner, Cirillo was a president of the West New York Board of Education and a staffer for former Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto and Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez. Now he is tossing his hat in the ring to be mayor, in what may be a three-way race if Roque decides to run for his old post, which he has hinted at.
Regardless, Cirillo said he will announce more information about his candidacy and team in the coming weeks. Before 2022 has ended, the 2023 race for the mayor’s office in West New York has already begun.
“Over the coming weeks, I look forward to introducing my dynamic team that share these same values and who I believe represent the very best of West New York,” Cirillo said. “In closing, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all of you that have supported me in the past and continue to support me. For those of you I have not had the privilege of meeting, I look forward to meeting you on the campaign trail and working tirelessly to earn your vote and working even harder to keep your trust once elected. It is my hope that you will join my team and I on this exciting journey. By working together we can and will move West New York forward.”
The Hudson Reporter has reached out to Sires and Roque and so far neither has replied.
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.
Senator Sandra Cunningham speaks at a Juneteenth celebration at Maureen Collin Senior Center in Jersey City in June of 2022. Photo via Facebook.
State Senator for the 31st Legislative District Sandra Cunningham is expected to resign, according to reports. Cunningham is a five-time state Senator who was first elected in 2007, and is the widow of former Jersey City Mayor and state Senator Glenn Cunningham who died in office in 2004.
The 72-year-old Senate President Pro-Tempore is facing a severe cognitive decline iand is unlikely to return to Trenton, according to a report citing anonymous sources by the New Jersey Globe published on Tuesday, December 29.
Cunningham was hospitalized at Jersey City Medical Center on October 4, with what was described as a non-life threatening health emergency. She has been at the hospital for the past 56 days.
Prior to that, Cunningham had been laying low in the wake of being charged with Driving While Intoxicated after hitting two parked vehicles in March. Due to a lack of evidence, the charges were later dropped, although she previously pleaded guilty to DWI in 2005.
Cunningham had not been present in the Senate since the legislature’s passage of the state budget in June. Cunningham had attempted to participate remotely when the Senate confirmed Attorney General Matthew Platkin in September, but to no avail.
Since her hospitalization, a Superior Court judge placed Jersey City attorney Matthew Burns in charge of Cunningham’s personal affairs as she can no longer handle them on her own. Burns was appointed after a close friend of Cunningham’s, former Governor James McGreevey, asked for someone else to take control of her finances and other private matters.
The legal proceedings are still ongoing, and court records are sealed. It is not clear if she will be able to sign a resignation letter or if Burns can resign on her behalf.
Meanwhile, the state Senate does have the ability to expel a member or potential declare a vacancy of the seat if the incumbent is no longer fit to serve. Regardless, it remains unclear if and when Cunningham will resign.
Replacement talk already?
While Cunningham has yet to do anything, discussion is already ongoing about her replacement as she is not expected to run for re-election either in 2023. Rumored candidates to take her spot if she resigns include John Minella, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s Chief of Staff and recent campaign manager for Bayonne Mayor James Davis in the recent May municipal election.
If elected by committee members, Minella would apparently act as a caretaker for Cunningham’s seat, which term ends on January 11, 2024. He would not run for a full-year term in 2023.
Other names being mentioned as possible replacements are Assemblywoman for the 31st Legislative District Angela McKnight, as well as Hudson County Commissioners from Jersey City Bill O’Dea and Jerry Walker. While a replacement candidate has not yet been determined, that decision will largely be in the hands of Jersey City politicos.
The Jersey City and Bayonne Democratic committees will first vote on candidates for her replacement in a special election convention. The two municipalities that make up the 31st Legislative District, under the current map prior to the new map drawn up after redistricting, are Wards A and F and parts of Wards B, C, and D, and all of Bayonne.
The Hudson County View recently reported that includes 326 voting members, if all seats are filled, with 224 votes from Jersey City and 102 from Bayonne. Ultimately, it seems the decision would likely belong to Fulop and get backing from the Hudson County Democratic Organization.
Following the news of Cunningham’s declining health, activists are calling for her replacement to be a Black woman. The United Black Agenda said in a statement on Thursday, December 1, that “her resignation from the Senate will leave a huge void in leadership that represents the interests of Black people and other communities of color in New Jersey.”
“She is also one of the most powerful, longest serving Black legislators in the State,” the United Black Agenda said in a statement. “We must be intentional about who we are replacing a Black legislator with, given how hard-fought Black representation has been in this country and this state. Whoever is picked to replace Senator Cunningham—whether temporary or permanent—must be a Black woman.”
The district is currently fairly diverse, and is set to grow more diverse when the new map post-redistricting kicks in in 2024. Under that map approved by the Legislative Apportionment Commission, which will grow to include Kearny, the district will be 34 percent Black, 33 percent Hispanic, 32 percent white, and 12 percent Asian.
“This is one of the most diverse legislative districts in one of the most diverse states in the nation, and the district’s delegation in Trenton must reflect that, particularly given that the state legislature already fails to represent the rich diversity of the state. It is time to put action behind our words when it comes to ensuring Black representation.”
Cunningham’s office did not respond to The Hudson Reporter‘s requests for comment.
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.
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