Weehawken residents rally against ferry pollution and maintenance facility

November 7, 2022

11weewaterway10-01 — Weehawken residents marched along the Hudson River waterfront to protest New York Waterway's facility in the township and their alleged malpractices. Photos by Daniel Israel.

Weehawken residents are rallying against New York Waterway over ferry pollution and its maintenance and re-fueling facility in the township.

On Sunday, November 6, residents gathered at the waterfront near the facility to make a statement. The protest was led by Cassandra Porsch of the local group Weehawken Residents Against Ferry Pollution.

Around 35 people were in attendance at a rally held at the Pershing Park, many donning signs against New York Waterway’s actions and calling for further action.

Doctor highlights ferry pollution problem

Dr. Harold Davis, a longstanding member of the community who lives in The Brownstones at Port Imperial, said the protest was against the lack of action by the local government. He said that residents have been trying to meet with Mayor Richard Turner, State Senator Brian Stack, and Governor Phil Murphy to discuss the matter, but have not been successful.

“Welcome to our toxic dump site,” Davis said. “Unfortunately, they haven’t put a dome over it, so we’re all exposed.”

Davis said Weehawken residents on the waterfront are exposed to the air and noise pollution of the New York Waterway facility located in Port Imperial, just yards away from luxury residential buildings such as the RiversEdge and RiverParc.

“Those engines produce gases and soot,” Davis said, “which is particulate matter, and it has been demonstrated that they cause cancer. I’ll tell you this, as a physician, there is no safe level of exposure.”

Davis said Weehawken residents are being treated unfairly. Hoboken residents rallied and blocked the facility from their city, he said, but the local government has not done the same.

“A deal was made and accommodation was made,” Davis said. “The Governor was involved. They pushed this project from Hoboken up to Weehawken. The Hoboken mayor basically said not in my backyard. He said not in my backyard, and he told New York Waterway: ‘You’re not going to do this. You’re not going to expose our children to these poisions.’ And it came up here, and we haven’t heard a peep from the Weehawken Mayor’s Office.”

Davis said this will not be the last demonstration against New York Waterway.

Weehawken residents gathered on the waterfront to protest New York Waterway on November 6.

Temporary facility is now permanent fixture

Megna Deva said, “We all care about our Weehawken community and we are not okay with having the New York Waterway maintenance facility right under our noses.”

Deva said the township was not told the facility would be permanent. When the now-thwarted plans for an expansion of the facility were leaked last year and sparked community activism, then the township passed a resolution halting further construction.

“I just think we’ve been sold out by our government,” Deva said.

Some residents think the facility is better suited on Bayonne’s industrial waterfront.

“If you see the location of the Union Dry-Dock [in Hoboken], it’s actually pretty far away from the residents,” Deva said.

Deva claimed the facility is not just for re-fueling. She alleges it is also used a maintenance facility for many ferries, and that the number of ferries at the facility has been constantly increasing.

Deva said, “They are doing it under the cover. We have to stop it. We have to have a united front and say it’s not okay for us. We are not okay with an industrial facility.”

Deva pointed out that Bayonne has an industrial waterfront along its east side. Ferry service is about to open in the city soon, although under SeaStreak. She said the NY Waterway facility would not necessarily be out of place in the city. Deva claimed the location was not feasible for New York Waterway due to the cost.

Cassandra Porsch of Weehawken Residents Against Ferry Pollution led the rally and march.

Protestors say lawsuit highlights how NYWW is a ‘bad neighbor’

Porsch added that alleged malpractice of New York Waterway has been brought to light by a recent lawsuit. The suit alleges the ferry operator company instructed employees to illegally dump raw sewage into the Hudson River since 2015.

“We learned that they improperly dispose of oil, fuel, coolant, batteries, and aluminum shavings in addition to the raw sewage,” Porsch said. “The employees were asked to use pumps, that were jokingly referred to as Mafioso pumps, to empty the restroom holding tanks into the river rather than properly dispose of them through pumps into the municipal sewer system. According to the complaint, the employees had to stand over these pumps to clear clogs because there were frequent clogs from tampons and other debris thrown into the restroom holding tanks. One employee actually got a staph infection from having contact with the sewage. This also created the risk of exposure to hepatitis and E. coli.”

Porsch said New York Waterway was allegedly dumping raw sewage into the Hudson River. She noted that adjacent to the facility is the waterfront walk, parks, and residential buildings: “What kind of a company allows this to happen?”

Porsch said New York Waterway is not denying the allegations, but is trying to have the lawsuit dismissed on a technicality. She said they are arguing they did not have 60 days notice, as well as asking for dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.

Dr. Harold Davis, a local physician, said that the ferry pollution was harmful to residents, especially children.

Porsch said she and others want Gov. Phil Murphy to look into why the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was unaware of the alleged raw sewage dumping for so long.

“At the last Township Council meeting, we asked Mayor Turner to call on Governor Murphy’s Office to investigate the New Jersey DEP and why this went on for years and nothing was done. I hope that people will go to future town hall meetings to follow up on this request.”

After the rally the crowd marched along the waterfront walkway, chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, the maintenance site has got to go!,” among other chants. The march concluded back at the plaza, where the rally ended.

Megna Deva said that Weehawken residents were not accommodated the way Hoboken residents were.

Township says to learn to live with facility

The outrage from residents has been a theme in recent weeks, last coming to a head at the October 12 Township Council meeting. The protest echoed much of what was said at the meeting, in addition to some other points as well as comments from Mayor Richard Turner.

Porsch said at the meeting New York Waterway had a contract stating that the was to be temporary. That contract was signed in 2016 as new residential redevelopment was being constructed and occupied nearby and stated tthe company would leave by 2019.

“In 2016, New York Waterway was contractually obligated to move the facility because new development was going up there,” Porsch said. “They instinctually understood that nobody was going to buy a place in front of these boats, especially when they were giving off all types of pollution they were dumping in the water… Since Hoboken didn’t want them there, they never left Weehawken.”

Porsch argued that Weehawken residents have been given the short end of the stick while Hoboken residents got preferential treatment. Porsch has been trying to procure a meeting with Stack and Murphy like Hoboken got, but efforts have been unsuccessful because Stack wants to have Turner present.

At the meeting Turner said he had previously met with residents in the past months on preventing the expansion. He reiterated that the expansion is not happening since the council passed a resolution opposing, but then made a major revelation regarding the facility, that it would likely be permanent in the township.

Residents marched along the Weehawken waterfront in protest of New York Waterway’s facility in the township and alleged malpractices.

“I think we have a good handle on preventing the expansion,” Turner said. “I’m almost pretty sure that the maintenance facility is staying. We’ve tried everything. [Township Manager] Gio [Ahmad] and myself had visited numerous sites. We’ve tried to convince everybody… In reality, it’s not going any place.”

“Is it fair? Probably not,” Turner said. “The council’s always said, ‘It’s temporary until we find another location.’ Over the last five years, we probably visited half a dozen potential locations. They are all not suitable for one reason or another. So I think we have to have a serious discussion on how to live with it.”

According to Turner, the township does not have the authority to shut the facility down as residents wish. He said they even contemplated condemning the property through eminent domain as Hoboken is doing with the Union Dry-Dock, but it proved unfeasible.

“It’s water, and it’s very hard to condemn,” Turner said. “We looked at everything.”

Of the dozens of people in attendance, there were a number of children.

All alternatives already explored, officials say

The issue with the suggested Bayonne location was expense, and the lack of “proper facilities” to dock them, Turner said. He noted all alternatives were explored including that, but none were viable.

Turner said New York Waterway agreed in 2016 that the facility was temporary so as long as they could find another suitable location that all stakeholders agree with. And with Hoboken’s Union Dry-Dock off the table, he said the facility was not required to move per the contract.

When asked why the township isn’t fighting like Hoboken, he added: “Our approach now is trying to share. If they want to an expansion, do it someplace else… Not my problem. My problem is when you have an existing facility and are trying to find a new location. Hoboken doesn’t have an existing facility, so it becomes a little more problematic… Now I think as a community we deal with it.”

In regards to the alleged illegal dumping of raw sewage into the river, Turner said it was wrong and something that can be addressed. In addition to fines and punishments, he said that measures such as monitoring systems can be put in place to avoid a repeat in the future.

Turner said that about the pollution that local municipalities do the same through sewer outfalls that empty in the Hudson River. That plays into New York Waterway’s argument he said, adding that there is little the township can do to help it on their end, although it has added catch basins to outfalls in Weehawken as well as other measures.

Cassandra Porsch led the protestors during the march on the waterfront walkway and on the Avenue at Port Imperial.

According to Turner, there is a lot of pollution already in the air and in the river from ferries and other boat traffic, as well as vehicle traffic on the nearby Lincoln Tunnel. He said that nothing can be done about either, but that the township is “stuck trying to make this facility as clean as possible,” such as encouraging the conversion of more ferries to be hybrid or electric.

Turner also expressed skepticism that anything would come of the lawsuit against New York Waterway. He said the company may be fined and reprimanded if found guilty, but won’t be shut down.

Turner echoed calls to monitor New York Waterway regarding the alleged dumping of raw sewage, and also learn to deal with the noise and lights at night. Turner said now New York Waterway needs to work with residents and the township to be a “responsible neighbor” and improve, not expand, the facility, which he said is “small enough” that it can be made “bearable.”

Turner said the township can’t do anything in court in regards to the lawsuit, but confirmed they would follow up to see if Weehawken was a third-party beneficiary from the 2016 contract. He also said he would inquire from the NJDEP about the dumping of raw sewage and other issues, but did not speak on the proposal to pass a resolution calling on Murphy to investigate the NJDEP.

“I don’t know why the DEP has not responded,” Turner said.

The march passed a number of luxury residential buildings at Port Imperial, raising awareness of their cause to passersby.

More protests and activism planned for the future

At the meeting, Porsch asked the township to keep residents inform and incorporate them into the process. Turner said he would, and had already been reached out to by Davis and would get back to him.

“I think we need to sit down and take some of the ideas they wanted for the expansion, and see if that will work to make it a more acceptable facility and deal with our state partners,” Turner said. He noted this has been a problem for 30 years since it’s inception, and now is the time to make the best out of it instead of arguing for another 30 years. “So my the first goal we’re going to do is sit down the representatives from the condo buildings and The Brownstones… This is not going to go away. We take this very serious.”

Turner said he wanted to set up a meeting with every resident committee and condominium association involved. However, it appears that did not occur considering the protest.

While there was no discussion on the topic at the October 24 council meeting, protest organizers said there would likely be more residents speaking out at the next meeting. The Township Council will meet again on November 9 at 5 p.m. at Town Hall at 400 Park Avenue, with more information at weehawken-nj.us.

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.

Liberty State Park activists warn of noise pollution from new flight plan

Hudson Reporter

November 4, 2022

Helicopter,Tour,In,New,York,City — Helicopter tours along the Hudson River have become a quality-of-life issue on both sides of the river. Shutterstock photo.

After billionaires and private interests have threatened the tranquility of Liberty State Park, helicopters could be the next thing, and local park activists have warned of the potential noise nuisance a new federal plan could cause.

A federal draft plan by the National Park Service (NPS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and tour operators will propose limits for commercial air tours around the Statue of Liberty and Governor’s Island by creating a 1,000 feet buffer from them.

It would also require tours to fly within half a mile of the parks in a clockwise direction at at least 500 feet above ground level, and helicopters would also be prohibited from circling or hovering within the half-mile boundary.

While the intentions of the draft plan are meant to protect the two parks on the Hudson River, the Friends of Liberty State Park have warned that the plan could come at Liberty State Park’s expense by causing helicopters to fly over the park, in which they called a “LOUD HELICOPTER NOISE BARRAGE WAR[sic]” by the NPS.

“This agreement is equivalent to approving tourist helicopters right over and next to Central Park,” read a statement by FOLSP’s president Sam Pesin. “People deserve to enjoy Liberty State Park without the private interests of the helicopter companies disrupting and disturbing the peace at Liberty State Park, a recreational, natural, cultural and historical treasure.”

Pesin argues that the buffer for the two New York state parks will only make “a small dent” in noise pollution heard by tourists, and that the noise will instead be shifted to Liberty State Park.

“Shifting noise is not a solution!” the statement continues. “This voluntary agreement with helicopter tourism companies doesn’t get to the root issue – too many tour choppers and no real way to lessen their noise.”

Noises from helicopters along the Hudson River, particularly those from tourist companies, have been a quality-of-life issue for both people in Hudson County and neighboring Manhattan. Lawmakers both locally and federally had introduced legislation to put limits on helicopters and ban non-essential flights in the local area altogether.

The National Park Service said that the FAA plans to sign the agreement this December, which will then update the operation specifications for each air tour company under the agreement within 90 days.

Public comments can be submitted to the NPS about the draft plan until Nov. 22 at 1:59 am at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?documentID=124250.

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.

Navy rear admiral inspects USNS Pomeroy at Bayonne Dry-Dock

Hudson Reporter

November 3, 2022

11baydock10-01 — RADM Michael Wettlauder, Bayonne Dry-Dock President Michael Cranston, inspect the USNS Pomeroy. Photos by Ari Mintz.

Rear Admiral Michael Wettlaufer visited the Bayonne Dry-Dock on Friday, October 28, inspecting the USNS Pomeroy.

The Pomeroy is part of the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, which is nearing completion of a $27 Million overhaul before returning to sea duty.

Rear Admiral Wettlaufer, who has led the Military Sealift Command since 2019, was escorted by Bayonne Dry-Dock President Michael Cranston as he toured the ship and visited with both the ship’s crew and dockworkers.

Rear Admiral Wettlaufer also took time to facilitate a small-group discussion with the leadership teams from Bayonne Dry-Dock and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Throughout his visit, Wettlaufer stressed the importance of the facility’s work to National Defense and the U.S. Navy’s overall mission. Bayonne Dry-Dock has completed twenty similar overhauls for the Navy since 2015.

“We were honored to host Rear Admiral Wettlaufer to inspect the USNS Pomeroy, which is now ready to return to its active-duty status serving the U.S. military in its combat and humanitarian missions,” said Cranston in a statement on Monday, November 1. “We are proud of our employees, our work and our service to the United States military.”

The Bayonne Dry-Dock facility is New York harbor’s largest dry-dock facility, serving both the military and the commercial shipping industry with a full range of services.

The 951-foot-long Pomeroy, part of the Watson Class Large Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships (LMSRs), is designed to carry an entire U.S. Army Task Force including 58 tanks, 48 other tracked vehicles, including more than 900 trucks and other wheeled vehicles.

With a cargo-carrying capacity of 380,000 square feet (the equivalent of almost eight football fields), the USNS Pomeroy can accommodate up to 45 civilians, and up to 50 active-duty personnel.

Rear Admiral Michael Wettlaufer and Bayonne Dry Dock President Michael Cranston pose with dock workers conducting the repairs to the USNS Pomeroy.

Bayonne Dry-Dock’s personnel and subcontractors performed a wide array of upgrades and maintenance to the ship, including cargo gear and fan venting system overhauls, saltwater piping system replacement, tail shaft and main strut bearing service, and blasting and repainting the hull and topside weather decks, freeboard and superstructure.

There were approximately 225 employees that are contributing to the project’s completion, including both direct employees of Bayonne Dry-Dock and 30 subcontractors.

The Pomeroy was brought to Bayonne Dry-Dock on August 16, 2022, and the project is scheduled for an on-time delivery in mid-February of 2023.

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.

North Bergen students headed to Abu Dhabi for ‘junk’ fashion design competition

Hudson Reporter

November 3, 2022

11nbdress10 — "The Nightingale" was designed by North Bergen fashion students and teachers and is a Junk Kouture world finalist. Photo courtesy of Junk Kouture.

North Bergen students are heading overseas for the finals of an international environmentally-friendly fashion design competition.

On Tuesday, October 25, American up-and-coming eco-conscious creators and fashion designers competed at the first ever New York City final of Junk Kouture, a worldwide sustainable youth fashion competition. During the event, 30 haute-couture designs made from 100 percent recycled materials created and modeled by talented post-primary students took to the digital stage on Junk Kouture’s YouTube and TikTok channels.

Ten creations by young designers 13 to 18 years old from the city and nearby states were chosen by the Junk Kouture judges Ben Barry, Nicole McLaughlin and Emma McKee to represent the United States at the first-ever Junk Kouture World Final in the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 11, 2023.

The final 10 designs from the United States will be up against 50 other designs, 10 from each of Junk Kouture’s other finals in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Ireland, and the UAE. At the World Final, there will be six individual City Designer Awards for each location, plus the first-ever Junk Kouture World Designer of the Year.

Other prizes up for grabs include the Glamour Award, Wearable Art Award, Innovation Award, and Performance Award. Students will model and perform in haute-couture designs made entirely from recycled materials for celebrity judges, industry experts and an audience of cheering supporters flown into Abu Dhabi from around the world.

A night of creativity, performance, talent and live music from special guests awaits students in January. The event is billed as a celebration of young people and the circular engineers of tomorrow.

One of the ten designs selected to represent New York City in the World Final includes “The Nightingale” by Christopher King, Myles Perez, Jazzlynn Vargas, and Josselyn Garcia of North Bergen High School. The students were assisted by Fashion and Interior Design Teacher Marlene Sapoff and Sculpture Teacher and Art Director Steven Defendini.

The dress itself is made from blue wrap sourced from Hackensack University Medical Center, adorned with flowers made of the same material. Blue wrap is a surgical wrap and equates to 19 percent of the medical waste and pool insulation foam.

Also going into the construction of the gown were reams of discarded pool insulation. That material was fashioned into the angelic wings.

North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco congratulated the students on making it that far in the competition at a October 26 meeting of the Board of Commissioners. Sacco said that the students were among the ten designs selected nationwide as finalists.

“I was just notified that the high school students are the finalists in the fashion contest,” Sacco said amid the meeting. “They made an outfit from medical supplies. They’re going to Abu Dhabi. They won the local, and there’s only ten in the nation finalists.”

Sacco said he has seen the dress himself, and seemed impressed. He said he is especially so, now that the students are heading to the World Final.

“I went in one day and saw the dress, and it took a lot of work,” Sacco said. “I never thought we’d be on our way to the finals of an international contest. It’s very impressive. The kids are very talented.”

According to Sacco, Junk Kouture is allowing two teachers and two students to attend. He said that they are unsure if the township will need to raise money to support them, but will see what is necessary as January approaches.

“We don’t know what else this entails,” Sacco said. “We will give more notice out.”

Designs to compete in World Final in Abu Dhabi

Some of the nine designs selected include: “Junk Punk Denim” by Emily Humphreys and Olivia Volt of Clearview Regional High School, New Jersey, made from up-cycled denim used to create the patchwork, bottle caps, cans, and recycled rope; “Sugar Pink Rockstar” by Yanin Thammarangsri, Fatima Koita, and Sonia Domlan of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York, made from metallic chrome balloons, pink straws, cardboard, yarn strings, up-cycled fabric, safety pins, staples, and paper plates; and “Junk Karnival” by Sarah Arriola and Chloe Davis of McIntosh High School, Georgia, made from coca-cola cans, plastic water bottles, metal wire, newspaper, yarn, dye, glue, cardboard, tape, old t-shirts, can tabs, thread, plastic grocery, and trash bags, ribbon, old bedding fabric, old heels, and an old bodysuit.

The others selected feature: “D’Fear” by Xiwen Mark of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, New York made from plastic, paper, and up-cycled clothes; “Grandstar” by Natalia Monsale, Virginia Papasidero, and Astro Mejia of Glen Cove High School, New York, made from plastic water bottles, paper bags, paper clips, and recycled clothing; “Tree of Life” by Ísis de Farias Madeira of M600 The High School of Fashion Industries, New York, made from scraps and deadstock fabric for the base of the dress, to which the banana fibers were sewn with recycled polyester threads, and shoes thrifted and embellished with the same materials; “Mask Dress” by Naomi Carrion of Bronx International High School, New York made from masks, thread, and glue; “Record Breaker” by Lia Aldea-Lustig of Byram Hills High School, New York, made from up-cycled clothing, CDs, cassette tapes, shells and tape; and “Buttons” by Marykate Hanus and Jennifer Toler of North Kingstown High School, Rhode Island, made from buttons, fabric, glue, string, and wire.

“Get ready for the NYC designs taking to Abu Dhabi to fill you up with hope for the future of fashion and the survival of our planet. What the students created is truly exceptional — unbounded creativity, craft and consciousness will be on full display,” Junk Kouture judge and Dean of Fashion at Parsons School of Design Ben Barry said.

“I’m so excited for the world to be introduced to the finalists and their creations. Judging Junk Kouture New York has been a privilege. We’re cultivating a generation of high school fashion designers who don’t think that climate justice is an addition or afterthought to their design practice but instead it is the foundation – a creative opening for new fashion aesthetics, silhouettes, and form.”

Junk Kouture judge and fashion designer Nicole McLaughlin said: “I’ve been incredibly impressed by the calibre of design and execution of the projects I’ve seen from the designers. Junk Kouture is an important outlet for teenagers looking to explore their creativity in the sustainability world. They understand the importance of this message and look to nurture the future through imagination and empowerment via amazing opportunities. And all you want to do is continue to cheer them on. This is just the start of their journeys. I hope the designers who make it to Abu Dhabi remember to make some fantastic memories and enjoy themselves. Have fun!”

Supporting Junk Kouture as an events partner at the World Final is Miral, a creator of immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi. With the support of Miral and Etihad Airways, the official airline partner and global partner of Junk Kouture, all local and international participants and supporters travelling to the World Final of Junk Kouture will be immersed into the culture and entertainment Abu Dhabi has to offer.

Standard ticket pricing for the show starts at AED 100, with attendees provided the option to create bespoke packages to include accommodation and other unique experiences on the island and across the capital. For more information, go online to junkkouture.com or follow social media @junkkouture.

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

Bayonne opens ‘crown jewel’ of Phase II improvements to Collins Park

Hudson Reporter

November 2, 2022

11baycollins10-01 — A Bayonne child enjoys the new swings at Collins Park. Photos by Daniel Israel.

The Phase II improvements to Bayonne’s Dennis P. Collins Park was officially opened on Tuesday, November 1. Officials, residents, and even members of the Collins family were present for the ceremony at First Street and Avenue C. The ceremony is the second recent opening of a city park following renovations, including Dr. David Morris Park.

The park is named after former Mayor Dennis Collins, who was elected four times in 1974, 1978, 1982, and 1986. Prior to that, he served on the City Council from 1962 to 1974, being City Council President from 1966 to 1974. After serving as mayor, he worked as an aide to Sen. Robert Menendez Sr. when he was still a congressman before returning to Bayonne City Hall as an aide for Mayor Joseph Doria.

Collins Park, the largest municipal park in the city, has been renovated in phases, with the rest of the park open while this was under construction. The city completed Phase I of the park in 2018 and included: new playground and exercise equipment; renovated tennis courts; a new volleyball court; new dog runs; new trees and landscaping; and new benches; among other improvements.

The Phase II renovations saw the construction of new facilities including: a roller hockey rink; a multi-purpose elevated seating area; a playground for ages two to five; a playground for age five to 12, basketball courts; an exercise and training area; benches and tables; trees and landscaping; and a large gazebo.

The playgrounds are amusement park themed, an ode to the former Uncle Milty’s Playland that used to occupy the grounds back in the day, complete with a “Miltyville” ticket booth. The multi-purpose elevated seating area serves as a sort of an open amphitheater overlooking the Kill van Kull, that can be used as an outdoor classroom or performance space.

Gorman Field has received new sod, along with new fencing and a sprinkler system. The field is not yet ready for use, but will be opened in the spring, as the new sod requires time to develop roots. Additionally, the Gorman Field parking lot will be repaved, and another parking lot has been expanded.

Davis and other city officials touted the renovations at the park opening.

The renovations were done by Picerno-Giordano Construction of Kenilworth for $3,697,669, which was awarded the contract in May of 2021. The construction company has also been contracted to complete upgrades to Fitzpatrick Park, and 28th Street Park among other local parks.

Officials tout completion of this phase of Collins Park improvements

At the park reopening, Mayor James Davis touted getting the park complete after the renovations were ongoing for many years.

“I know this took a long time, but people have to realize a lot of the property had to be remediated before we could actually do what you see today,” he said.

Davis thanked the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for ensuring that the park was built safely. He also expressed gratitude to the Picerno-Giordano family and their workers for constructing the park.

In addition, Davis thanked the CME engineers and other project professionals that worked on the project. He also gave a special shoutout to Department of Public Works Director Tom Cotter for his special attention to this for the past two years.

The new exercise and training area is next to the elevated multi-level seating area.

“My main focus since I became mayor was what I remembered being a kid,” Davis said. “I grew up just three blocks from here. This was Uncle Milton’s and Dennis Collins was our mayor. All I remember being a child was that every single park in Bayonne was slowly redone while he was in office.”

When Davis became mayor eight years ago, he said he promised himself and his family that he was going to emulate Collins and redo every single park in the city. These renovations are part of fulfilling that promise, he said.

“Over the last eight years, and Mr. Picerno can vouch for this, we are slowly doing it,” Davis said. “County money has helped us immensely with Hudson County Park. If you haven’t walked through the park lately, take a walk through it. It is gorgeous. But this one, I believe, is a crown jewel.”

Davis said he was blown away by the upgrades, especially this portion of the park that serves as an homage to the former amusement park that used to occupy the park known as Uncle Milty’s Playland. He said he walks through the park daily, still living a couple blocks away, and it overjoyed.

“It far exceeds all my expectations, and it is an honor for me because it is Dennis Collins Park, that this will always be remembered as I will always remember him as a mayor that really, really took care of the city of Bayonne,” Davis said. “This is a crown jewel to Mayor Collins.”

The playground for ages two to five year olds is rollercoaster-themed, an ode to the former Uncle Milty’s Playland.

Remediation of chromium from the soil and other toxic fill

Court Appointed Site Administrator Ronald Riccio for the clean up of Collins Park oversees a number of remediation sites throughout Hudson County. But he said this was the most important to him among the 20 sites.

“The most important to me has been making sure this park got remediated and restored safely and efficiently that it could become the beautiful park that it is today,” he said.

Riccio touted it as a collaboration between the public sector, the regulatory sector, and the private sector. He congratulated PPG, the company which remediated the site, for the successful cleanup, and the NJDEP for their diligence.

“In today’s day and age, it’s very difficult sometimes too see a connection between public, private, and regulatory actually impacting people ina positive way,” Riccio said. “It doesn’t happen often enough, but today is one of those special day when everything worked out the right way and people worked together to produce for their kids and their parents the same memories that were produced years ago.”

Two new basketball courts are already being put to good use by the youth at Collins Park.

In addition, Riccio thanked Davis and other involved city officials. He specifically shouted out Business Administrator Donna Russo, with whom he worked closely with on the project at all hours of the day.

According to Riccio, the remediation was only thought to be small when they first began. However, that was not the case, and eventually 20,000 tons of contaminated land was removed.

“When I started with this, we thought the only area that needed remediation was a tree surrounded by a picket fence near the restrooms,” Riccio said. “We never imagined that the contamination extended throughout the park, but that was soon discovered and addressed so much so that throughout the excavation period there, we removed 20,000 tons of contaminated impacted material which was then transported for disposal at a licensed facility.”

The contaminated land was replaced with 39,000 tons of clean fill as a cap on the park. The revetment against the Kill van Kull was redone with new stones installed to last for generations.

Riccio also touted the homage to Uncle Milty’s Playland. He said that he used to come to the amusement park as a kid, and used to think of the Kill van Kull as the Atlantic Ocean.

“It was a place to come for young kids during a hot summer to get a cool breeze, to ride the rides, and to create some memories,” Riccio said. “Those memories stay with me today as vividly as it were 60 to 70 years ago.”

Riccio echoed Davis that the renovated park is a “crown jewel” for the city of Bayonne.

The larger playground for five to 12 year olds keeps up the Uncle Milty’s Playland theme of this portion of the park.

DPW Director reflects on years of work

Cotter said that he proud to finally be able to rededicate Collins Park for residents to enjoy after the renovations have been completed. He thanked the people whose “help, dedication, guidance, blood, sweat, and tears” made the project possible, including Davis, the City Council, city professionals including Rob Russo and Andrew Raichle among others, and city lawyers including Law Director Jay Coffey and now-Business Adminsitrator Donna Russo.

Cotter praised “the time they put in, the attention to detail, to keep me pushing forward to get this project done… You all gave me hope when I thought it would take way too long and the job was faltering and it wasn’t going to come to fruition. But you guided me through it from the beginning and now we’re here today.”

He also specifcially jokingly praised Coffey and Russo for making sure he “didn’t get locked up through the process.” He added: “I came in with ideas and suggestions and they keep me on track.”

In addition, Cotter thanked Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Jablonski for the Court Appointed Site Administrator. He said without Riccio, the project wouldn’t have moved along and thanked Riccio for ensuring PPG was doing the remediation correctly.

The 50-foot wide gazebo offers a relaxing shady area in the active park.

Cotter also thanked others including Alan Miller of the NJDEP, Jeff Worden from PPG, environmental professionals, and anyone else who worked to make this phase of the park improvements a reality, especially Tony Picerno and Nina Giordano who collaborated with Cotter on the design.

“Design after design, I would shoot you guys down,” Cotter said. “Then you came in with that presentation and took the vision that I wanted and pulled it out of the back of my head. And now this is the way the park turned out. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.”

Cotter also praised the Uncle Milty’s Playland references in the park. He said he used to go there often and remembered when the amusement park closed.

“i never met him, but his vision is still alive here in the park,” Cotter said. “So it’s good to see that it’s not forgotten.”

Cotter also thanked residents for pushing and keeping him in check. Although a pain at times, he thanked them for following through with city officials.

“To those who called and complained millions of times that it was taking too long and asking when its going to open, I love you too,” Cotter said. “It’s part of our job as public officials, we have to take the good with the bad. If they’re not keeping us in check, no one else well.”

Cotter ended by thanking the Collins family. He said that Collins’ intention for the park remained: “His vision for this park years ago is still alive today and will still be alive for the next generation.”

The roller hockey rink and associated bleachers provides opportunities for many sporting events.

Park already put to good use

First Ward City Councilman Neill Carroll III echoed thanks to all involved. He also thanked the Bayonne Police Department, who attended the event with their mobile command center.

“It’s not just about recreating ourselves and being in this park and relaxing and enjoying life, but that we can do it safely,” Carroll said.

Carroll, much like Davis and other Bayonne residents, has been a fan of the park since he was young. He said it will continue to serve as a hub for youth with the new renovations.

“When I was growing up, this was one of the biggest things I looked forward to,” Caroll said. “The biggest thing I looked forward to was being able to walk by myself from 2nd Steet and Trask Avenue down to First Street Park. That was major. Then to be able to radiate outwards throughout the entirety of First Street Park. At one point, this was my whole world. This was my friends’ whole world. We came down here for everything, our pick up games, football in the back end of Gorman Field.”

Carroll praised the renovations that younger him would have been ecstatic about. He was happy to play a part of it being on the council.

Officials and Collins family members cut the ribbon for the re-opening in front of the elevated multi-level seating.

“To look at it now, I could go on for an hour,” Carroll said. “But I’m so filled with joy and gratitude, that even to have a small part of this with my colleagues on the council and to watch it grow out of the ground and flat earth when they took it down to the nubs, it was magic. It was like watching a miracle happen and now knowing that this is going to be another kid’s whole world one day or for the first part of their lives means the world to me and to the Collins family.”

Caroll shared how he used to get out of school at St. Andrew’s School and his grandfather Neil Carroll I would take him to the park. He said there his grandfather and Collins would “talk about the problems” facing Bayonne and the world sat at a bench while he played.

“When I walk though here, and I hope I can do it every day of my life, it just raises my heart up,” he said. Concluding his remarks, Carroll exclaimed: “The park is open.”

Davis added: “When you think about Uncle Milty’s we also have to try to preserve our past. Last week we just had the bell tower put up at Fitzpatrick park, which has the three bells from St. Joesphen’s Church which was sold off. I’m always going to try to keep our past a part of our future. That’s what we need to do so that we can never forget everything and where we came from.

Amid the ceremony, the park was already being put to good use on the sunny evening. Children’s laughs could be heard as they played on nearby equipment. Runners and people walking their dogs passed behind the speakers at the podium as they used the walking path. The bounce of basketballs on the court echoed. And the Collins Park experience wouldn’t be complete without a large vessel passing through the Kill van Kull and under the Bayonne Bridge in the background.

Before the opening ceremony was even finished, dozens of children enjoyed the newly refurbished areas of Collins Park.

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.

Jersey City bans parking on sections of Marin Blvd. and Newark Ave.

Hudson Reporter

November 1, 2022

11jccouncil10_1 — One of the parking bans on Newark Ave. will stretch from Chestnut Ave. to Brunswick St. in an effort to extend the bike lanes there. Screenshot via Google Maps.

Jersey City is banning parking on certain sections of Marin Boulevard and Newark Avenue to help protected bike lanes.

Two new ordinances will ban parking on the west side of Marin Boulevard from 18th Street to the Hoboken border, as well as banning it on both sides of Newark Avenue from Chestnut Avenue to Brunswick Street, which is the section of the road that connects Journal Square to Downtown.

The City Council unanimously adopted the ordinances at their Oct. 26 meeting to do so.

During an Oct. 11 caucus meeting, Transportation Planning Director Michael Manzella explained that the parking ban on Marin Boulevard was the result of an effort between the city, Hoboken and Hudson County on a safety improvement project there.

He also explained that the Newark Avenue bans would extend the protected bike lanes there to Brunswick Street and would complete a connection to Columbus Drive.

Councilman James Solomon, who represents the Downtown-based Ward E, told the Hudson Reporter that the changes to Marin Boulevard in particular were to accommodate a protected bike lane there.

“Jersey City and Hoboken did not have a safe biking connection between the two cities,” he said. “So the creation of the bike lane, specifically on Marin, is to try to connect our bike networks together.”

He also explained that the bans on Newark Avenue were to remove street parking between 5th and Brunswick Street so that the protected bike lane was extended by one block.

During the council meeting where the ordinances were adopted, resident Ryan Williams thanked the council for the parking bans, saying that he rode on both of those sections and that they were “critical missing links.”

Another resident, Emmanuelle Morgen, also said that she commutes between Jersey City and Hoboken with her bike, and that a section between 18th Street and Observer Highway under the rail underpass “was and still is terrifying until today.”

“Prior to today, the segments intersections with vehicles frequently turning right on red evokes the kind of fear that makes people on foot, bike and scooter pause in confusion and try to look every which way, never knowing from where the speeding vehicle might be coming,” she said.

“My partner and I will be sure to ride this segment tomorrow in celebration of progress for safe streets and our community,” she continued.

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.

Meet the candidates running on the ‘Together We Can’ slate for the Bayonne school board

Hudson Reporter

October 31, 2022

11baytogetherwecan03 — Running on the slate, from left to right is: Trustee Hector Gonzalez, former Trustee Mary Jane Desmond, Miriam Bechay, and William Young.

Under the slogan “Together We Can,” four candidates are seeking seats up for grabs on the Bayonne Board of Education. The slate consists of incumbent Trustee Hector Gonzalez, Mary Jane Desmond, William Young, and Miriam Bechay, at 1I, 2I, 3I, and 8I on the ballot, respectively.

Three seats are available for a term of three years each. The terms of Trustees Lisa Burke, Jan Patrick Egan, and Denis Wilbeck are expiring and none are running for re-election.

Along with those three seats, there is another board seat available for a term of one year. Trustee Hector Gonzalez, Jr.’s term is expiring after he was appointed in January of this year.

In an interview with the Bayonne Community News, the “Together We Can” ticket described who they are, what platform they are running on, and other pertinent questions related to the election. This included Gonzalez, Desmond and Young, but not Bechay, who did not respond to requests for an interview.

Hector Gonzalez

Gonzalez is a special education high school teacher for the Jersey City Board of Education and serves as a Crisis Intervention specialist, SSLD-Specific Language Learners Disabled students, and volleyball coach. He said he has a passion for education and brings valuable educational input and insight to the board there.

Gonzalez lives in Bayonne with his wife Susan and has one daughter in high school. He is running for school board to: ensure every student maintains a path to graduate and is educationally and socially equipped for life; provide highly competitive pay for classroom teachers; ensure the board and community provides the resources to protect and enrich students when they are not on campus; ensure the board maintains and implements a strong response to bullying; pursue financial policies which provide an outstanding return on the communities investment in their schools; and maintain high district morale.

Gonzalez considers himself an independent thinker on the board. He said that he shares values with his fellow slate members but also has his own opinions.

“I don’t consider myself a bobble head that everything is a yes,” Gonzalez said.

Mary Jane Desmond

Desmond was born and raised in Bayonne, and has been a single mom since her children were two, three and four years old. She is grateful for the education her three daughters received in Bayonne’s public school system.

Desmond has a professional background in management and finance in the corporate, government, non-profit and healthcare sectors. A long time community activist, she has served as City Councilwoman At-Large, Deputy County Clerk, and a former Trustee for the board. Desmond was appointed in the ’90s, selected to fill a term in the ’00s, re-elected to the seat, but ultimately lost re-election and is now seeking a seat on the board again.

Desmond is running to do her part to ensure current and future students are afforded every opportunity to succeed emotionally and academically. She believes that teachers should be supported with every resource to provide a first rate education for them.

According to Desmond, funding, school safety, aging buildings, over-crowded classrooms and a growing student population all impact how the district is able to provide a quality education for our children.

Prudent handling of financial resources is important in addressing these issues, she said. Desmond touts a reputation of getting the job done and is eager to work with the other members of the “Together We Can” team to do so.

“The reason I do this is because the children are so important to my life and I’m motivated to do what I can to prepare them for life,” Desmond said.

William Young

“I’ve lived in Bayonne for 30 years,” Young said. “The day after I graduated junior high school in 1992, I moved to Bayonne and started in Bayonne High School that following fall. Honestly, the city embraced me as a young man from out of town.”

After falling in love with Bayonne while in high school while playing football and basketball, he remained in the city, and 30 years later, he is married to his wife Julie and a homeowner with four kids in the district.

Young is a Financial Services and Registered Representative with the New York Life Insurance Company. He is involved with Bayonne Cal Ripken Baseball, now known as Bayonne Youth Baseball and Softball, New Jersey Together, and is a trustee with his church.

Young is running for school board because he wants to increase after-school and summer educational and enrichment opportunities for all students. Young believes that education does not stop at 3 p.m. and is an all year round process.

“All four of my children are in the public school system,” Young said. “I see what they go through in high school.”

Young has also seen the influence of City Hall on the school board in Jersey City through advocacy work there. He wants Bayonne to avoid the same fate, so he’s running for the board here.

Miriam Bechay

Bechay was born and raised in Bayonne. She went to Nicholas Oresko school for the Gifted and Talented Program and Bayonne High School.

Bechay was a part of the Bayonne Basketball Girls Varsity Team for two years, and also the Bayonne Swimming Team and Softball Team for one year. She is currently enrolled at New Jersey Institute of Technology studying Biomedical Engineering.

Throughout high school and through her college years, Bechay has helped campaign and canvass for several city officials and was then given the opportunity to become a fieldwork manager. She hopes to contribute in making important decisions for the Bayonne Board of Education.

“It’s my time to give back to the community that has already given me so many opportunities,” Bechay said. “I hope to do the same for the younger generations.”

Running on platform to address needs and challenges of the district

According to Desmond, the school district needs to address a number of issues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the emotional well-being of students after the isolation they just went through.

Desmond said, “I feel the way to reach children who feel isolated is to allow them that creative expression, which just boils over into academics automatically. Critical reading, writing, it expands upon those skills tremendously.”

The slate wants to make safety a top priority for all students and staff, ensure every student has equal access to a high quality education, consistently work to improve communication and transparency with parents, staff and, taxpayers so every stakeholder has a seat at the table. They believe that every child matters and that they are independent voices with shared values.

New policies to propose?

Desmond says she wants the board to advocate for students, staff, and administrators. As a board member, she would promote more interaction with teachers to know their needs and advocate for them.

In Bayonne, post-COVID-19, priorities include renovating heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and determining which students need extra attention after virtual learning. Gonzalez, with an eye to improving shared services, took issue with the shared services agreement with the city for garbage and recycling collection by A + L Disposal LLC.

“I think it was the mayor who was the one who negotiated that contract,” Gonzalez said. “It was $125,000. Now it’s $325,00 for garbage collection days in the schools. It’s a lot of money.”

Gonzalez also wants to increase transparency on the board and communication with parents. He proposes holding the board meetings at a different school every time to give more people opportunities to attend. Gonzales added the school district needs to be upfront about the tax rate.

Gonzalez also wants to hold weekly meetings with parent teacher organizations at each school to gauge how the board can help meet needs as they arise. Young said one policy he would change would involve increased parental participation, echoing Gonzalez’s proposal for frequent meetings with parent teacher organizations.

“There are some things, being a parent, that are concerning to me,” Young said. “I think the parents need definitely need to be more involved in in what’s going on.”

The slate attends a football game with current Bayonne Board of Education Vice President Christopher Munoz (far left).

‘Integrity, honesty, commitment, and dedication’

Desmond said the slate is running on integrity, honesty, commitment, and dedication. She said they all share the same energy in advocating for the children of the district.

Gonzalez said this iteration of the “Together We Can” slate aims to continue building on the progress the others have accomplished. Most board members on the board now have ran on the “Together We Can” ticket, but Gonzalez said they are all independent voices with shared values with their own way of thinking.

For Gonzalez, keeping teachers in the district is another major issue. He said they are a hot commodity right now, and the district needs to look for ways to maintain them, pay them more, and keep them in Bayonne.

According to Gonzalez, other priorities for the ticket include upgrading the bullying policy, and working on infrastructure such as the funding needed for new boilers by December 6. Under a new state mandate, all boilers in schools must be electric by the deadline, which will cost $250,000 per school in Bayonne he said, noting everything comes down to funding.

Young emphasized that while they are running on the same slate they are independent voices with shared values, echoing a common theme for the ticket. He also wants to create more after-school programs other than sports. Young said such career-oriented programs he experienced growing up in the New York school system impacted him greatly, and he wants the same for Bayonne.

New facility is necessity in Bayonne school district

As the city grows, so does its population of school-age children. Desmond believes that a new facility is necessary to ease overburdened classrooms.

“It’s not even a choice, it’s a must-do,” Desmond said. “Nobody wants to burden the taxpayers more, but not doing something periodically creates this ‘uh-oh’ scenario that we’re in. These are school buildings that are over 100 years old, with the average age I believe is 80 or 90 years now. You can play around with the brick and mortar, but your heating and air conditioning, those are health and safety issues.”

Gonzalez agreed with Desmond that even with the acquisition of the former St. Andrew’s School, a new school needs to be built. He said that state and federal funding can help foot the bill.

“People come in and they have children, so then the district is even more crowded,” Gonzalez said. “We need to have a new school.”

Young also concurred. He said that building new schools is just as important as upgrading existing aged facilities.

Desmond targeted tax abatements for new residential development don’t contribute funds to the school district. She said that the district needs to coordinate more funding with the state and federal government to renovate aging existing facilities and to build new ones.

“The state does not fund the district well enough for us to be able to do that on our own,” Desmond said. “Taxpayers are overburdened already. The recent rash of abatements hasn’t helped. So we have to be defining ways to respond to the need for very safe and sound school buildings.”

Young and Gonzalez agreed that tax abatements being granted to redevelopers that don’t contribute funds to the school system are a major issue.

“In advocacy work that I’ve done in Jersey City, I’ve seen what abatements have done to to the school system there,” Young said. “I want to make sure that same thing doesn’t happen in Bayonne.”

New sex education standards in health curriculum

Recently, the state has implemented new sex education standards in health curriculum at the local level. While there exists the choice to opt out of the lesson in Bayonne, some parents had advocated against the material being taught in schools at all.

Desmond call it somewhat of a government overreach, and wants the state legislators to revisit the issue with child psychologists and therapists and the like. However, she approves of the choice to opt out.

“I do appreciate that there should be in health education, a component, age appropriate, for some of those topics,” Desmond said.

Gonzalez said that the district has to implement the state’s health education curriculum per the mandate. He praised the choice for parents to opt out, noting that they can choose what they think is best for their kids.

“It’s a state law,” Gonzalez said. “The state education department that wrote that. We cant say no to the state or risk losing funding. But you have the option to opt out from anything that you think as a parent if you believe daughter should or shouldn’t be learning that.” Young believes that this is also a parents choice.

“This is something that is a personal choice in terms of what parents want,” Young said. “I love the fact that Bayonne has that opt out provision.”

While some parents want the option to learn the curriculum completely removed, Young suggests they opt their child out and take the protest to the state level. He said the district can’t risk losing funding from the state by not enacting it.

The “Together We Can” ticket had a booth at the Bergen Point Fall Festival.

Davis endorses competing slate

Mayor James Davis endorsed the slate on September 21, the first time he had backed candidates in a school board race since 2020 and a departure from backing the “Together We Can” slate as he had in consecutive years past. Davis said he considers electing the “Voices for Progress” ticket among his top priorities for his third term. Desmond criticized the mayor’s endorsement as politicizing the race, but was ultimately uninterested in it and more on having the voters’ backing.

“Make up your mind, is it an elected or appointed board?” Desmond said. “We are starting to look like every other city in Hudson County with the politicking. I really ultimately don’t care.”

Gonzalez said there are good people on other slate, well respected. He didn’t take issue with them, but with the mayor’s involvement in the race, calling for a separation from the board and the city.

Young expressed a similar sentiment. From experience in the advocacy work that he does in Jersey City, he said he has seen how influence from City Hall can affect the board.

“I think City Hall needs to stay away from the Board of Education, there needs to be a separation,” Young said.

The “Together We Can” slate has gotten support from other incumbent Trustees including Jodi Casais, Vice President Christopher Munoz, and President Maria Valado. Also backed by former City Council President and mayoral candidate Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski, it appears the election is somewhat of a proxy war between factions remaining from the May municipal election.

On the campaign trail

The campaign has been relatively quiet until September. The “Together We Can” slate began making appearances at local events that month, such as the Bayonne Arts Festival. That continued with their first meet and greet at Bake N Brew on September 22, the Bayonne Bike Club’s annual Night Ride, and knocking on doors.

The meet and greets continued, with a livestream featuring a question and answer with parent and teacher organizations, and on October 19 at Kuhl’s Tavern. The “Together We Can” slate had a booth at the Bergen Point Fall Festival to meet voters, followed by the most recent meet and greet on October 26 at The Rock Pub.

As Election Day approached, the slate was looking forward to more events, such as the candidate forum at Bayonne High School’s Alexander X. O’Connor Auditorium on November 2 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. moderated by TAPinto Bayonne’s Al Sullivan. However, she noted it would be akin to a question and answer event as opposed to a debate.

Desmond added that while the slate was interviewed by the BEA, they endorsed “Voices for Progress” last week. She questioned how the event could be unbiased considering the timing of the endorsement, but said the slate will still attend since the commitment was from months prior.

More recently after the interviews, the “Together We Can” slate has also criticized recent flyers by the “Voices for Progress” slate. The complaints stem that the flyers feature the slate members next to Democratic candidates running for office also on November 8, despite the non-partisan nature of the election.

“So, Voices for Progress is handing out literature with their ballot positions and on the other side there are Democratic candidates for office,” they wrote on social media. “We at ‘Together We Can’ believe that the school board election is a non-partisan race and no influence from Democrats or Republicans should be Introduced.”

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.

Jersey City school board candidates debate budgets, test scores, supporting faculty

Hudson Reporter

October 28, 2022

11jcdebate03_1 — Nearly all the candidates running for the Jersey City school board this year attended the debate. Photo illustration by Terri Bish via screenshots from Hudson Media Group on YouTube.

Budgets and spending, teacher shortages and test scores were the topics at hand during the Jersey City school board debate, where nearly all of the candidates seeking one of the three seats on the board this year took part.

Two slates of three people and one independent participated in the debate. The first slate, “Education Matters”, includes Trustee Noemi Velazquez, Afaf Muhammad, a Hudson County Democratic committeewoman and former independent candidate, and Christopher Tisdale, an educator. All three are backed by the Jersey City Education Association union.

The second slate, “Change for Children”, includes Trustee Alexander Hamilton, Doris “Toni” Ervin, a Hudson County Community College professor and former candidate, and Kenny Reyes, a former City Council candidate who works in the recruiting industry. The slate has received financial backing from real estate developers in recent years.

Isnel Sanon, who runs a tax service firm and was formerly with the NAACP, was the only independent that participated in the debate, with Ahsan Nawaz, a real estate agent at Weichert, not appearing that night.

The debate was hosted by Hudson Media Group and moderated by John Heinis of Hudson County View.

Budgets and spending

The first topic that Heinis raised was the new school budget adopted earlier this year, totaling $973 million and coming with a $1,611 average tax increase per household. He asked the candidates what they would do to “hold the line on taxes” if they get elected.

Tisdale said “no one wants to see their taxes increase” and that he would ensure that “wasteful spending” is eliminated and that money is appropriated “for the things that they need to be appropriated for.” Muhammad also said that the board should put a hold on the budget to evaluate how it’s spent and where the money can be reallocated.

Velazquez, who voted for the new budget, said that while she was “very disheartened” to vote for the budget, she said that she voted “on the side of the students, not on the side of the developers, not on the side of anybody else,” and argued that the board needs to consider the new curriculum and the resources needed to teach it.

Afaf Muhammad, Christopher Tisdale and Trustee Noemi Velazquez make up the “Education Matters” slate. Screenshot via Hudson Media Group on YouTube.

“We also take into consideration the reduction that the state put upon us this year,” she said. “We did not have anyone, anyone from the city, any [of] the county or any other office help us regain any of that back.”

Sanon said that he would spend time working with the superintendent’s office to review policies and work with the purchasing department to make sure the money “is spent exactly as it should,” as well as monitoring what the district pays for equipment.

Ervin called the new budget “exuberant” and said that they board should start by looking at what their spending plan would be ”on different initiatives that are being offered from the schools, seeing what is working and what is not working.”

Hamilton said that he voted against the budget because he doesn’t believe in the tax increases imposed. He proposed hiring a budget officer for the school district, and that they stop the “tax shell game” between them and the state, county and city.

“If that means paying somebody $150,000, $175,000 a year to be qualified for the position, that’s fine if they find $20-30-40 million in waste,” said Hamilton about the budget officer. “That’s what we need to do first, clean up our house.”

Reyes said that the budget problem was the increases over the years, and that they should ensure that “every single dollar is accounted for correctly, not figuratively.”

“It’s not something where ‘Hey, give me the money’ and then there’s no plan,” he said. “We’re going to enact a specific plan in place to then ensure that those dollars are being allocated accordingly. Most importantly, the public should know where those dollars are being spent.”

A bit of sparring took place over their stances on the budget spending, with Reyes alleging that literature from the “Education Matters” slate had accused his slate of being against school funding, which he disputed. He said they’re “fully for funding 100 percent of the schools”, and that they’re against “irresponsible fiscal responsibility.”

Isnel Sanon (left) is an independent candidate, while Doris “Toni” Ervin is running under the “Change for Children” slate. Screenshot via Hudson Media Group on YouTube.

Tisdale argued the literature was not about the “Change for Children” slate being against school funding, but their backing by for-profit companies that are against funding schools (he then mentioned the LeFrak Organization later in the debate, who have financially backed the “Change for Children” slate before).

Hamilton alleged the school board knew about getting additional funding assistance before the new budget was adopted, such as a recent $89 million in state funding, but still raised taxes.

Velazquez claimed she’s never seen Ervin or Reyes in the budget meetings, to which Reyes replied that one doesn’t have to be in-person to watch the process, mentioning that they can be watched online, such as on Facebook.

Teacher shortages and testing scores

Heinis also referred to the nationwide teacher shortage affecting many schools across the country, and asked the candidates how they would attract more teachers to Jersey City.

Sanon said the school board should start by renovating schools, such as classrooms and teacher lounges, as well as supporting teachers by letting them know “that we [are] here for them.”

“We’re gonna answer their calls, whether it’s [a] problem with parents, student and so on, I’m going to be here for them,” he said. “Whatever that needs, it’s gonna happen.”

Ervin said that after the budget is under control, he and his running mates would “take care of the things we need to take care of”, which she said would help attract teachers, get help from colleges that have alternate route programs for teacher assistants interested in teaching, and make salaries competitive.

Hamilton also mentioned salaries, arguing that they’re “low-balling” their teachers and that they should increase the base pay, and create infrastructure environments that are also conducive to teaching. Reyes also agreed and said that they should have “great” livable wages for entry level teachers and improve infrastructure.

“I wouldn’t want to, if I was a teacher, walk into a classroom and I don’t have any heating, I don’t have any ventilation specifically, it’s too hot, it’s too cold, the leaky pipe specifically,” said Reyes. “So that’s something that we have to address as well.”

Muhammad said that the board should look into substitute teachers and aides that are qualified to be in a classroom by themselves. Tisdale said that attracting teachers requires having “a valued field that people see as something that they want to do.” Velazquez said she agreed with having state-of-the art rooms.

Trustee Alexander Hamilton and Kenny Reyes are also running under the “Change for Children” slate. Screenshot via Hudson Media Group on YouTube.

“Definitely reaching in now to the teachers that we have and placing them into their own classrooms and giving them responsibility for their own selves and with the children, I think they have a lot of experience being a substitute for many years with a master’s degree in teaching,” said Muhammad.

Heinis pointed to the decrease in test scores, which has occurred nationwide as well, and asked the candidates on how they would bring them back up to pre-COVID pandemic levels.

Reyes said the focus should be on working closely with the faculty and Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez and her team to help teachers get students back up. Ervin said teachers should be surveyed as to what their needs are, and to have parents involved in their children’s education.

Hamilton said they should figure out how to schedule their time better, saying they have a number of morning and after school programs and that “a little bit more” learning and development should be worked in them.

“How do we better instill in those children at that age…learning skills during that time?” he said. “We have to now make up for nearly a year of not being in class, that’s very, very important.”

Muhammad said exams should be given as classwork to reduce anxiety. Tisdale said that the district needs to find alternative methods of measuring student ability and accomplishments. Velazquez said they need a budget like the one voted on to fund individualized instructions that will “make every child successful.”

Sanon said that Reyes and Tisdale “got it right”, and that he himself wants to go to teachers and find out “exactly what they need, how can we get them overboard,” as well as advocating against having CBG stores near schools.

Other questions

Heinis asked if the candidates support having an appointed school board rather than the elected board, an idea that was supported by Mayor Steven Fulop and would’ve been up for a referendum vote in 2020, but was dropped in the midst of the pandemic.

Nearly all of the candidates present were strongly against the idea, with Reyes saying that challenging a democratic process is a bad idea, and Tisdale saying that an appointed school board “is nothing more than a group of people who are carrying out the mayor’s bidding.”

The only candidate who didn’t offer a definite answer was Muhammad, seemingly joking at first that she would support an appointed board if they appointed her, but then said that she would have to “really look at the process of how that is being done.”

“I would definitely have to look at the process and the agenda behind the appointments of the school board members, if that was to come down to it,” she said. “However, I think that the voice of the people is very powerful, and I think that not enough people are voting on the school board elections.”

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.

Two independents run for seats on Jersey City school board

Hudson Reporter

October 28, 2022

11jcindie03_1 — Ahsan Nawaz (left) and Isnel Sanon (right) are two separate independents running for the Jersey City school board this year. Photos by Mark Koosau/Illustration by Terri Bish.

While the main contest in the Jersey City school board election this year is the battle between the “Education Matters” and “Change for Children” slates, there are two separate independents seeking one of the three seats on the board.

Each of them come from different professions but are both first time candidates. Isnel Sanon runs a tax service firm, and Ahsan Nawaz is a real estate agent. Both spoke to the Hudson Reporter on what they plan to bring to the board if they get elected in November.

Isnel Sanon

Isnel Sanon runs a tax service firm called Sanon Global, and was also with the NAACP. He was also a committeeman in the Jersey City Democratic Organization, and is running for public office for the first time.

Sanon said that he’s an advocate for parents of Haitian and Caribbean descent, and that he’s running because of international students not getting information needed to get to school on time, as well as property taxes “going off the roof.”

“It’s a matter of working together and negotiating for the people in Jersey City, and it’s not being done right now at the current board,” he said.

His top priority if he gets elected would be to review “everything we spend our money on to see what is the waste, what is it that we don’t really need.” “Within that time, I’ll be auditing, reviewing on my own time making sure that the following year, the budget goes accordingly to assure no taxes increase,” he said.

Another focus would be to bring back activities for students to get involved in “designing what they want to see, pick who they want to see, versus throwing a bunch of politicians to come in and speak things that they don’t know.”

Isnel Sanon runs a tax service firm and was formerly with the NAACP, and is making his first run for public office. Photo by Mark Koosau.

“I really want to give them that voice, make sure that they work with the teachers [and] administrators,” he said.

The school budget in recent years has increased after losing millions in state aid funding since 2018. Sanon said if the board talked with the mayor and city council, they could understand where they stand, and also argued that the city isn’t working with the state to reevaluate and fund them “the way [the] state should be.”

He said that he would have not supported the new $973 million budget for the 2022-2023 school year that came with an average $1,611 tax increase per household, and that his solution to the funding crisis would be to have the city get reevaluated.

“If we negotiate fairly for the people, I think the state could come to terms that the Jersey City Board of Education needs more money,” he said. “It’s not so much needing more money, it’s what do we do with the money we get, and I think that’s part of our problem. Once we have a lump sum, we spend, we spend, we spend, until we realized that we need more.”

When asked why he was running as an independent, he said that he wants all the ideas he mentioned to not be influenced by other people “telling me what I should do, what I couldn’t do.”

“I think that’s been the problem,” he said. “A lot of those slates, even though they have good intentions, they can’t really do so because whoever supports them, whoever backs them up, gives them a script of which direction they need to go.”

Ahsan Nawaz

Ahsan Nawaz is a real estate agent at Weichert who’s also running for public office for the first time.

“I loved making a difference,” said Nawaz. “[New] Jersey has given a lot to me; a student who can barely speak English at one point in his life now ended up getting honors and graduating at NJIT in three years rather than four for the top of the line.”

He noted a number of teachers that he learned from throughout the years, and that he wanted to give back and “make a difference.”

His top priorities would be based on what he called “CCRISP”; the first is that students are college and career readiness, the second part is innovation, the third is stability, and the last part is procurement.

When it came to the budget process, Nawaz says that he supports a fully funded budget for the school district, though noted that they should look at procurement because “this is tagged taxpayers’ hard-earned money that is being spent.”

Ahsan Nawaz is a real estate agent at Weichert, and is also making his first run for public office. Photo by Mark Koosau.

“We need to look at many programs, many functions that we have that are not helping students; we need to get rid of them,” he said.

When asked if he would’ve voted for the $973 million budget, he reiterated his previous comments on having a “fully funded budget” but that there were ways they could fix it. He said that the city should enforce the payroll tax, and that they should also work with them on tax abatements.

“I feel like the city and the Board of Education need to work together and come up with a solution, because I personally believe problems can be handled with a cup of tea on the table,” he said.

When asked why he was running as an independent, he said that he “just wanted to make a change.”

“As an independent, I filled in the application, I said, ‘I want to do it’,” he said. “There’s no money. There’s no other reason. I’m on my own.”

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.

New Jersey Clean Communities Council Offers Non-Profit Grants to Reduce Single-Use Plastics

Hudson Reporter

October 27, 2022

Do you have a great idea to help reduce the amount of single-use plastics in New Jersey? If so, the New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC) wants to hear from you.

The NJCCC, a statewide non-profit litter abatement organization serving 21 counties and 558 municipalities, is rolling out a small grant program for New Jersey-based non-profit organizations to support education and outreach focused on reducing the public’s consumption of single-use plastics. Program scope can include (but is not limited to) behavioral change, “Skip the Straw” campaign support – urging residents to forgo plastic straws – litter analytics and other litter reduction initiatives.

“We are looking for creative ways to use these grant dollars to fight litter across the state,” said NJCCC Executive Director JoAnn Gemenden. “We are eager to review the proposals and invest in the type of innovative programs that can be replicated across New Jersey and beyond.”

The NJCCC, which also runs the state’s Adopt a Beach and Adopt a Highway programs, is offering grants at the $5,000, $7,500, or $10,000 level to non-profit groups in New Jersey. A total of $50,000 is available for the program.

Examples of desired programs:

Conducting litter surveys / collection of litter data with analytics
Creating youth education programs
Promoting education and implementation of the state’s single-use plastics law in overburdened communities
Enhancing municipal litter prevention ordinances
Engaging business to enhance compliance of the single-use plastics law
Promoting eco-conscious items and practices, efforts to Skip the Straw, or other programs to decrease overall litter and plastic use

Note that grants will not be provided for programs related to recycling, beautification or projects that have already been completed. Applicants will be prioritized based on greatest need, measurable impact and the ability to replicate the project in other areas of the state.

The application deadline is November 22, with grant awards to be announced in December. All projects must be completed by the end of June 2023, with required documentation provided to the NJCCC by July 31, 2023.

To learn more about the grant program and download an application, visit NJclean.org.

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