Frank Perrucci remembered as beloved citizen

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

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

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

Correction

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

Priest rescued after heart attack causes crash

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

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

Bayonne organizations receive legacy grant awards for 2018

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

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

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

Firefighters rescue dog from Newark Bay

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

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

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

Mighty microscopic marvels featured at LSC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Measles outbreak in Ocean County climbs to 21 cases

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

Key questions remain about NJ Transit funding

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

Tax amnesty program to NJ taxpayers ends Jan. 15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recycling grants awarded in Jersey City and Secaucus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3,163 overdose deaths in 2018 breaks record

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

Two plaintiffs join Jersey City payroll tax lawsuit

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

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

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

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

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

More people move out of New Jersey than any other state

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

Law says schools must teach ‘financial literacy’

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

Farmer feeds Christmas trees to goats

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

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

Smoking ban takes effect

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

Murphy, Sweeney agree on driver’s license bill

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

New Jersey doubles security funding for private schools

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

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

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

NJDOT announces Winter Weather Congestion Alert communications campaign

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bon Voyage!

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

Traffic and road improvements

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

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

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

Animal control

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

Muslim community center

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

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

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

Board of Education  

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

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

Unsafe at any speed

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

Shooting scares

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

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

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

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

Gun incident

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

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

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

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

PLA ordinance

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

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

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

Curtains for old MOTBY

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

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

R.I.P.

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