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Eight displaced after two-alarm fire in Bergen Point

Eight residents were displaced, and no one was injured, after a two-alarm fire tore through a two-family home on Oak Street in the Bergen Point neighborhood on the night of Friday, Feb. 16, according to Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver. Responding firefighters found heavy fire conditions on the second floor and spent 45 minutes with two hose lines controlling the fire until it was extinguished after midnight.
The American Red Cross is assisting six residents. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined; the incident remains under investigation. Weaver said the fire is not deemed suspicious.

Woman allegedly attacked with pipe

A woman was allegedly physically assaulted with a pipe on Feb. 7 after a verbal argument with a 53-year-old man, who was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and weapons offense, according to the Bayonne Police Department. The criminal complaint alleges the man punched the woman after the verbal dispute and allegedly struck her in the back of the head with a metal pipe when she said she was going to call the police. The woman did not seek medical treatment, and responding officers recovered the metal pipe, according to police.

Yacht owners charged for alleged insurance fraud

Following a four-month investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Kerwin Rigaud, 46, of Jersey City, was charged on Feb. 8 with alleged insurance fraud. Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said the Insurance Fraud Unit had looked into allegations against Rigaud. The allegations include fabricating claims and exaggerating damages from 2014 to the present in schemes to defraud multiple insurance companies of more than $200,000.
Rigaud, an accountant, has been charged with multiple alleged insurance fraud violations related to his yacht, Miss Behaving, which he berths at Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City.

NJ Transit approves proposed route for light rail expansion into Bergen County

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail’s (HBLR) expansion into Bergen County received a major boost this week after NJ Transit approved the plan’s proposed route, according to a press release from NJ Transit.
The approval for the project’s Locally Preferred Alternative, detailed in its 2017 Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact statement, is mandatory in the federal environmental review process.
The route is a 10-mile, seven-station extension from HBLR’s current Tonnelle Avenue terminus in North Bergen. It would include an additional North Bergen stop at 91st Street, and others in Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, all the way to the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.
NJ Transit’s Board of Directors also authorized the route’s submission to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Board of Trustees for designation and inclusion in its Long-Range Regional Transportation Plan.
By choosing this route, NJ Transit will be able to begin design and engineering activities once it completes the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and the Federal Transit Administration grants a Record of Decision for the project.

Chiaravalloti calls for investigation into Christie opioid program

Bayonne Assemblyman Nick Chiaravalloti has called on the NJ State Comptroller to investigate former Gov. Christie’ Reach NJ opioid program, arguing that the multimillion dollar advertising campaign failed to provide new funds for drug treatment and diverted tens of millions of dollars away from education, according to a press release.
“These advertisements were designed to promote Christie and were not solely created for the victims and families of the opioid epidemic. This is clearly evident by Christie’s prominence in all the ads,” Chiaravalloti stated in a media release.
“These ads were costly, took away from necessary funds and had a limited shelf life. These ads are unusable by any administration. This money could have been spent on treatment
programs to directly assist victims of the epidemic – not wasted on production edits featuring Christie.”

NJ and two other states might sue over tax law, but they might lose

Governors from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York states have announced plans to sue the federal government for discriminating against tax structures, according to NJ Spotlight.
No legal strategy has been publicly announced, and statements made by NJ Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggest the lawsuit could use the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause and the 10th Amendment protecting states’ rights. The joint lawsuit claims that the federal government’s new cap on deductions for state and local taxes, put in place by the Republican tax plan signed into law last month, is unjust because it targets wealthier states.
Time will tell if the lawsuit is consequential. Tax Foundation expert Jared Walczak told Governing Magazine recently that the argument that the law is unconstitutional because it affects different states in unequal ways may be dubious,

PA approves $364M Holland Tunnel upgrade

The Port Authority Board of New York and New Jersey approved a major rehabilitation and resiliency project for the Holland Tunnel to repair and restore critical mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems caused by Superstorm Sandy, and to install protective measures to mitigate future flooding in the facility, according to a press release from the PANYNJ.
The $364.2 million project includes repairs and replacement of systems damaged by latent salt resulting from the October 29, 2012 storm, which filled the tunnel with 30 million gallons of water and resulted in flooding up to nine feet above the North Tube roadway.
As part of the project, repair and replacement will be done to the tunnel’s power cables, fire detection system, voice communication system, lighting, pump room equipment, and repairs to concrete, drum rings, curbs, ceilings and wall tiles. The project includes improved lighting to enhance driver visibility in the tunnel. Approximately 84 percent of the project cost is projected to be reimbursed by federal funds.
In addition to repairs to tunnel systems, the project also includes resiliency measures to increase the stop log height at the doorways of the ventilation buildings in New York and New Jersey to meet current FEMA design flood elevation standards.
Work on the project is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019 and take approximately five years to complete. The work must be staged during limited overnight hours to minimize disruption to travelers. Full single-tube closings are expected for 48 months. It is anticipated that one tube will be closed at a time, with traffic diverted to the Lincoln Tunnel during the closure.
The Port Authority will work with communities that may be impacted by the project to insure that all planning for traffic mitigation and diversions are sensible and do not create any unintended impacts. In the coming months, Port Authority staff will meet with elected officials from the surrounding communities.

Prieto to become NJSEA president

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, who was replaced as Assembly Speaker earlier this year, will resign his Assembly seat to become president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, the state agency that oversees the Meadowlands, according to a press release from Prieto’s office.
Recommended for the post by Gov. Phil Murphy, Prieto will assume his new duties at the NJSEA on Feb. 25 and will receive an annual salary of $225,000.
Prieto under law must step down from his assembly seat in the 32nd district that includes all of Secaucus, North Bergen and other towns outside Hudson County. It has not yet been determined who will be named to replace him until a special election can be held later this year.

Republicans want to implement work requirements to receive housing aid

The White House this week released its proposed budget that would impose work requirements for those receiving federal housing assistance, reports the New York Times. The budget would give property owners the power to increase rents for people who receive federal housing assistance, such as Section 8 vouchers. The Trump administration is seeking to shrink federal housing assistance, in part by convincing Congress to introduce policies that “promote work” for various safety-net policies, according to the report.
Most people on public benefits programs, however, already work, or are looking for work, according to multiple reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. The problem is that sometimes people cannot find work or are unable to work, and work requirements would restrict those people from resources when they need them the most, without doing much to help them receive the education and training required to join the workforce, according to the reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The proposal comes at a time when the White House has reportedly signaled an interest in adding or enhancing work requirements to many safety net programs. In January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services invited states to apply for waivers to test work requirements for Medicaid, and already approved applications from Kentucky and Indiana.

Trump administration deals ‘serious jeopardy’ to Gateway Tunnel project

Federal transportation officials have assigned the Gateway rail tunnel and other components of the massive infrastructure project a new rating that further jeopardizes the chances of winning grant money from Washington.
A story on Politico.com reports that the Federal Transit Administration sent an annual funding report to Congress recently for its Capital Investment Grants Program that assigned a “Medium-Low“ rating to the proposed $13 billion Hudson River tunnel, the second-lowest on a five-point scale. It was the first time the grant application had received a formal rating. The FTA also reduced the rating of the Portal Bridge North project from “Medium-High” to “Medium-Low.” That bridge replacement would fix one of the single-greatest bottlenecks on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line, according to the report.
Those involved in the Gateway Program said the change was likely to put chances of receiving federal funding under the New Starts program in serious jeopardy.
The Trump administration rejected an Obama-era agreement to cover half the cost of the broader $30 billion Gateway Program, which calls for constructing two new tubes connecting New Jersey to midtown Manhattan and repairing the existing tunnel that is now falling apart. The White House has also proposed ending the New Starts program, but Congress has so far protected the funding source.
“In case it wasn’t clear before, President Trump today tried to land another death blow to Gateway by having his Federal Transit Administration (FTA) vindictively and inexplicably downgrade the project in order to cut off critical federal funding,” Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a recent statement.
In the case of the Portal Bridge project, which previously received a rating in February 2017 and was estimated to cost $1.6 billion, the FTA is taking the position that the amount of committed or budgeted funding from other sources had fallen from 57 percent to 21 percent of the total cost. The FTA said that is a primary reason the rating was reduced. The new ratings were issued in November and, according to a person familiar with the Gateway application, did not factor in any information received in October, when new details had become available.
John D. Porcari, the interim executive director of Gateway Program Development Corp., said the ratings fail to take into account the commitments from New York and New Jersey. The states have agreed to split half the cost of the tunnel project, putting up $5.5 billion, though they’ll need federal loans in order to do so. The grant application asks the federal government to cover the remaining costs.
Porcari said the Portal Bridge application, in which local agencies would also cover about half the total cost, “has only been improved with each updated submittal” since the first rating was issued. He noted early construction work has been underway for several months.

Sen. Menendez and Rep. Sires respond to Republican infrastructure proposal

The county’s representation in the U.S. Congress spoke out against the Republican infrastructure proposal this week, according to press releases from both congressional offices. NJ Democratic Senator Bob Menendez called the plan a “hit job on NJ families and commuters,” while Democratic Rep. Albio Sires called it “unsurprisingly selfish in scope and particularly harmful to our communities.”
“Instead of making a real investment in our aging infrastructure, the Trump plan actually cuts net federal infrastructure spending by $40 billion and shifts the burden on states and commuters by hiking taxes, tolls and fares,” said Sen. Menendez in a press release. “That means commuters paying more for less. That means ignoring critical repairs and upgrades to our roads, rails and bridges. That means making travel less safe and less reliable. That means threatening to derail the Gateway Project and ignoring calls to strengthen rail safety by fast-tracking lifesaving technology, like Positive Train Control, to prevent future tragedies like the one in Hoboken. This plan is bad for New Jersey, bad for our country, and I will do everything I can to fight it.”
“What was advertised to the American people as a $1.5 trillion federal investment plan for our infrastructure actually only provides $200 billion over ten years. That, taken with his plan to cut more than $168 billion in federal infrastructure funding over the same ten-year period, does not add up to much at all,” said Rep. Sires in a press release. “Taken at face value, however, $200 billion over ten years seems like a lot of money to invest in anything. Yet, a 2017 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers concludes that the only way we can address our infrastructure repair and upgrade backlog is by investing at least $2 trillion by 2025. This administration’s investment does not even get us a quarter of the way there. Instead, the plan provides relatively little funding while also rolling back the protections that keep public services from being privatized, all in the hope that states and cities can raise the $1.3 trillion that the President keeps promoting. This formula is designed to put the majority of the funding burden on New Jersey taxpayers.”

Elizabeth student dies of flu a week after 5-year-old North Bergen girl dies

In a letter to parents over the weekend, the Elizabeth superintendent of schools said an unidentified student who was being treated for the flu had died, Patch.com reports. The death comes a week after a North Bergen girl who attended Lincoln School died after exhibiting flu-like symptoms. An Ocean County child also succumbed to the flu in December.
Elizabeth officials said grief counselors would be available for students and teachers on Tuesday, when the schools reopen after the Presidents Day holiday.

Weehawken joins Leonia in closing streets to nonresidents

The Weehawken Police will begin ticketing nonresident drivers if they use certain streets near the Lincoln Tunnel as shortcuts. The use of traffic apps, like Waze, have clogged local streets, making it extremely difficult for residents and emergency vehicles to get through, according to Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner.
The Weehawken Town Council adopted an ordinance in January restricting all but Weehawken, Union City, and Hoboken residents from making right turns from Hackensack Plank Road onto Pleasant Avenue, from 3-7 p.m. weekdays. The turn is often a shortcut for drivers wanting faster access to 495 westbound to the Jersey suburbs, leaving the New York area.
The route ultimately takes them toward highways such as the NJ Turnpike and Route 3.
The ordinance went into effect Feb. 13. Officials posted electric signs notifying residents of the change on Hackensack Plank a few weeks ago.

Towns cracking down on animal abuse under new law

Animal welfare officers in communities across the state are enforcing new, stricter laws on animal abuse, reports The Record. The recent dissolution of the state’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has made local law enforcement responsible for pursuing violators of the new abuse laws, which prohibit leaving pets outside from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and require owners to bring animals indoors if the temperature is below 32 degrees or above 90 degrees. Sen. Jeff Van Drew, one of the sponsors of the legislation, said one of the biggest challenges since the law took effect is educating pet owners about the new requirements.

Zoning Board meeting set for Feb. 26

The Bayonne Zoning Board of Adjustments will hold a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 26 at City Hall for a public hearing and vote on an application for a local Muslim group to convert a warehouse on East 24th Street into a Muslim community center.
The zoning board’s decision in March of 2017 to deny the group’s application, for reasons of parking and “fit,” led to the City of Bayonne being sued by the local Muslim group and investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit, which challenged the zoning board’s decision based on First and Fourteenth Amendments as well as Municipal Land Use Law, was settled in January under the condition that the application be approved at this meeting.

BAYONNE BRIEFS

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BAYONNE BRIEFS

Eight displaced after two-alarm fire in Bergen Point

Eight residents were displaced, and no one was injured, after a two-alarm fire tore through a two-family home on Oak Street in the Bergen Point neighborhood on the night of Friday, Feb. 16, according to Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver. Responding firefighters found heavy fire conditions on the second floor and spent 45 minutes with two hose lines controlling the fire until it was extinguished after midnight.
The American Red Cross is assisting six residents. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined; the incident remains under investigation. Weaver said the fire is not deemed suspicious.

Woman allegedly attacked with pipe

A woman was allegedly physically assaulted with a pipe on Feb. 7 after a verbal argument with a 53-year-old man, who was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and weapons offense, according to the Bayonne Police Department. The criminal complaint alleges the man punched the woman after the verbal dispute and allegedly struck her in the back of the head with a metal pipe when she said she was going to call the police. The woman did not seek medical treatment, and responding officers recovered the metal pipe, according to police.

Yacht owners charged for alleged insurance fraud

Following a four-month investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Kerwin Rigaud, 46, of Jersey City, was charged on Feb. 8 with alleged insurance fraud. Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said the Insurance Fraud Unit had looked into allegations against Rigaud. The allegations include fabricating claims and exaggerating damages from 2014 to the present in schemes to defraud multiple insurance companies of more than $200,000.
Rigaud, an accountant, has been charged with multiple alleged insurance fraud violations related to his yacht, Miss Behaving, which he berths at Liberty Harbor Marina in Jersey City.

NJ Transit approves proposed route for light rail expansion into Bergen County

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail’s (HBLR) expansion into Bergen County received a major boost this week after NJ Transit approved the plan’s proposed route, according to a press release from NJ Transit.
The approval for the project’s Locally Preferred Alternative, detailed in its 2017 Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact statement, is mandatory in the federal environmental review process.
The route is a 10-mile, seven-station extension from HBLR’s current Tonnelle Avenue terminus in North Bergen. It would include an additional North Bergen stop at 91st Street, and others in Ridgefield, Palisades Park, Leonia, all the way to the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.
NJ Transit’s Board of Directors also authorized the route’s submission to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority Board of Trustees for designation and inclusion in its Long-Range Regional Transportation Plan.
By choosing this route, NJ Transit will be able to begin design and engineering activities once it completes the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and the Federal Transit Administration grants a Record of Decision for the project.

Chiaravalloti calls for investigation into Christie opioid program

Bayonne Assemblyman Nick Chiaravalloti has called on the NJ State Comptroller to investigate former Gov. Christie’ Reach NJ opioid program, arguing that the multimillion dollar advertising campaign failed to provide new funds for drug treatment and diverted tens of millions of dollars away from education, according to a press release.
“These advertisements were designed to promote Christie and were not solely created for the victims and families of the opioid epidemic. This is clearly evident by Christie’s prominence in all the ads,” Chiaravalloti stated in a media release.
“These ads were costly, took away from necessary funds and had a limited shelf life. These ads are unusable by any administration. This money could have been spent on treatment
programs to directly assist victims of the epidemic – not wasted on production edits featuring Christie.”

NJ and two other states might sue over tax law, but they might lose

Governors from Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York states have announced plans to sue the federal government for discriminating against tax structures, according to NJ Spotlight.
No legal strategy has been publicly announced, and statements made by NJ Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggest the lawsuit could use the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause and the 10th Amendment protecting states’ rights. The joint lawsuit claims that the federal government’s new cap on deductions for state and local taxes, put in place by the Republican tax plan signed into law last month, is unjust because it targets wealthier states.
Time will tell if the lawsuit is consequential. Tax Foundation expert Jared Walczak told Governing Magazine recently that the argument that the law is unconstitutional because it affects different states in unequal ways may be dubious,

PA approves $364M Holland Tunnel upgrade

The Port Authority Board of New York and New Jersey approved a major rehabilitation and resiliency project for the Holland Tunnel to repair and restore critical mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems caused by Superstorm Sandy, and to install protective measures to mitigate future flooding in the facility, according to a press release from the PANYNJ.
The $364.2 million project includes repairs and replacement of systems damaged by latent salt resulting from the October 29, 2012 storm, which filled the tunnel with 30 million gallons of water and resulted in flooding up to nine feet above the North Tube roadway.
As part of the project, repair and replacement will be done to the tunnel’s power cables, fire detection system, voice communication system, lighting, pump room equipment, and repairs to concrete, drum rings, curbs, ceilings and wall tiles. The project includes improved lighting to enhance driver visibility in the tunnel. Approximately 84 percent of the project cost is projected to be reimbursed by federal funds.
In addition to repairs to tunnel systems, the project also includes resiliency measures to increase the stop log height at the doorways of the ventilation buildings in New York and New Jersey to meet current FEMA design flood elevation standards.
Work on the project is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2019 and take approximately five years to complete. The work must be staged during limited overnight hours to minimize disruption to travelers. Full single-tube closings are expected for 48 months. It is anticipated that one tube will be closed at a time, with traffic diverted to the Lincoln Tunnel during the closure.
The Port Authority will work with communities that may be impacted by the project to insure that all planning for traffic mitigation and diversions are sensible and do not create any unintended impacts. In the coming months, Port Authority staff will meet with elected officials from the surrounding communities.

Prieto to become NJSEA president

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, who was replaced as Assembly Speaker earlier this year, will resign his Assembly seat to become president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, the state agency that oversees the Meadowlands, according to a press release from Prieto’s office.
Recommended for the post by Gov. Phil Murphy, Prieto will assume his new duties at the NJSEA on Feb. 25 and will receive an annual salary of $225,000.
Prieto under law must step down from his assembly seat in the 32nd district that includes all of Secaucus, North Bergen and other towns outside Hudson County. It has not yet been determined who will be named to replace him until a special election can be held later this year.

Republicans want to implement work requirements to receive housing aid

The White House this week released its proposed budget that would impose work requirements for those receiving federal housing assistance, reports the New York Times. The budget would give property owners the power to increase rents for people who receive federal housing assistance, such as Section 8 vouchers. The Trump administration is seeking to shrink federal housing assistance, in part by convincing Congress to introduce policies that “promote work” for various safety-net policies, according to the report.
Most people on public benefits programs, however, already work, or are looking for work, according to multiple reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. The problem is that sometimes people cannot find work or are unable to work, and work requirements would restrict those people from resources when they need them the most, without doing much to help them receive the education and training required to join the workforce, according to the reports from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The proposal comes at a time when the White House has reportedly signaled an interest in adding or enhancing work requirements to many safety net programs. In January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services invited states to apply for waivers to test work requirements for Medicaid, and already approved applications from Kentucky and Indiana.

Trump administration deals ‘serious jeopardy’ to Gateway Tunnel project

Federal transportation officials have assigned the Gateway rail tunnel and other components of the massive infrastructure project a new rating that further jeopardizes the chances of winning grant money from Washington.
A story on Politico.com reports that the Federal Transit Administration sent an annual funding report to Congress recently for its Capital Investment Grants Program that assigned a “Medium-Low“ rating to the proposed $13 billion Hudson River tunnel, the second-lowest on a five-point scale. It was the first time the grant application had received a formal rating. The FTA also reduced the rating of the Portal Bridge North project from “Medium-High” to “Medium-Low.” That bridge replacement would fix one of the single-greatest bottlenecks on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor line, according to the report.
Those involved in the Gateway Program said the change was likely to put chances of receiving federal funding under the New Starts program in serious jeopardy.
The Trump administration rejected an Obama-era agreement to cover half the cost of the broader $30 billion Gateway Program, which calls for constructing two new tubes connecting New Jersey to midtown Manhattan and repairing the existing tunnel that is now falling apart. The White House has also proposed ending the New Starts program, but Congress has so far protected the funding source.
“In case it wasn’t clear before, President Trump today tried to land another death blow to Gateway by having his Federal Transit Administration (FTA) vindictively and inexplicably downgrade the project in order to cut off critical federal funding,” Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said in a recent statement.
In the case of the Portal Bridge project, which previously received a rating in February 2017 and was estimated to cost $1.6 billion, the FTA is taking the position that the amount of committed or budgeted funding from other sources had fallen from 57 percent to 21 percent of the total cost. The FTA said that is a primary reason the rating was reduced. The new ratings were issued in November and, according to a person familiar with the Gateway application, did not factor in any information received in October, when new details had become available.
John D. Porcari, the interim executive director of Gateway Program Development Corp., said the ratings fail to take into account the commitments from New York and New Jersey. The states have agreed to split half the cost of the tunnel project, putting up $5.5 billion, though they’ll need federal loans in order to do so. The grant application asks the federal government to cover the remaining costs.
Porcari said the Portal Bridge application, in which local agencies would also cover about half the total cost, “has only been improved with each updated submittal” since the first rating was issued. He noted early construction work has been underway for several months.

Sen. Menendez and Rep. Sires respond to Republican infrastructure proposal

The county’s representation in the U.S. Congress spoke out against the Republican infrastructure proposal this week, according to press releases from both congressional offices. NJ Democratic Senator Bob Menendez called the plan a “hit job on NJ families and commuters,” while Democratic Rep. Albio Sires called it “unsurprisingly selfish in scope and particularly harmful to our communities.”
“Instead of making a real investment in our aging infrastructure, the Trump plan actually cuts net federal infrastructure spending by $40 billion and shifts the burden on states and commuters by hiking taxes, tolls and fares,” said Sen. Menendez in a press release. “That means commuters paying more for less. That means ignoring critical repairs and upgrades to our roads, rails and bridges. That means making travel less safe and less reliable. That means threatening to derail the Gateway Project and ignoring calls to strengthen rail safety by fast-tracking lifesaving technology, like Positive Train Control, to prevent future tragedies like the one in Hoboken. This plan is bad for New Jersey, bad for our country, and I will do everything I can to fight it.”
“What was advertised to the American people as a $1.5 trillion federal investment plan for our infrastructure actually only provides $200 billion over ten years. That, taken with his plan to cut more than $168 billion in federal infrastructure funding over the same ten-year period, does not add up to much at all,” said Rep. Sires in a press release. “Taken at face value, however, $200 billion over ten years seems like a lot of money to invest in anything. Yet, a 2017 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers concludes that the only way we can address our infrastructure repair and upgrade backlog is by investing at least $2 trillion by 2025. This administration’s investment does not even get us a quarter of the way there. Instead, the plan provides relatively little funding while also rolling back the protections that keep public services from being privatized, all in the hope that states and cities can raise the $1.3 trillion that the President keeps promoting. This formula is designed to put the majority of the funding burden on New Jersey taxpayers.”

Elizabeth student dies of flu a week after 5-year-old North Bergen girl dies

In a letter to parents over the weekend, the Elizabeth superintendent of schools said an unidentified student who was being treated for the flu had died, Patch.com reports. The death comes a week after a North Bergen girl who attended Lincoln School died after exhibiting flu-like symptoms. An Ocean County child also succumbed to the flu in December.
Elizabeth officials said grief counselors would be available for students and teachers on Tuesday, when the schools reopen after the Presidents Day holiday.

Weehawken joins Leonia in closing streets to nonresidents

The Weehawken Police will begin ticketing nonresident drivers if they use certain streets near the Lincoln Tunnel as shortcuts. The use of traffic apps, like Waze, have clogged local streets, making it extremely difficult for residents and emergency vehicles to get through, according to Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner.
The Weehawken Town Council adopted an ordinance in January restricting all but Weehawken, Union City, and Hoboken residents from making right turns from Hackensack Plank Road onto Pleasant Avenue, from 3-7 p.m. weekdays. The turn is often a shortcut for drivers wanting faster access to 495 westbound to the Jersey suburbs, leaving the New York area.
The route ultimately takes them toward highways such as the NJ Turnpike and Route 3.
The ordinance went into effect Feb. 13. Officials posted electric signs notifying residents of the change on Hackensack Plank a few weeks ago.

Towns cracking down on animal abuse under new law

Animal welfare officers in communities across the state are enforcing new, stricter laws on animal abuse, reports The Record. The recent dissolution of the state’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has made local law enforcement responsible for pursuing violators of the new abuse laws, which prohibit leaving pets outside from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and require owners to bring animals indoors if the temperature is below 32 degrees or above 90 degrees. Sen. Jeff Van Drew, one of the sponsors of the legislation, said one of the biggest challenges since the law took effect is educating pet owners about the new requirements.

Zoning Board meeting set for Feb. 26

The Bayonne Zoning Board of Adjustments will hold a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 26 at City Hall for a public hearing and vote on an application for a local Muslim group to convert a warehouse on East 24th Street into a Muslim community center.
The zoning board’s decision in March of 2017 to deny the group’s application, for reasons of parking and “fit,” led to the City of Bayonne being sued by the local Muslim group and investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuit, which challenged the zoning board’s decision based on First and Fourteenth Amendments as well as Municipal Land Use Law, was settled in January under the condition that the application be approved at this meeting.

HOBOKEN BRIEFS

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HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Fourth water main break this year

Hoboken suffered its fourth water main break this year in the wee hours of Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Fifth Street and Willow Avenue.

On Jan. 4, a break occurred near the intersection of Observer Highway and Willow Avenue. On Jan. 14, another occurred on 2nd and Clinton Streets, and on Feb. 15 another water main broke on 2nd Street between Washington and Bloomfield streets.

During this latest break, a car was swallowed up and had to be lifted out of the hole.

“When there is a water main break, the soil erodes, creating a cavity that just swallowed up the car,” said City Spokesman Juan Melli. “It sunk in.”

In August, the City Council unanimously approved $5.2 million in funding for water main upgrades to combat the breaks and flooding that have plagued the city. Former Business Administrator Quentin Wiest presented the “water asset refurbishment program” at that August council meeting.

He said CDM Smith, an engineering and construction company, along with the water company — Suez Water — conducted an evaluation last year that identified 30 streets with 50 pipe segments that are the highest priority areas in need of refurbishment.

The total estimated cost to fix all the pipes would be $14.6 million. The approved bond for $5.2 million will cover a third of the cost, for the first phase targeting these priority areas.
The city must take on this cost as their current contract with Suez Water only provides $350,000 a year for improvements.

These funds are only enough to cover the constant repairs to the city’s water mains, according to city spokesman Juan Melli.  The city is currently in the process of renegotiating the contract with Suez Water with the goal of obtaining more capital for infrastructure improvements. 

Melli said work on some of the priority water mains has already begun on Washington Street. Melli said, “We have also issued an RFP (Request For Proposal) for the engineering design for upgrading water mains in other priority areas.”

Alleged thieves charged with stealing car for ransom

Two Jersey City residents were arrested on Saturday, Feb. 25 and charged with conspiracy to commit extortion after allegedly stealing a car in Hoboken and charging money to have it returned. 
According to a media release from the Hoboken Police Department, officers were dispatched to the area of 13th and Washington streets on the report of a stolen car.

The victim said he’d been making a food delivery at a nearby address, and left the car unattended with keys in the ignition.

He had left his phone in the car, so he called the number. Apparently, an unknown person answered the phone, allegedly demanding a cash payment for the return of the vehicle to the victim.

Officers arranged for the defendants to deliver the vehicle back to Hoboken, and delivery of the vehicle was later made in the area of Eighth and Adams streets. The alleged perpetrators were found in the area and placed under arrest.

Thirty-year-old Fancisco Torres was charged with receiving stolen property, bail jumping, and conspiracy to commit extortion. Barbara LaLuz, 29, was charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit extortion, and two counts of bail jumping.

Both were remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

Reward for information about Union City cat’s death

A $4,500 reward is being offered by the city of Union City and some residents there for information on unknown perpetrators who allegedly tortured a local cat.

Trudy DeWeese said neighbors and Mayor Brian Stack are offering the reward for information.  “Please, if you have any tiny bit of information, please call the police. You never know what could lead to catching this person,” said DeWeese.

The cat, owned by a woman who lives near Manhattan Avenue, up the hill from Union City, went missing for a week. Then “Max” returned having been tortured with cuts, starvation, shaved hair, and what looked like a symbol carved into his head. 

DeWeese says that her neighbor brought the cat over to borrow the phone and call the vet after her cat returned.

“She came over to my house last week and said her phone wasn’t working and she needed to call the vet,” said DeWeese. “[She said the cat] had come home but was in bad shape. Some of his fur was taken off and in his head was some sort of symbol that may have been cut in there.”

DeWeese said her neighbor took him to the vet who put him on an IV, as his cuts were infected.

“He was so sad and scared,” said DeWeese, who went to visit the animal before he passed away.

According to DeWeese, neighbors are frightened.

“We have already put up thousands of posters in the area and we want to put up more in nearby towns,” said DeWeese. “It’s frightening all of us. These kind of people escalate.”

She added, “This is a nice neighborhood. A lot of us have cats and dogs. We are all very afraid. We have had animals disappear and we don’t know what has happened to them.”

The owner of the cat said in NJ.com, “Max didn’t deserve this. He was a wonderful creature and a friend of people and we have to be friends back. He really was unusual. Please on behalf of a great animal and on behalf of other animals, please let us know so this doesn’t happen again.”

If you have information call the Union City Police Department at (201) 865-1111.

‘Brave the Shave’ and fight kids cancer

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation will host fundraising event “Brave the Shave” to fight kids cancer on Saturday, March 11 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Mulligan’s Pub, 159 First St.

Hoboken barber-coordinator Nicole Appice Davis returns this year to shave the heads of sponsored shavees who wish to show solidarity with kids and their families facing their cancer battles.

“It’s a cause that brings everybody together,” said event coordinator Jim O’Brien, of Hoboken who will “brave the shave” for the seventh time. “Think of what the kids and their families deal with each day against this enemy.”

Inspired by the story of a courageous 6-year-old boy who died of cancer seven years ago, O’Brien first brought St. Baldrick’s to Hoboken in 2011 as an offshoot of an annual St. Patrick’s Day party he and his buddies had hosted since college.

A total of $28,339 has been raised by the local events over the years.

There will be drink specials, and live music by Adameus Live, Neil Nathan, and Undercover.

The national St. Baldrick’s Foundation, established in 1999, has contributed more than $200 million to fight the scourge of childhood cancer.

Interested shavees, volunteers or donors are invited to go to: https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/kickkidscancer or contact O’Brien at JOBINHK@aol.com or (212) 781-8831.

Hoboken Historical Museum presents ‘Hoboken Sweeps’

The Hoboken Historical Museum invites the public to a free opening reception for its second art exhibition of the year, “Hoboken Sweeps: Recent Photography of Jean-Paul Picard,” this Saturday, March 4, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in its Upper Gallery space.

Picard, a versatile artist who specializes in web design and digital photography, started out as a graphic designer, according to the press release, before he started experimenting

with using multiple images in a single work to create a story line.

His images were created using the panorama mode on a digital camera, but rather than moving the camera in a smooth line, he learned he could create more interesting effects by sweeping the camera in different ways and at different speeds.

Although the images originate in a digital camera, each of the works on display in the Museum’s upper gallery is a unique edition, or monoprint, containing the serendipitous elements of the artist’s hand.

More examples of his work, including his 2009 “Visage Hoboken” portraits that were displayed in his first museum exhibit, can be seen at http://www.jean-paulpicard.com.

Hudson County CASA is seeking volunteers

Learn how to become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer and help foster children find safe and permanent homes. You may attend an information session at the Hudson County Courthouse, 595 Newark Ave. Rm. 901 on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Hudson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes. Hudson County CASA volunteers are everyday people who make a direct impact in foster children’s lives. They are trusted, dedicated adults who seek to improve children’s well-being. CASA volunteers get to know their assigned child and his or her circumstances and provide valuable information to the court. Judges rely on the volunteers’ recommendations to make the best decisions about the children’s futures.

For further information, visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org

The Hoboken Rotary Club to host fundraiser for American Legion Post 107

On April 8 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. the Hoboken Rotary Club will host a fundraiser for the Hoboken American Legion Post 107.

The Legion is rebuilding their post to include six units of housing for homeless veterans.

The club urges the public to “please support those that fought bravely for our country to help rebuild their home and also provide housing for homeless veterans.”

The fundraiser will take place at the Elks Lodge, 1005 Washington St., and will include an open bar, small plates of food and two live bands.

“It will be a great nigh for a great cause,” states the event page.

Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com by searching for “Hoboken American Legion Fundraiser.”  

The event is also sponsored by Prime Real Estate & PrimeTime Title Agency

Hoboken Arts and Music Festival announced

The City of Hoboken will host the 24th annual Spring Arts & Music Festival on Sunday, June 11 from 11a.m. to 6 p.m.

Due to construction along Washington Street, the festival will be held from 8th Street to 14th Street (Typically the festival is held from Observer Highway to 7th Street).

The festival features artists, crafters, photographers, food vendors, live music, and more. Admission is free.

For more information or to receive an application, contact Geri Fallo at gfallo@hobokennj.gov or (201) 420-2207.

Open call for cellphone photographers

The hob’art gallery, 720 Monroe St. E208, will host an exhibit for photographers who use their cell phones to record the spaces, people, and places in their lives.

The juried exhibition is open to anyone who takes photographs with their cell phones and wishes to submit an application by the Sunday, March 19 deadline.

Jurors for the exhibit include accomplished photographer and artist Ann Kinny, art educator and artist Miriam Untoria, and award-winning photographer and former vice president of pictorial photographers of America Don Sichler.

Those wishing to submit their photos can submit up to five images with an application fee of $25 with checks made out to hob’art gallery and mailed to the gallery.

Submissions do not guarantee acceptance and juror decisions are final.

Entries can be emailed to photographersunknown@gmail.com with “Photographers Unknown” in the subject line.

JPEG Images must be labeled last name first initial and title of entry_#1.jpeg.

According to the press release all photos chosen for the exhibit will be printed and available for pickup at the end of the show, and the Best in Show winner will receive a framed picture of their submission.

Those accepted into the exhibit will be notified by Friday, March 23.

All sales inquiries will be directed to the artists, as the non-profit gallery doesn’t take commission on sales.

The exhibit will be displayed from Friday April 1 through Saturday April 29 with an opening reception on April 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Photos will be seen during gallery hours Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For an application contact photographersunknown@gmail.com

Symposia books to host award-winning playwright George Cameron Grant

Symposia Books, 510 Washington St., will host a reading and Q&A session with author George Cameron Grant on his newest play “Fortune” on Friday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.

 “ ‘Fortune’ is about the most unforgettable woman you have never known, the actual Rose Fortune, who was born a slave, and through a 90-year life span, became a symbol of truth, social equality, and human spirit,” states the press release.

In “Fortune,” 10-year old, courageous Rose refuses to accept failure as an option, no as an answer, or despair as a destiny.

According to the release Grant was inspired by a trip to Annaplois Royal in Nova Scotia in the summer of 2014 when during a graveyard tour he found himself standing before an unmarked grave learning about Black Loyalist Rose Fortune.

Copies of “Fortune” will be available and signed by the author after his reading.

The event is free and will have light refreshments.

For more information contact Symposia info@symposia.us or at (201) 963-0909.

Hoboken announces funding opportunities for community groups and a community meeting

The deadline to submit applications for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Year 2017 to provide funding to eligible programs and projects sponsored by public agencies or not-for-profit organizations is 4 p.m. Friday March 31.

The city encourages local community groups who provide quantifiable benefits to the low and moderate-income population to apply.

The City of Hoboken has not yet received notice from HUD of its Program Year 2017 award, however in 2015 and 2016 the city received an annual allocation of approximately $1,000,000.

The city will host a community meeting on Wednesday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Multi-Service Center, 124 Grand St., to collect input and identify needs relevant to low and moderate income residents within Program Year 2017.

An online survey is also available at: www.hobokennj.gov/cdbgsurvey.

Interested applicants can request an application from Christopher Brown, principal planner through the City of Hoboken Department of Community Development via email at cbrown@hobokennj.gov or in person during business hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hoboken Planning and Zoning Office, 94 Washington St.

All questions should be directed via email to Brown or during business hours at (201) 239-6642.

Christie’s International Real Estate announces expansion into Hudson County

Christie’s International Real Estate, the luxury brokerage and real estate arm of Christie’s fine art auction house, is expanding into Hudson County, according to a press release from the company.

“Having excelled as a leader in Bergen County, Special Properties Real Estate Services, will market under the Christie’s brand in New Jersey’s Hudson County – encompassing Hoboken, Weehawken and Jersey City – and new areas in Northwest New Jersey,” stated the release.

Christie’s International Real Estate is an invitation-only affiliate network comprised of qualified real estate specialists in the luxury residential sector.

The company has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Moscow, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach, and approximately 135 global Affiliates with 32,000 real estate professionals in 45 countries.

Special Properties was invited to join this carefully selected network of luxury brokerages 16 years ago.

CEO of Christie’s International Real Estate said, “Special Properties has been awarded these new territories because of the company’s proven expertise as a luxury real estate advisor. As we continue to expand into these high-end markets, we are confident in our network leaders’ ability to create success for both buyers and sellers on the local and global stage.”

“We are very excited to expand our presence in Northwest New Jersey and Hudson County, including Hoboken and Jersey City, to provide more customers with the unique Christie’s experience,” said President and CEO of Special Properties Real Estate Services Ilija Pavlovic.

HOBOKEN BRIEFS

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HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Hoboken Vape Van owner arrested for drug possession

On July 6, 27-year-old Hoboken resident Joseph Ruggiero, the owner of the Hoboken “Vape Van” who was accused of hate speech in May, was arrested for drug possession.
Ruggiero was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, distribution of marijuana within 500 feet of a public park, and distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, according to a press release from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The release says he was arrested “after a court authorized search of his residence on Garden Street in Hoboken led to the recovery of marijuana.”
Prosecutor Esther Suarez credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Narcotics Task Force and the K-9 Unit of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office with the arrest.
Ruggiero did not return a message by press time.

City may reach new agreement with SUEZ Water

Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced on Wednesday, July 12 that Suez Water and her administration have agreed on terms of a renegotiated water service contract that would provide more than $31 million in infrastructure investments and $10 million in liability forgiveness for a total of over $40 million in benefits to the city through 2034.
The agreement requires City Council approval and is expected to be presented to the council on Aug. 2.
The agreement would extend the contract from 2024 to 2034.
If the new agreement is not approved, the city will remain under the terms of the existing agreement. Under those terms, Suez will be required to make only $350,000 per year in emergency repairs for the next seven years, while the city would continue to be responsible for all repair costs over $350,000. The city would receive no funds for the needed modernization of the water main system and the city would be responsible for the approximately $10 million that would be forgiven in the renegotiated agreement for excess bulk water and repair costs.
“Our aging water system is in need of expensive capital upgrades, yet the $350,000 provided annually by our existing water agreement from 1994 is not even enough for emergency repairs,” said Zimmer. “I am thrilled that our proposed agreement would provide on average over $1.8 million per year for capital investments. The city has already begun the process to invest $12 million in water main improvements, and this agreement will allow us to make the investments we need to modernize our water system.”
In addition to the investment capital for water main upgrades, the renegotiated agreement will forgive $10 million owed by the city to Suez under the terms of the existing agreement for excess repair and bulk water costs.
In a statement last week, mayoral hopeful and current Councilman Michael DeFusco said the agreement “deserves serious scrutiny.”
“Mayor Zimmer has had nine years in office to reach this agreement and announcing it now shortly before an election to succeed her as mayor is troubling, especially given that if approved this contact would be in effect for decades,” he said. “The proposed agreement deserves serious scrutiny from both the council and the community to ensure that it’s the best possible deal for the city. It’s particularly concerning that the contract would include an annual rate increase of at least 2 percent, which would amount to yet another hidden tax on Hoboken residents that many will struggle to afford.”

‘Summer of hell’ doesn’t look so hellish in local train stations

Various news outlets including Reuters dubbed this summer the “Summer of Hell” for New York City-area commuters, as repairs to the Amtrak tracks mean many will be rerouted, some through Hoboken. However, in the PATH stations in New York City, Hoboken, and Jersey City last Monday morning, as well as the rest of the Hoboken train station, the situation seemed crowded but calm.
Hoboken Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher emailed some observations out on Monday:
“I was at the Hoboken Terminal this morning from about 7:45 to about 9 just to see how things were going and to see if I could glean any information that may benefit Hoboken commuters. I think the single biggest takeaway is that there is a tidal wave of NJ Transit commuters that begins right at 8:00 and the wave continues until 8:45….Today may not be fully representative of what to expect for the next 45 days, as Monday mornings in the summer are often lighter due to people being away for long weekends. But…if you can get to the station either before 8:00 or after 8:45 I think your commute disruption will be less. Also, I would encourage you to buy your tickets/ refill your cards at a time other than the morning rush.”

Hoboken council people urge school board not to continue litigation against HOLA

According to a press release from the Hoboken Dual Language Charter School, several members of the council have released statements urging the Hoboken Board of Education not to continue litigation against the charter school. The board has already lost several court battles to try to take away the school’s new eighth grade class.
Last month the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court affirmed the decision of the state Commissioner of Education granting HoLa’s application to expand the school to include seventh and eighth grades. The eighth grade has already started this year.
One day after the ruling, a lawyer for the school board told the Wall Street Journal they “would discuss whether to seek a review from the state Supreme Court.”
The fight, many say, is really with a state funding formula that directs too many funds to the charter schools – but the Hoboken board has focused for now on trying to reverse the school’s expansion.
The town has three charter schools, one of which was founded by Tom Kluepfel, who nevertheless was among the school board supporters of the suit against HoLa.
In response to HoLa parent advocacy, seven members of the council released statements urging the Board of Education not to continue the suit.
“The division this lawsuit has caused in our community has thankfully come to a close. I am a strong supporter of our traditional public and charter schools equally,” said Councilman Peter Cunningham, as quoted in a HoLa press release. “I encourage both sides to demonstrate leadership and empathy to and among themselves, our children and their parents in an effort to heal our community so we can all move forward together.”
“I’m glad this lawsuit is finally over,” said Councilman Ruben Ramos. “Litigation is never how we should be spending precious educational resources. I hope that the Board of Ed can now move on and focus on student achievement for all kids in Hoboken.”
“It’s about time we end this senseless lawsuit and start worrying about educating our children as our top priority!,” said councilman Michael Russo. “I am calling for the superintendent of our schools, the school administrators throughout our district, the members of the BOE and the city of Hoboken as a whole to all move forward. Let’s focus on providing our teachers the tools to make our public school system, which include our charter schools, the best in the state.”
“As one who disagreed with the divisive nature of this lawsuit from day one, I firmly believe that the resolution of the litigation presents a real opportunity for all of Hoboken’s families and residents,” said Councilman David Mello. “It offers an opening to work together to uplift our entire array of K-8 school options; whether traditional public, charter public, parochial or private. It also presents an opportunity to shape and support Hoboken High School so that it will become an even more attractive option for all Hoboken based eighth graders.”
“What everyone involved wanted was good schools for all the children of Hoboken,” said Councilwoman Jen Giattino via Facebook. “This fight occurred because the state funding formula pits district schools and charter schools against each other. Now we must all move on. And if we must still fight, we should fight for a more equitable funding formula.”
“With the appellate court ruling, our community can begin to heal the divide that this two and a half year lawsuit created in our community,” said Councilman Michael DeFusco. “A major asset of Hoboken is the wide range of school options that we offer families. I look forward to working with both the district and HoLa to ensure we are working together collaboratively and avoid costly, contentious situations like these in the future.”
“Now is the time to focus our energy on making all of our schools even better, said Councilman Ravi Bhalla. “We should celebrate the parents and educators that work hard every day for our children. As a parent who has witnessed firsthand the excellence of both charter and traditional public schools, I appreciate the valuable contributions of all the schools in our community. While the issues raised in the lawsuit around school funding and demographics are important ones for us all to seriously consider, now that the Appellate Division has ruled on the merits, it’s time to move on. I look forward to working with all of our parents and educators in the years ahead.”
Councilman Jim Doyle and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher did not provide the school with a statement as of press time.

Former Hudson Reporter building in Hoboken to get cycling gym and juice bar

There’s some juicy news to report. A plan was approved by the Hoboken Zoning Board recently that will allow a gym and a juice store to come into the former Hudson Reporter building at 14th and Washington streets in Hoboken, Jersey Digs reported.
The one-time bank building at the head of the city’s main thoroughfare will someday see a SoulCycle and a Juice Press. Both companies started in New York.
The two-story Beau-Arts building originally held the Hoboken Trust Company. From 1999 until last year, it was occupied by the Hudson Reporter chain of eight newspapers and three magazines, but the building was sold and the Hudson Reporter moved to renovated quarters on Broadway in Bayonne in May of 2016.

Hoboken mayoral candidate Ravi Bhalla unveils council slate

Hoboken mayoral candidate and Councilman Ravi Bhalla announced his slate of at-large council candidates on Wednesday July 12.
“Councilman Jim Doyle, Emily Ball Jabbour and John Allen are joining Bhalla in his fight to keep Hoboken moving forward,” stated the press release. “Together, [they] combine proven experience with new ideas and energy. That’s the right combination to keep Hoboken moving forward.”
Doyle was elected to the council in 2013. He serves as chair of the Masterplan/Zoning Ordinance Committee. He is an environmental attorney with more than 29 years of experience, working for both the US Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jabbour is a senior social science research analyst for the Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. According to the press release, she also founded the Hudson County Chapter for the national grassroots organization Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. In this capacity, Jabbour has worked with local law enforcement to distribute gun safety materials across Hudson County and provide 200 gun locks to the Hoboken Police Department for distribution. Jabbour has also served as the HOPES Liaison for the Brandt Parent Consortium for the 2016 to 2017 school year.

Allen is an attorney at the law firm of Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP, where he specializes in the representation of governmental bodies, including boards of education and municipalities. He serves as a Hoboken Democratic Committeeman and is on the Board of Directors of Easter Seals New Jersey, a charitable organization dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities.
“Jim Doyle has been an outstanding and invaluable member of the City Council with an impressive record of accomplishment,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer in the press release. “Emily Jabbour and John Allen bring the skills, smarts and fresh approaches we need. They will be great additions to the council.”
After the slate was announced, mayoral candidate and Councilman DeFusco released a statement saying “It was difficult to contain my shock at hearing that Ravi Bhalla, a politically connected insider lawyer at one of New Jersey’s most powerful law firms, made the stunning choice to select a fellow political establishment attorney in John P. Allen for his council slate. Who could have ever guessed that a lawyer like Ravi, whose law firm was paid over $3.8 million in government contracts in 2016, would decide to run with a lawyer whose firm was also paid over $3.8 million in government contacts? A truly inspired, outside-the-box pick.”
State election finance reports confirmed the number.
Rob Horowitz, spokesperson for Bhalla and his slate responded via email stating “Once again Mike DeFusco is showing his true colors putting his naked ambition ahead of principle. DeFusco neglected to mention that two days ago he solicited the support of John Allen and his fiancée Tara Mullins for his campaign, asking them to host a meet and greet, and even going so far as dangling the prospect of a board appointment. Class is welcoming opponents into the race, not hypocritically attacking them on day one.”
DeFusco said he had not approached Allen for his slate.
“Neither myself or anyone from my campaign ever approached John Allen about running for council on our ticket,” wrote DeFusco in an email, “John’s fiancee, who is a personal friend, had contacted me several months ago about John’s interest in serving on a volunteer board. I inquired about potentially hosting a meet and greet event for our campaign. However once I became aware that John was running on Councilman Bhalla’s ticket I wished her well and ended the conversation. It’s disappointing to see false rumors like this being spread.”

DeFusco announces new slate-mate, answers questions

Councilman and mayoral candidate Michael DeFusco announced via his website last week that Andrew Impostato, who has lived in Hoboken for 10 years, will join him on his ticket for councilman-at-large. He had already announced his first slate-mate, Michael Flett, last month.
According to DeFusco’s website, Impostato resides in mid-town in Hoboken’s 3rd Ward with his wife Kristen and 1-year-old daughter Kiley.
Impostato worked for six years on Wall Street as a commodities futures and options salesman before he decided to follow his passion and pursue a career coaching basketball.
He has worked for the NBA coordinating community outreach and events, and coached varsity basketball at Hoboken High School and Pace University. He currently coaches at nationally-ranked Hudson Catholic High School.
In 2013, Impastato founded Next Basket Wins, an adult basketball league with more than 300 players and 200 youth participants.
DeFusco also answered some questions about his slate last week. Among them, some residents have voiced concerns because Flett voted for and donated money to the campaign of Donald Trump last year. Current Mayor Dawn Zimmer has fought aspects of Trump’s agenda that are harmful to area residents.
DeFusco responded to questions by email.
“Michael Flett has supported both Democrats, including Dawn Zimmer, and Republicans, who he believed would work to change the status quo and deliver better results on the issues he is most passionate about — like improving the economy and protecting our environment,” wrote DeFusco. “Anyone who knows Michael understands that he is a dedicated community leader and someone who is always working to give back to our city. As the first openly gay candidate for Mayor of Hoboken and a progressive Democrat, I know that just because Michael and I disagreed on a federal election that doesn’t change the fact that he would make an excellent council member and he is someone who I am excited to work closely with.”
DeFusco did not respond to a question of whether Flett still supports Trump, by press time.
Three at-large council seats are up for election in November along with the office of mayor.
“I’m very excited to announce Andrew Impastato as the latest addition to our council slate,” said DeFusco on Twitter July 6.
“Both Michael Flett and Andrew Impastato fit perfectly with our campaign’s mission of bringing new energy and new ideas to Hoboken,” DeFusco wrote. “They’re both deeply involved in our community and have shown the ability to create innovative solutions to challenging problems, from Michael Flett’s advocacy for renewable solar energy production to Andrew Impastato’s creation of a popular app that helps thousands of residents find parking.”
In 2016 Impastato created The Parking Dude LLC, a Hoboken based company and app that helps inform and notify residents and visitors to Hoboken of parking regulations to avoid tickets and help them park and maintain their car while in Hoboken.
DeFusco still has a third seat available on his ticket. Rumor was that seat may go to Councilman David Mello but DeFusco and Mello both denied this.
“We expect to announce our third council candidate in the coming weeks and Councilman Mello is not among the people being considered,” said DeFusco. “I believe that this election is about Hoboken’s future and I want our campaign to reflect that by advancing new leaders who will bring the energy and ideas our city needs, not the status quo approach that members of the current administration represent.”
Mello said last week that he plans to run for reelection but is still weighing his options.
He referenced his work for the southwest park and the open space amenities as part of the development at Seventh and Jackson streets.

Join a Healthcare Reform study that assesses job stress and organizational readiness

Join a unique PhD research study assessing the human impact of Healthcare Reform. Ongoing changes to Healthcare Reform has and is triggering new and demanding challenges for healthcare professionals working with diverse populations in U.S. healthcare systems. A Deloitte & Touché survey of 400 organizations highlighted that employee resistance to change is the number one reason organization change initiatives fail.
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Hobokenites win medals after racing for a cause

Two Hoboken runners took home medals for the 5K USATF Timed Race at the 10th Annual Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure at Liberty State Park.
Lauren Bottitta, 28, finished in 21 minutes and 37 seconds to win First Place in the Women’s Division and Ben Dobson, 46, crossed the finish line with a time of 21:15.9, taking Third Place in the Men’s Division.
More than 2,000 people came out to Liberty State Park in Jersey City to attend the May 21 fundraiser, which raised more than $600,000 for the fight against breast cancer—an increase of $100,000 over the previous year.

Hob’art Gallery welcomes new exhibit

“Piece by Piece,” is a new exhibition by three artists which will open at the hob’art Gallery at 720 Monroe St on July 21.
The exhibit includes work from artists Lily Zane, France Garrido, and Steve Zane.
Lily Zane creates eerie and evocative collages and mixed media works of stitched silk organza and paper. Steve Zane uses a camera to piece together and illuminate the qualities of light, shade, and volume. Garrido executes mosaics that are rich in color, intention, and design using ceramic tile, glass, stone, and picassiette.
The opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Sunday July 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
For more information on the gallery, go to www.hob-art.org or email director@hobart.org.

Hoboken master tailor receives visit from county executive

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise stopped by Genuardi Master Tailor in Hoboken following the closing of a $20,000 working capital loan to the company under the Hudson County Economic Development Corporation’s Million Dollar Challenge program.
Genuardi is a recent graduate of the Hudson County Entrepreneurship training program and winner of the Investors Bank/UCEDC quick pitch competition. His business is located on Observer Highway in Hoboken, and specializes in hand tailored, custom clothing.
Genuardi has dressed two U.S. presidents and a number of CEO’s in his career as a bespoke suit maker and master tailor. The HCEDC Million Dollar Challenge is designed to help small businesses flourish in Hudson County.

Meet the candidates running in the Bayonne school board election

Daniel Israel, Staff Writer
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Meet the candidates running in the Bayonne school board election

On Nov. 2, Bayonne voters will go to the polls to vote for three seats up for election on the Board of Education.

In 2021, only one slate is running the “Together We Can” ticket featuring incumbent Trustees Jodi Casais, Pam Sclafane, and Melissa Godesky-Rodriguez. Running as indepenent candidates are Nicole Gabriele, Gina Irizzary, Petra Ghaly, and Charles Ryan.

Nicole Gabriele

Nicole Gabriele

Nicole Gabriele Lebron, parent of three children in the district ages 2, 8, and 14, is a first-time candidate running as an independent under the slogan, “Voice for All.”

Gabriele currently owns her own stone countertop company and volunteers as an EMT at Nutley Volunteer Emergency & Rescue. She has long been involved in her son’s school by volunteering for Parent Teacher Association events and serves as the current Vice President on the PTA board at his school.

According to Gabriele, she is running on a platform of “accountability, transparency, engagement, responsibility, and timeliness” and pledges to “actively engage with the community and make decisions in the best interest of Bayonne students and community.”

Gabriele is running for the board because she wants to be “a voice at the table with how children are taught in the district” and “assist in working together to get the communities input on issues resolved.” As a “strong believer in transparency and communities working together,” she said she has a “deep dedication to accountability, engagement, and timeliness.”

Gina Irizarry

Gina Irizarry

Gina Irizarry is the Chair of the Writing Department at the Empowerment Academy Charter School in Jersey City and a photographer, who is again seeking election to the board. She ran unsuccessfully in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

“As a person invested in the community where I live, I liken the school district to be the “heart” and the residents to be the “pulse” of this community,” Irizarry said. “I want to be a voice for the citizens that can activate this pulse and re-energize it’s heart.”

Irizarry wants to bring more transparency to the board, she said: “I feel that there are both complacencies and lack of information being shared with the citizens from the current board and administration that have created a climate of confusion and low morale. I would like to help build back the district’s morale and create a climate of transparency and communication with the community.”

She touted her experience as an educator and school administrator as key to helping the district through “transformative” times: “I love this city and it is rapidly changing, but these changes are being met with many challenges for the school district. The board needs creative and ambitious individuals that truly understand the district’s challenges and current needs. As a priority, our facilities need to be updated, revamped and revitalized without posing financial burdens on the taxpayers. I have ideas for working with the city council on progressive action plans.”

Petra Ghaly

Petra Ghaly

Petra Ghaly, a 2021 Bayonne High School Class graduate and former student representative to the board, is running for the first time as an independent under the slogan, “Bayonne Families First.” She founded the local branch of the conservative group Turning Point USA at BHS, and is running on a platform of “safety, communication, transparency and strengthening the special needs program.

Ghaly said that as a student, she has “seen first hand how there is a broken system that stems from the lack of communication at the board that could have endangered myself and hundreds of other students.” She wants all board members to receive additional training on “harassment, intimidation, and bullying.”

“I am running because I want to be the independent voice for the voiceless and to make sure that no student has to feel afraid for their safety and well being,” Ghaly said. “The system needs to be fixed from within.”

Ghaly said she can facilitate the change that she said needs to be implemented: “Unless someone is on that board raising these concerns and holding the other members accountable, students will continue to fear for their safety and well being. I will stand up to bullying and the broken system which has failed the students and their families. The safety of all students will always be my number one concern.”

Charles Ryan

Charles Ryan

Former Trustee Charles Ryan, a former deputy police chief, was an appointed board member before school board trustee became an elected position. He won his seat in 2016, before losing in 2018. He was appointed to fill a vacant seat for one year in 2019, but lost re-election that November, and again in 2020. Ryan, a former high school history teacher and Deputy Chief at the Bayonne Police Department, is again seeking a seat on the board, this time as an independent under the slogan, “The Smart Choice.”

Ryan wants to keep students in their neighborhood schools and he aims to do so by supporting a full inclusion model: “Simply stated, this means having a teacher at each grade level to provide additional help for those who require it. It also ensures that, except in certain cases, siblings remain in the same school building throughout elementary school. This ends the need for parents to drop off their children to different schools and allows the families to become part of the culture of one school.”

Ryan’s main concern is for more transparency from Central Office and the Board: “I support the late Trustee Finnerty’s proposed Transparency resolution, requiring the Board agenda and the resolutions be posted on the Board website a minimum of 10 days prior to being voted upon. This would allow for informed public comment before an item is voted upon.”

He continued: “Finally, there is a serious need to plan for the remediation and recovery from Covid-19 crisis. This can be done by creating ad hoc committees which include parents, teachers, professional staff, and other workers who can best determine what is needed and what is not.”

From left to right: Melissa Godesky-Rodriguez, Pam Sclafane, and Jodi Casais.

‘Together We Can’

Running on the “Together We Can” ticket are incumbent Trustees Jodi Casais, Pam Sclafane, and Melissa Godesky-Rodriguez.

Casais was first elected on a “Together We Can” slate in 2018, having helped see through the current teacher contract. Recently, Casias has been protesting high water bills.

“If anybody knows me, they know that I stand up for what I believe in!” Casais said. “I have been so happy to serve on the BBOE for the past three years, and I know that myself and my team have so much work to do, especially when it comes to keeping Bayonne affordable. Our students and their taxpaying parents deserve board members that will advocate for them, especially when it comes to maintaining property taxes!”

Sclafane was appointed to the board to fill the seat of former Trustee Joseph Broderick after his sudden resignation in 2020. She was born and raised in the Bayonne where she serves as Vice President at BCB Bank and on the Advisory Board of the Bayonne Chamber of Commerce.

“As someone who has served as a trustee on the BBOE for almost a year now, I can say that my experience has been truly rewarding and eye-opening,” Sclafane said. “COVID-19 has challenged our school district, and we are prepared to continue supporting children and their families. I would also support more vocational opportunities and mentorship programs to allow our students to partner with members of the business community, so that they are well-prepared for the working world.”

Godesky-Rodriguez was appointed to the board this past August to fill the seat of former Trustee Ava Finnerty following her death in July. She is an outspoken parent who frequently attends board meetings and unsuccessfully ran as an independent in 2019.

“After more than a year of unprecedented uncertainty, I am grateful for the opportunity to not only run alongside Jodi Casais and Pam Sclafane, two incredibly dedicated women that are relentless advocates for our children, but to bring my own voice to the table,” Godesky-Rodriguez said. “The BBOE has done incredible work to take care of our students, and as the mother of a special-needs child, I would like to continue the fight for more emotional and hands-on support in our schools, to ensure that our children are able to thrive in a comfortable and safe environment.”

Priorities for the ticket include “expanding social services, maintaining property taxes to keep Bayonne affordable, implementing more technology in the classroom, and providing more tools needed in the classroom for Bayonne teachers to succeed.”

How to vote

Residents can vote early from Oct. 23 to 31, vote by mail, or cast their ballots on Election Day.

In Bayonne, the early voting booth will be at City Hall at 630 Avenue C in the council chambers. Voting will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

To vote by mail, residents must request a mail-in ballot. Residents can mail there ballot or place it in the drop box in front of City Hall.

For more information, go to www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/elections.

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.

TASTY TIDBITS Horrific loss of great coach and mentor Bello

Jim Hague, Sports Columnist
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TASTY TIDBITS Horrific loss of great coach and mentor Bello

The news Sunday morning was more than shocking and downright disturbing.
Tony Bello, who spent more than 50 years of his life coaching and teaching kids in Jersey City, was murdered in the place that he called home forever, a place he thought to be a safe haven called Pershing Field — stabbed to death after attending Mass at St. Nicholas R.C. Church.
Details of the incident remained sketchy at press time, but an arrest was made Wednesday afternoon by Jersey City police.
Apparently, the 76-year-old Bello, who spent countless hours in his life at Pershing Field, got into some sort of a heated altercation around 8 a.m. Sunday. Bello was stabbed in the torso and died soon after.
Bello’s death sent shockwaves throughout the Jersey City Heights and beyond, because anyone and everyone who knew Tony Bello knew him to be a kind, considerate, gentle soul.
He was an assistant football coach at places like Dickinson and Marist for several years. He was the head baseball coach for the Jersey City Giants in the now-defunct Build Better Boys Baseball League in the early 1990s. Bello also served as the president of the Pershing Field Little League and coached several different teams in that league over the last 25 years.
A retired teacher, Bello was always spotted at Pershing Field, where he took walks twice a day, once in the morning with a cup of coffee in hand and another in the afternoon. He would also stop to watch practically every baseball game played at the facility, no matter the age level.
There were thousands of youngsters who were graced to have the guidance of Tony Bello, who never received anything in return.
One prominent high school baseball coach said that, “Tony Bello spent more time in Pershing Field than any Jersey City worker assigned to work there.”
As someone who knew Tony well over the last 35 years, the news of his tragic demise hit hard and hurt, because Tony would never hurt anyone and he just cared so much about kids and their well being.
I honestly can’t remember a time over the last 35 years when I went to Pershing Field for some game and didn’t run into Tony. He was always there, a permanent fixture. He was the King of Pershing Field. Someone said that he was the Mayor of Manhattan Avenue, where the Bello family resided. But I think of him more as the King of Pershing Field. No one was there more.
Bello guided his son, Vinnie, to become a teacher and coach on his own. Vinnie Bello started his career as the head baseball coach and athletic director at Marist High School, but 20 years ago, moved to Sparta where he took on the job as the head coach at Pope John, where he gained a reputation as being one of the best high school coaches in New Jersey. Tony’s daughter Lisa is married to Hoboken High School head baseball coach Jack Baker.
So coaching is a major part of the Bello family lineage, all thanks to the incredible dedication of the patriarch Tony.
There are other countless current and former coaches who received invaluable guidance from Tony over the years, people like Union City head baseball coach Chipper Benway, former Dickinson head coach Danny Suarez, current Dickinson head coach Mario Santana and current Hudson Catholic head coach Alberto Vasquez.
Tony had such an impact on everyone he came in contact with, including sportswriters who loved to hear Tony speak about sports, especially baseball, his true love.
Vinnie Bello was asked how he would best remember his father.
“I’ll remember him every time I put on the uniform,” Bello said. “Every time I watch my son play football, I’ll think of him. He’s the one who pushed me into coaching. He took me over to Pershing Field the first time when I was little to play ball. I remember when I was a little kid and he was coaching football at Dickinson, he brought me to practice with him. I can’t even begin to count how many people he touched. He always wanted to go across the street and help the kids. That was my Dad.”
And the irony of it all that Tony Bello’s life came to a tragic and horrific end in the park he loved so well.
“It was his park,” Vinnie Bello said. “He was Pershing Field. That’s why this all hasn’t truly sunk in. It happened in Pershing Field. For him to lose his life in Pershing Field? It’s surreal. I can’t even put it into words. He was taken away from my Mom [Catherine]. He was taken away from my sister. He was taken away from my kids [Nick, Mike and Dominick].”
Nick Bello is a football player who will play football at Assumption College next year. Mike is an aspiring baseball standout at Pope John, playing for his father, who has already given a verbal commitment to attend Auburn University – and he’s only a freshman. Dominick is 12 years old with a bright future.
“He won’t get a chance to see his grandsons play in college,” Vinnie Bello said. “But we’re going to go on. That’s the way he’d want us to keep going, so that’s what we’re going to do.”
It’s a tragedy that we may never really know what transpired. One thing is for sure. Tony Bello is gone and it’s a loss for thousands who knew him…
The 27th edition of the Hoboken/Demarest Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner is set for Saturday night at the Hoboken Elks, with cocktails at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m. and the ceremony to begin at 7 p.m.
Once again, there is a fine group of worthy inductees, like Jason Blanks (Class of 2003), the football/basketball/baseball standout who was the Hudson Reporter Male Athlete of the Year t his senior year; Jennifer Albuja (Hoboken Class of 2004), the soccer/basketball/softball standout who still remains the school’s all-time leading scorer in soccer; Baron Ballester (Class of 1990) for soccer; Raquel Roder (Class of 2007), for softball/volleyball and swimming. Roder is currently the head softball coach at Weehawken…
Also Barbara Cahill Zielinski (Class of 1980) for track and field; Eddie Castellanos (Class of 2006) for basketball; Joe Classen (Class of 1987) for football and the late Frank Scott, who was an assistant football coach and the school’s athletic director. Mike Taglieri will receive the Jerry Molloy Award for his contributions coaching youth football and baseball.
Most of Hoboken gets to read the Hoboken Reporter on Friday or Saturday, so the organizers are hoping that some people read this and realize that there’s still a chance to attend the festivities. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at the door. So make plans to attend…
There are other local athletes who will compete in the Penn Relays Carnival this week like Adam Khriss of Secaucus in the 400-meter hurdles and William Woltmann of St. Peter’s Prep in the shot put. Woltmann signed his letter to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is such a great achievement for the young man. Woltmann will try to compete in both football and track and field at MIT…
In softball, Ferris remains red hot and is the lone local team that is still undefeated at 6-0. Pitcher Jaylene Sierra collected the 100th hit of her career in a 6-2 win over Dickinson, a game where Sierra fired a three-hitter, striking out 13…
North Bergen knocked off defending Hudson County Tournament champion Hudson Catholic, 10-7, which gave new North Bergen head coach Shawn Stacevicz a win over his former club…
In baseball, St. Peter’s Prep is the No. 8 ranked team in the state, thanks to the hot bat of Dom Meleo, who had three hits and four RBI in a 10-2 win over North Bergen…
Hudson Catholic is also doing well, thanks to Tino Salgado, who has 16 RBI already this season in just six games. Salgado had three hits and five RBI in a win over McNair Academic…
Hoboken also has a hot hitter in Michael Effinger, who has 12 RBI thus far in eight games. Effinger had three hits and four RBI in a win over Lincoln…
Josue Fernandez had three hits and three runs scored for Union City in a 7-6 win over Passaic Valley…
Secaucus’ Kerry Mitchell fired a two-hit shutout over Ridgefield, striking out seven…
Hudson Reporter High School Baseball Top Five: 1. St. Peter’s Prep (8-1). 2. Ferris (7-2-1). 3. Hudson Catholic (5-1). 4. Union City (4-2). 5. Memorial (6-4)…
Hudson Reporter High School Softball Top Five: 1. Ferris (6-0). 2. St. Dominic Academy (6-1). 3. North Bergen (4-3). 4. Bayonne (4-3). 5. Hudson Catholic (4-4). – Jim Hague.

Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.

Bayonne Briefs

Submitted Content
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Bayonne Briefs

$650K grant for construction of ferry terminal

A proposed passenger ferry terminal in Bayonne took another step forward last week when Mayor James Davis and U.S. Representative Albio Sires announced Bayonne as the recipient of a $650,000 U.S. Department of Transportation grant to help with the construction of a terminal on the former Military Ocean Terminal Base (MOTBY).
The award comes after the city agreed in March to lease a piece of land from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for $2 million over 10 years. The site of the potential ferry would be about a half mile east of the 34th Street Light Rail station on the southern shore of the base.
Then in April, the Bayonne City Council issued a request for proposals for a ferry operator. NY Waterway, the only private ferry operator in Hudson County, is the most likely company to respond.
The grant comes from the USDOT Passenger Ferry Grant program (49 U.S.C. 5307(h)), which, according to the USDOT website, “provides competitive funding for projects that support passenger ferry systems in urbanized areas. These funds constitute a core investment in the enhancement and revitalization of public ferry systems in the nation’s urbanized areas.”
Mayor James Davis said in a press release, “Commuter ferry service is a game changer for Bayonne, and this federal grant is another step forward for our city toward a brighter future with millions in new tax revenue and an opportunity for our community to thrive.”

Plans to move Polish JC statue draws criticism from Davis

A member of the Polish senate went on a Polish radio station last week, calling the effort by Jersey City government to move a 34-foot statue at Exchange Place three blocks away “scandalous.” The statue, erected in 1991, is called the “Katyn Memorial,” and depicts a Polish soldier being stabbed in the back. It memorializes 20,000 Polish victims of a 1940 massacre carried out by the Soviet secret police.
Mayor Steven Fulop, in response, called the senator a “known anti-Semite” and stuck to his guns about his decision to move it three blocks west – the location originally designated in 1986 when it was gifted to Jersey City from Poland.
Meanwhile, Mayor James Davis offered Bayonne as a landing spot for the monument. It wouldn’t be the first time Bayonne would adopt a Jersey City monument. The Teardrop Memorial, gifted to the United States by Russia, was originally planned for Jersey City, but it now it stands as one of Bayonne’s greatest destinations.
“As mayor I would be proud to have it at one of our many wonderful parks, maybe at Rutkowski Park which is named in honor of one of Bayonne’s most prominent Polish-American leaders,” Davis said last week.

Demand is high for industrial space in NJ

The square footage of space for which industrial leases were signed in the first quarter of the year dropped in New Jersey by 27 percent, according to the Wall Street Journal. That doesn’t mean that space is sitting vacant. Quite the opposite. The demand for space is exceeding the supply, and as a result rents have increased by nearly 12 percent, according to the real estate services firm JLL.
That trend is no different in Bayonne, where Ports of America recently sold 90 acres of land on the former Military Ocean Terminal Base, currently occupied by 20th Century-era warehouses, to Lincoln Equities Group for the construction of 1.6 million square feet of new industrial warehouses by 2021. What entity will lease the warehouse is unknown, but the buyer said that it expects 2,700 permanent jobs to come from the site.

After years of fighting Christie, state workers to ratify contract

The 32,000 state employees who are members of the Communications Workers of America, who have been working without a contract since 2015, have ratified a new agreement, according to NJ Advance Media. Hundreds of Bayonne residents are CWA union members. The workers will receive two raises of 2 percent each and retroactive bonuses for longevity that had been withheld by the Christie administration. The contract expires in June 2019, and negotiations are under way for the next deal.

Murphy signs bill allowing property taxes as charitable gifts

Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law on Friday legislation that allows NJ homeowners to treat their property taxes as charitable gifts, according to the Associated Press. The Legislature passed the measure after the federal tax overhaul, which puts a $10,000 cap on property tax deductions, was signed by President Donald Trump.
Under New Jersey’s law, school districts and towns may set up charitable funds to which taxpayers can make donations instead of paying property taxes. The federal tax law does not cap the amount of deductions for charitable gifts.

Port Authority police superintendent abruptly retires

Port Authority Police Superintendent Michael Fedorko retired Monday, a move coming at the same time that his department is under investigation over claims that radio host Rush Limbaugh received a police escort, NJ.com reports. Fedorko, 73, had been the Port Authority’s director of public safety since 2009 and was paid more than $220,000 a year. Edward Cetnar will be acting superintendent. The Port Authority’s inspector general has been investigating reports that Limbaugh was given a rush-hour police escort from Newark Liberty International Airport to a charity gala in Manhattan.

Costco officially signs Bayonne lease

RD Management LLC, one of the nation’s largest privately held real-estate development and management organizations, and partner JMF Properties, a NJ development company specializing in transit-oriented projects, urban retail centers, and commercial office parks, announced a lease signing with Costco Wholesale, the anchor at Harbor Pointe Marketplace.
The development partners broke ground recently on Costco Wholesale, which is scheduled to open in fall 2018 and will include a Costco gas station with 18 gas pumps. The retailer will occupy 150,000 square feet of the 240,000-square-foot property. Residential and additional retail developments are also currently underway nearby.
Currently, Costco Wholesale operates 727 warehouses worldwide and employs more than 200,000 people. During the 2016 fiscal year, the company reported total sales of $116.1 billion.

NJ Attorney General creates unit to investigate data privacy

State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Monday that his office will have a new unit to investigate Facebook and issues related to data privacy. The unit will be involved in enforcement of laws that protect state residents’ online data privacy.

Open call for artworks

Paul Robeson Galleries at Rutgers University – Newark is seeking proposals from artists whose work uses food as a medium or subject matter.
The 2019 Main Gallery, Express Newark exhibition will center on food as a social, political, and bodily phenomenon. Specifically, the exhibition will consider food as a commodity; the relationship between food, death, sex, and the abject; food’s relationship to global economics and geopolitics; food and its likeness as a medium for artistic experimentation; the food chain and the environmental impacts of food production; and food justice.
The exhibition will be on display January – December 2019 and will be accompanied by a catalog. You must be able to loan your work for that period of time.
Apply online at https://form.jotform.com/81145165793158.

‘Hamilton’ actor Christopher Jackson to deliver the HCCC commencement speech

Christopher Jackson, cast member of the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” will deliver the keynote address to the Hudson County Community College Class of 2018 in its 41st annual graduation ceremony.
The college’s commencement ceremonies will take place on Thursday, May 17 at 6 p.m. at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark.

Playing fast and loose with worker classification

Gov. Murphy has issued an executive order— his 25th — to create a task force to investigate employee misclassification. That’s when companies intentionally misrepresent workers, classifying them as independent contractors rather than fulltime employees, so the companies don’t have to pay social security and unemployment insurance, and the like. According to NJ Spotlight, the practice costs the state an estimated $9 million every year.

Jersey City Bike Tour will roll June 3

Registration is now open for the 9th annual Jersey City Ward Tour & Festival. “Bike around JC, then party with all the bikey people,” reads the press release. The tour, which takes 2,000 riders on a 16-mile route through Jersey City’s six wards, starts on Sunday, June 3, at 11 a.m. at City Hall, 280 Grove St.
Protected by rolling street closures implemented by Jersey City police, riders will make a clockwise loop around the city at a manageable pace (10 mph at the front) with several rest breaks, and finish between 1 and 1:30 p.m. on the Hudson River waterfront near the foot of Second Street.
The tour is presented in partnership with Mayor Steven M. Fulop, the Jersey City Municipal Council, and the Office of Cultural Affairs.
The Finish Line Festival follows all afternoon until 5 p.m. in and around Lutze Biergarten, featuring live music, food and drink, an expo with community/nonprofit organizations, and more.
Registration for the tour is required and is free, with a $5 suggested donation to Bike JC. Riders must be age 12 or older, and must wear helmets. Younger children may be carried securely on an adult’s bike. The tour is rain or shine.
Bike JC is a citizen-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization that aims to make Jersey City streets welcoming for bicyclists by promoting bike-friendly policies, including protected bike lanes, bicycle education, and traffic law enforcement.

Thousands of NJ Hondurans affected by change in immigration status

An estimated 3,700 Hondurans who live in NJ will have to leave the country by January 2020 after the Trump administration removed their “temporary protected status” on Friday, according to NJ Spotlight.
Hondurans were granted the status after Hurricane Mitch devastated their Caribbean nation in 1998, killing more than 7,000 and leaving 1.5 million homeless. Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen of the Department of Homeland Security said conditions in Honduras had improved enough to remove the temporary protected status.

State A.G. asks Weehawken to lift ban on out-of-town residents making right turn

NJ Atty. General Gurbir Grewal’s office recently sent Weehawken a letter, asking the town to not enforce a turning ban against out-of-town motorists until the state Department of Transportation completes a review of the area.
The ban had prohibited nonresidents from making a right turn onto Pleasant Avenue from Hackensack Plank Road, weekdays from 3-7 p.m. The town issued the ban because they say non-residents frequently use the turn as a shortcut to Route 495 and parts west. This, officials argued, caused traffic clogs and upset residents.
The letter requested a sit-down with the town and the state Department of Transportation over the ban. Town officials met with the DOT and gave them a tour of the area, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner said. The state agency is currently working on a plan to alleviate traffic at the intersection without needing the ban, Turner said.
Until then, officers are holding traffic at the turn until the intersection is clear, instead of enforcing the ban. However, the mayor says that traffic has greatly improved since the restriction, as nonresidents are using other streets to get around. Officers have yet to issue a ticket.
“I think they understand the problem,” Turner said of DOT efforts to fix it.

The new Bayonne City Council looks to the future

Daniel Israel, Staff Writer
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The new Bayonne City Council looks to the future

In the wake of the July 1 inauguration and ahead of their first council meeting on July 20, the members of Mayor James Davis’s council slate that now make up the new Bayonne City Council looked back on the election and forward to accomplishing much in their new terms in individual interviews with the Bayonne Community News.

While the 2022 non-partisan municipal election in Bayonne was largely a slug fest between the top two mayoral candidates including Davis and former City Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski and yielded a low turnout, the incumbent mayor’s council slate played a pivotal role in helping push him over the finish line.

A powerhouse in the Third Ward becomes council president

Third Ward City Councilman Gary La Pelusa, who is now City Council President, was undeniably a political force to be reckoned with in this past election, and even those prior. In the Third Ward, he got 1,865 votes to Davis’ approximately 1,729 votes, including mail-in and provisional ballots, according to a tally of official election results. While the mayor typically gets more votes than the ward council candidates, that was not the case this time around, when La Pelusa got more votes than Davis.

La Pelusa recently reflected on his victory and looked forward to his upcoming term. While La Pelusa had been approached by both Davis and Ashe-Nadrowski to run on their respective tickets, he ultimately went with Team Davis, which one could argue helped shift the election in Davis’ favor.

“I think the fact that both of the main people running for mayor had asked me to be on their ticket, both sides knew that it would be important where I wound up,” La Pelusa said. “My decision to run on either a ticket or on my own would have made a big difference in the election.” 

La Pelusa had been on the council prior to the Davis Administration, but ran with Davis in 2014, 2018, and again in 2022. La Pelusa said he was happy that the Third Ward voted for him and the response he got while campaigning.

“My first two times I ran, I did everything on my own because I had no ticket to run on,” La Pelusa said, attributing his success to his hard work ethic. “Since then, that’s how I’ve been running my campaigns. I get out there and I talk to people. I knocked on every door in the Third Ward.”

City Council President Gary La Pelusa addresses the council at its June meeting. Photo by Daniel Israel.

Always more work to do, La Pelusa says

La Pelusa is proud of the accomplishments he has helped this administration achieve in Bayonne, but acknowledged there is still work ahead. While the world has been filled with “doom and gloom” lately, La Pelusa looks to make a difference locally by tackling quality of life issues in the city in this term.

“I’d like to do more quality of life things to make peoples’ lives better, at least in Bayonne,” La Pelusa said. “That’s something I can control and that’s something I plan on doing… We talked about possibly finding areas where we could create more parking. We could do a little more quality control for litter. And we need to keep up on our garbage contracts and be mindful of the people who live around us.”

Even more localized to the Third Ward, La Pelusa is excited about the future renovation of Russell Goulding Park and the surrounding area.

“We received a very large federal grant to fix Russell Goulding Park, which is by our gateway,” La Pelusa said. “We’d like to not only fix up that park and use the grant money so it won’t cost taxpayers anything. We want to fix up that gateway area too, so when people come in off the Turnpike, they see how nice Bayonne really is.”

Overall, La Pelusa is happy with the way everything turned out for him, having been elected as City Council President. And he is definitely excited for where the future may bring him, outside of the municipal chambers of the city council and possibly into the corner office in City Hall.

“I was very pleased by the response,” La Pelusa said. “People were asking me to run for mayor. Obviously it wasn’t in the cards. Maybe someday. But I think we’re on the right path. The city itself is growing, and there are some growing pains involved, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”

Councilmen Juan Perez and Neil Carroll also proved useful to Davis in the most recent municipal election. Photo by Daniel Israel.

First Ward councilman starts first full term

While La Pelusa was undeniably a key figure in Team Davis’ victory in the 2022 municipal election, another key player was First Ward City Councilman Neil Carroll III. Carroll got 1,851 votes in the First Ward, just shy of matching Davis’ approximately 1,909 votes.

“Regardless of the numbers, I’m humbled by those that would send me back to City Hall,” Carroll said. “Even though it was a low turnout, I appreciate the people that did come out. If I was able to play a key role in a very hard-fought campaign, then I’m very happy about that as well.” 

Carroll was first appointed to the council to replace then-City Council President Tom Cotter who was appointed as the Director of the Department of Public Works in 2018. He then had to run for re-election for his seat in a special election in 2019.  

“My only regret is that my grandfather was alive to see me appointed, but he was not alive to see me elected,” Carroll said of his grandfather Neil Carroll I, a major figure in Hudson County politics who passed away a month after Carroll was appointed to the council.

Looking forward, Carroll is hoping to put together formalized officer hours to increase communication with residents. 

“I’m hoping to team up with a couple of different businesses, restaurants, cafes, and establishments like that,” Carroll said. “As long as I have their permission, I’ll be there for so many hours and residents can come by and have a cup of coffee and tell me what’s going on.” 

Carroll concluded that he would continue to serve the council as he has been doing the past four years: “I’m going to continue to be my own voice. I’m proud of the record that stands to date, and I’m just hoping to continue that. I’m very honored to be sent back.” 

Second Ward City Councilwoman Jacqueline Weimmer is serving her first term on the city council. Photo courtesy of City Councilman At-Large Juan Perez.

Newcomer Weimmer takes charge of the Second Ward

In addition to Carroll and La Pelusa, Second Ward City Councilwoman-elect Jacqueline Weimmer also brought in her fair share of votes. Weimmer tallied 1,248 votes in the Second Ward, almost as much as Davis’ approximately 1,416 votes. While maybe not as notable as La Pelusa exceeding Davis and Carroll almost breaking even, Weimmer certainly brought in her fair share of votes as a newcomer on the slate.

“It was really a team effort,” Weimmer said. “Everybody was out there every day meeting the community, talking to as many people as we could. We had some challenges, it was difficult, but I think the effort was there.”

Weimmer looks forward to being the voice of the Second Ward. She is also the only woman on the council now.

“It was great to get the confidence of the people, because that’s what is important, especially as a newcomer,” Weimmer said. “In the past, I didn’t always feel like I had a voice. So I’m a firm believer that when you are a council representative, you are the voice of the people. Things that I think are important or that I would like to see happen have to come secondary to what the people want… I do think that being a woman perhaps will help me in doing things with a bit more care and caress, and finesse if you will. I think that’s what this community needs.”

Weimmer wants to meet with the community regularly, especially with senior citizens and other important groups: “The community feels like it needs to have a greater voice. So once the summer sort of comes to a close, then I’m going to reach out and have some community meetings to start talking to people again.”

Another important thing to Weimmer is redevelopment, to which she emphasized the need to keep that neighborhood feel: “We still want to be a community. Growth is not always a bad thing. If we do it with some consideration for where, and the community around it, and what’s going on, I think that is going to go a long way.” 

Highlighting garbage and other issues she seeks to tackle, Weimmer said she will always have her door open and will continue to give out her personal cell phone number: “I promise three things: I will always look, listen, and learn. I will always look for ways to make the community better, if you take the time to come and speak to me I will listen to your concerns, and then I hope that I’m intelligent enough to learn from those who have gone before me and to learn from the surrounding community to really ensure that everyone is living their best life.”

City Councilman At-Large Loyad Booker is the first Black council member in Bayonne history. Photo courtesy of City Councilman At-Large Juan Perez.

Booker becomes first Black council member 

What could be said about the ward council candidates could also apply to both City Councilman At-Large-elect and retired police officer Loyad Booker and City Councilman At-Large Juan Perez. Booker got 4,278 across the entire city. While he did not beat Davis’s 5,048, Booker did get 60 more votes than Ashe-Nadrowski’s 4,278 votes. Booker’s presence on Davis’ ticket was not only historic as he is now the first Black council member in Bayonne’s history, but Booker was also pivotal in securin the victory for Team Davis as a newcomer. Perez brought in 3,548 votes, a decent showing for the incumbent councilman which was enough to lead to his re-election. Both Booker and Perez beat out several other candidates for their seats on the council.

“I think it was a team effort,” Booker said of the election. “I’m not going to sit here and take any individual credit. I believe that it was probably due to the fact that most people have known me for my 25 year career as a police officer. I was very committed to what I was saying. I would not lend myself, my name, my time, or my reputation to something I didn’t believe in. I believe in Team Davis. I think I picked the right team and it showed… But I’m not going to say that my numbers didn’t help, I’m sure they did to some degree.” 

It is still somewhat surreal but starting to set in for Booker, who is ready to hit the ground running come the first council meeting.

“Considering the challenges and everything that’s going to go along with the position, I’m excited,” Booker said. “I look forward to serving the community, just leading, and trying to stay current with any situations as I’ve done as a police officer.”

Bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community

Booker said residents can look forward to the council working together cohesively over the next four years. 

“I’ve been saying teamwork makes the dream work,” Booker said. “You’ve heard that before, but I think from this council you’re really going to see a cohesive group of men and women who are going to work together and to a common goal. I think if we look out for the betterment of the city, I know it’s going to work.”

Booker takes redevelopment in the city seriously, and is familiarizing himself with ongoing things: “I’m reviewing all the projects that are in place and new things that are coming up. I know people are worried about developing stuff. I cannot lie, I just know things don’t stay the same forever. Things do change and it’s time to change. I’ve been here my entire life, so I think people have to open their arms a little bit and welcome the change.” 

On top of ensuring smart redevelopment, Booker hopes to bridge the gap between the police and the community.

“I just recently gave a Ted Talk about bridging the gap between law enforcement and communities,” Booker said. “I definitely believe that the city thrives when people feel safe in their own environment, and we can tackle all the other things without the worry.” 

Booker said other important issues at the top of his list involved quality of life and parks. 

“There a couple of parks that I’m really interested in looking at,” Booker said, noting residents had brought parks to attention that haven’t been renovated in years. “I want people to understand that things don’t happen overnight like with anything else, but when I make a statement, I try to stick by it.”

City Councilman At-Large Juan Perez is sworn in for a third term by State Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-31). Photo courtesy of Perez.

Perez rounds out Team Davis

On his contributions to Team Davis and whether he helped bring the slate over the finish line, Perez said the slate worked as a team. When discussing his re-election and how he felt returning to the council, he said he was “very happy.”

This is Perez’s third term on the council, having ran with Davis in 2014, 2018, and 2022. Looking ahead, Perez wants to create more jobs and address infrastructure issues.

“We’re trying to, right now, fix our sewage and clean our roads,” Perez said. “We have people paving out there. We want to improve our overall services. At this time we want to continue going forward.”

Perez echoed other council members that the election was a referendum whether or not residents liked the the direction the city is going in. He feels it shows most residents agree with the progress made in the city.

“The people like what they’re looking at and it’s going to continue,” Perez said. “There are going to be some people who are bitter and they don’t want the town to change. But you have to change. Remember what happened to the dinosaurs. And I’m not talking about overbuilding Bayonne because I like Bayonne for the community. It feels like a nice place, but we just want to do smart development for the city of Bayonne that can bring in revenues.” 

According to Perez, the city is going to continue to change in a positive way, with residential and commercial redevelopment that has been in the works finally coming to fruition at long-underutilized sites.

“An accomplishment I feel so good about is bringing the delivery service down at the Military Ocean Terminal. That’s going to be bringing close to 2,700 jobs for the people of Bayonne… Going forward, we’re trying to get senior citizen buildings built… I’m trying to look out for the seniors because I’m a senior myself. And I also want to look for kids because I’m a grandfather and I have kids too.” 

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 BRIEFS

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JERSEY CITY BRIEFS

Liberty State Park marina plan is dead in the water

A marina proposed for the south side of Liberty State Park has been rejected by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) after months of protests by park advocates.
This is third victory for park preservationists in two years.
The DEP, which oversees the state park on the eastern side of Jersey City, will however grant Suntex Marinas – which was to develop the southern marina – an additional 10 acres at the north end of the park where the company already maintains a marina.
Earlier in May, the DEP also rejected a proposed expansion of the Liberty Golf Course into a jetty near the south end of the park, prompting a significant outcry from park supporters as well as environmentalists over the possible encroachment into wetlands and wild species habitat located there.
Two years ago, Friends of Liberty State Park along with local public officials and others stopped a massive development plan proposed for the park, including the construction of a possible casino.
All three of these plans were proposed with the backing of then Gov. Christopher Christie. Advocates for the park credit the change of administration and the support of current Gov. Phil Murphy for the rejection of the latest plans.
Sam Pesin, president of The Friends of Liberty State Park was elated.
“This great news marks a major turning point in LSP history with hopefully a long, positive era initiated by Governor Murphy and his excellent DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe and Assistant Commissioner Ray Bukowski,” Pesin said. “The Friends of LSP and our advocacy co-leader Greg Remaud, head of the NY/NJ Baykeeper, thank the hundreds of park supporters who once again stood up for our urban state park, and expressed special thanks to Mayor Steven Fulop and the Hudson County legislative delegation.”
“The decision not to pursue the Suntex Marina term sheet pushed through during the previous administration demonstrates that Governor Murphy and NJDEP Commissioner McCabe are strong stewards of the public trust, even in the face of influential special interests, said Greg Remaud, the NY/NJ Baykeeper. “Liberty State Park is back in good hands.”

Pulaski Skyway will be closed this weekend

In anticipation of switching all traffic onto southbound lanes, the NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT) has announced that all lanes on the Pulaski Skyway will be closed for the upcoming June 1-to-3 weekend. This traffic shift is a necessary step to reopening northbound lanes this summer.
NJDOT officials announced that southbound traffic on the Pulaski Skyway is scheduled to be shifted from the northbound lanes back onto the newly-completed southbound lanes on Monday, in advance of reopening to two-way traffic this summer as the redecking portion of the $1 billion rehabilitation project nears completion.
In order to implement the traffic shift, a full closure of the Skyway is necessary this weekend.
To avoid delays, NJDOT is encouraging motorists to use the NJ Turnpike-Hudson County Extension to all destinations west and south, including I-78, or to I-280/Route 7 and Route 1&9 Truck southbound.
Beginning at 11 p.m., Friday, June 1 until 5 a.m. Monday, June 4, NJDOT’s contractor, CCA Civil Inc.- Daidone Joint Venture, is scheduled to close the Pulaski Skyway southbound at the off ramp to I-280/Route 7 and Route 1&9 southbound to remove construction barriers and restripe the roadway in order to shift southbound traffic back onto the completed southbound lanes by Monday morning.
Before northbound traffic can be restored, the temporary guiderail separating northbound and southbound lanes will be removed and minor paving will be completed. In addition, the median barrier will be installed on a portion of the east end of the Skyway. Once this work is completed over the next several weeks, the northbound lanes will be reopened.
Heavy congestion and delays are expected in Tonnelle Circle this weekend during the full closure. The work is being coordinated with adjacent projects. The Pulaski Skyway Contract 2 project that is rehabilitating Route 139 upper and lower levels will be working, however traffic will be maintained westbound on the lower level this weekend.
NJDOT created a project-specific website – www.pulaskiskyway.com – which contains a wealth of information about the Skyway and the project and will be updated with relevant new information as work progresses. The department is carefully coordinating the Pulaski Skyway project with other regional transportation infrastructure projects to minimize traffic congestion.
The Department has a project hotline telephone number, (973) 776-7400, and email, Pulaski.Skyway@dot.nj.gov.
Anyone who has questions, concerns, or suggestions is encouraged to contact the Project Outreach Team as work progresses.
NJDOT will be using Variable Message Signs to provide advance notification to motorists of traffic pattern changes associated with the work. Follow the information on Twitter @Skywayrehab and visit www.511nj.org for travel advisories.

Natasha Deckmann named CEO of CarePoint

CarePoint Health has announced the appointment of Natasha Deckmann, M.D., as chief executive officer of the health care system, which includes three area hospitals, Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, and Hoboken University Medical Center.
Deckmann has held leadership positions for the past several years at Optum, a leading health services and innovation company. Her tenure included serving as the head of Population Health Solutions at Optum Health, managing $2 billion in revenue and driving innovative solutions to population health challenges.
“We are pleased to introduce Dr. Deckmann as the new CEO of CarePoint Health and know the depth of her experience and leadership that she brings to our three hospitals and, especially, our patients,” said Jeffrey Mandler, an owner and board member of CarePoint Health. “Dr. Deckmann is a strategic leader with a proven track record of delivering results, and her experience in managing people across diverse cultures and geographies offers the type of insight and knowledge to lead the delivery of health care to our communities.
“Dr. Deckmann will unify and lead the hospital system into its next phase of service to the community,” added Mandler.
Dr. Deckmann also previously served as chief operating officer of Consumer Solutions Group (CSG) at Optum Health. She also held a number of senior leadership roles at Marsh Inc., including chief operating officer of the International Division, and led strategic consulting engagements for clients across the entire health care industry, including the U.S. government, for Oliver Wyman. Dr. Deckmann also worked with the Health Care Initiatives group at General Motors Corporation. She has expertise in population health management, benefit management, care management, M&A, product development and management, portfolio management, strategy, operations and change management.
“I am eager to be joining the CarePoint Health family which continues to be a leader in delivering quality care and health care innovation,” said Dr. Deckmann. “My mission will be to continue to elevate the level of care while working closely with the diverse Hudson County community to ensure we are reaching all individuals.”
Dr. Deckmann earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Michigan, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Doctorate of Medicine from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

JCTC to honor Hudson County Cultural Affairs director

Jersey City Theater Center’s (JCTC) 12-Year Anniversary Celebration ‘celebrates’ not only the Jersey City nonprofit arts organization reaching the dozen-year mark, but the combination of arts, community and diversity for which JCTC is known.
The JCTC board of directors has created a Lifetime Achievement in Arts and Culture Award, which will be officially bestowed at the celebration. This annual award acknowledges individuals instrumental in helping the arts flourish so they can have a positive social and economic impact on communities. The first recipient of this honor will be Bill LaRosa, the former director of the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, who retired last September.
“Bill LaRosa always saw the arts as a means to unite the community,” said Olga Levina, artistic director of JCTC. “The real magic in theater and the arts comes from listening, and with kindness and intelligence, Bill truly listened to artists and organizations. As director of the Hudson County Office of Cultural Affairs, he always came from a place of love for the arts and respect for artists, giving them the attention they deserve. Bill knew and loved his community and truly embraced the arts in Hudson County. No arts organization can stand alone, and he has been a crucial supporter of JCTC from our very beginning. It is an honor for JCTC to give our first lifetime achievement award to someone who truly made a difference for the arts in Hudson County and New Jersey.”
All proceeds from the fundraising event go towards supporting JCTC’s 2018/2019 season, which the nonprofit arts organization’s hopes will be most ambitious period of programming yet. Beginning in September, JCTC will provide a robust schedule of theatre, dance and other performances as well as readings and visual art events. JCTC has also expanded its youth and family programming with new shows and classes for children and teens. Attendees to the celebration will be the first to find out the details of what JCTC has in store for its upcoming season.
JCTC’s birthday party is the first soiree of the summer of 2018, bringing together leaders and other professionals from the worlds of art, business and politics. The celebration will be held at White Eagle Hall on June 26 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. and includes open bar, hot & cold hors d’oeuvres and live jazz from The Hudson Banks Trio.
The event tickets are $100.To purchase tickets visit www.JCTCenter.org.
White Eagle Hall is located at 335-337 Newark Ave. in Jersey City. For JCTC information, call (201) 795-5386.

5th Annual Jersey City 4th of July Festival will be at Exchange Place Plaza

Mayor Steven M. Fulop has announced the expansion of the Jersey City 4th of July Festival at its new permanent location, the Exchange Place Plaza. The free all-day festival will take place along the Hudson River waterfront from 1 to 10 p.m. and will include kid’s entertainment, a smorgasbord of food, carnival rides, multiple beer gardens, live performances by award-winning musicians, and a grand finale fireworks show on the Hudson River. Last year, the event drew over 100,000 spectators from throughout the city and region.
“In 2013 we brought back Jersey City’s 4th of July event because we believed in bringing our families, friends, and neighbors together to celebrate Independence Day, while showing off all that our city has to offer,” said Mayor Fulop. “This year will be the fifth year of this incredible event, and each year we strive for more attractions, bigger crowds, and larger acts. I am confident that this year will be the best yet, and I look forward to a fun-filled day celebrating our nation in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.”
The festival will take place along the Hudson River waterfront and surrounding area of Harborside, with designated zones for carnival rides, bounce houses, a food truck alley, multiple beer gardens, and a headliner stage at the Exchange Place Plaza. All daytime performers and headliner acts will be announced within the coming weeks.
Last year, the state of New Jersey’s government shutdown on July 4th weekend forced Mayor Fulop to relocate the festival from Liberty State Park to the Exchange Place Plaza. The new event location was a huge success, drawing in over 100,000 people from throughout the region to enjoy a headline performance by Kool & the Gang, and experience a fireworks display over the Manhattan skyline.

Golden Door Film Festival celebrated by MovieMaker magazine

Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City, New Jersey was recently named one of the 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2018 by MovieMaker magazine.
“It’s so overwhelming to be recognized by one of the most prominent magazines in the film world,” said Executive Director Michele Sorvino. The annual list is compiled by the editors of MovieMaker, which is the nation’s leading resource on the art and business of making movies. “We are also humbled to be the only film festival recognized in the state of New Jersey. This recognition solidifies that GDIFF’s goals meet industry standards and above.”
Founded in 2010 by actor Bill Sorvino and his creative team, the four-day festival prides itself as a cultural focal point of Jersey City. It is now in its eighth year and has screened 831 films, represented 92 countries and boasts over 14,000 attendees.
The Golden Door International Film Festival will be held from Sept. 20 – 23. To find out more, visit www.goldendoorfilmfestival.org.

Immigrant Affairs meeting on June 4

Jersey City Immigrant Affairs Commission will hold its next meeting on Monday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m. in the Efrain Rosario Memorial Caucus Room on the second floor of City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Room 204.

North River Sing holds spring concert

The North River Sing Community Chorus will hold its 4th annual spring concert featuring stylish jazz, show tunes and standards on Sunday, June 10 at 4 p.m. at Grace Church, 39 Erie St. in downtown Jersey City.
The group will ask audience members for a $15 donation.
The community chorus, which formed early in 2014, is known for performing songs from the American Song Book and include favorites from composers such as Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and George Gershwin.
For more information go to http://northriversing.org or https://www.facebook.com/NorthRiverSing/.

Cathedral Market Day is June 9 at Grace Church Van Vorst

Cathedral Market Day, a fundraiser to benefit Grace Church Van Vorst and its outreach activities, will be held on Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church on 39 Erie St., Jersey City. The church will be filled with upscale thrift, new or gently used items of home décor, art, jewelry and accessories, toys, hand crafted items, and clothing for adults and children. Featured will be a café and baked goods plus face painting and art activities for children. Bring the whole family for a day of food, finds and fun. Admission is free.

HOBOKEN BRIEFS

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HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Attention commuters and drivers: A portion of Washington Street will be milled and paved next week

Milling and paving of four blocks of Washington Street, between Observer Highway and Third Street, is scheduled to take place the week of Dec. 4, weather permitting.
Expected hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
According to the press release from the city, “Efforts will be made to maintain vehicular traffic where possible. However road closures will be required at times.”
During construction, NJ Transit buses will operate on a detour. Buses heading toward Hoboken Terminal will travel south along Washington Street, detour east on Fifth Street, and south on Hudson Street. Buses heading toward New York will leave the bus terminal from Observer Highway, turn north on Bloomfield Street, turn east on Fifth Street, and continue north on Washington Street along the regular route.
To facilitate bus detours, parking will be prohibited on both sides of Fifth Street between Bloomfield Street and Hudson Street as well as on both sides of Bloomfield Street near Observer Highway and Hudson Street near Fifth Street. Police will be on hand to help direct traffic.

Councilman says names of five suspects have been given to cops, in racist flyer case

The Police Department is still investigating an anonymous campaign flyer distributed before the Nov. 7 mayoral election, and treating it as a bias incident. The flyer targeted now Mayor-elect Ravi Bhalla, placing the words “Don’t let TERRORISM take over this town” over his picture.
Whoever made the ad also included the name of opponent Councilman Michael DeFusco, making it appear that DeFusco created the ad. However, DeFusco immediately denounced it and said it didn’t come from his campaign. He has also offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who has information which leads to a conviction in the case, and hired a private investigator.
DeFusco’s campaign spokesman, Phil Swibinski, issued a press release on Tuesday, Nov. 28, which stated that they believe the reward has led to a “significant new lead that has been forwarded to the Hoboken Police Department” – which includes the names of five people who allegedly distributed the flyer.
The police had released black and white photos of people caught on camera allegedly distributing the flyers.
However, when asked about the press release. Police Chief Ken Ferrante said in an email that the identities provided by DeFusco’s campaign have not yet been corroborated.
“When police investigators have people come forward with information, that info and the person providing the info are not identified until it needs to be (i.e. court), for many reasons, including the protection of the investigation, the protection of witnesses, and the protection of individuals against false claims,” he said. “When identities of individuals involved in this case are confirmed to the point of probable cause, at that time, complaints will be filed, arrests will be made, and then we will announce the arrests like we always do.”
The identities of those distributing the flyers could potentially be traced to whichever campaign, political group, or politician hired them. Six people ran for mayor, four of whom already have elected positions.
Ferrante said, “The Hoboken Police Department continues to perform interviews, work with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, use forensic science in assessing evidence, and look at all tips and information for corroboration and veracity. At this time, none of the leads or identities provided by the DeFusco campaign have been corroborated, and Hoboken Police Detectives continue to attempt to corroborate the info provided.”
DeFusco said in a release, “This new information puts our city one step closer to finding out who perpetrated this heinous act that impacted our election and brought an incredible amount of negative attention to Hoboken. I am confident that the Hoboken Police Department is doing everything it can to solve this case and I would like to thank the many residents who responded to our reward offer and who share our goal of getting to the bottom of this disgusting act to hopefully prevent this kind of malfeasance from ever happening again.”

Crowd surrounds cops in Hoboken when they try to break up brawl; four arrested

Four men were arrested in the wee hours of Saturday, Nov. 25 after a fight erupted outside of a bar on downtown Washington Street. Two officers were injured.
Police Chief Ken Ferrante took to Twitter the morning of the arrests and said, “Last night, we had 2 HobokenPD officers from our midnight shift injured breaking up a brawl involving 40 people… Bars or restaurants that can’t control crowds will not be tolerated.”
Hoboken resident Hashim Dyer, 21, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, hindering apprehension, and resisting arrest.
Hoboken resident Frank Henderson, 22, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, hindering apprehension, and failure to disperse.
Jersey City resident Christian Caputo, 23, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, hindering apprehension, and failure to disperse.
Jersey City resident Robert Rosario, 21, was charged with hindering apprehension and failure to disperse.
Dyer, Caputo, and Rosario were released with summonses to appear in court and Henderson was remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
Officers were patrolling downtown Washington Street when they saw a fight outside a local bar. As they tried to break up the fight between men and women, more smaller fights began. The officers requested back up to assist controlling the large unruly crowd. As the officers tried to stop the fight Officer Michael Losurdo was allegedly charged by Caputo and thrown to the ground. He was able to control the defendant with the help of Officer Tyrone Huggins and placed him under arrest.
During the arrest of Caputo, Henderson and Rosario allegedly attempted to assist Caputo by charging the officers and pull him away. They officers regained control of Caputo and Henderson and Rosario allegedly fled the scene.
A crowd formed around the officers as they attempted to place Caputo into the car. Sgt. Michael Costello tried to help clear a path for them when he was allegedly jumped from behind by Hashim Dyer who was then placed under arrest.
Other police officers arrived to help including New Jersey Transit, New Jersey State Police, and North Bergen Police along with Port Authority Police.
Rosario and Henderson were later found and placed under arrest. All were transported to headquarters for processing.
Losurdo and Costello were treated at Hoboken University Medical Center for injuries. Lossurdo suffered injuries to his head, leg, and ear and was cleared for duty. Costello sustained a back injury and has not yet been cleared to return.

Hoboken officials ask state to deny NY Waterway application

Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Mayor-elect Ravi Bhalla, Council President Jen Giattino, and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher have urged the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to deny private ferry company NY Waterway’s application for a provisional permit in order to develop the existing Union Dry Dock site on the northern waterfront. NY Waterway plans to use the site, where a long-time ship repair business is presently located, for ferry repair and maintenance. The city wants to acquire the property to fill in a gap in the municipal waterfront walkway and create a park.
Last month the City Council approved an ordinance that would permit the city to use eminent domain, after a subsidiary for NY Waterway purchased the property from Union Dry Dock & Repair Co for $11.5 million.
NJ Transit plans to acquire the property from NY Waterway and then lease it back to the ferry company.
Giattino and Fisher coauthored a letter which stated: “We are both members of Hoboken’s City Council, representing the 6th and 2nd Wards that include or are directly adjacent to the Union Dry Dock site under consideration… We are urging you to reject the application on its merits, and because of the potential negative impact to the Hoboken community and the disruption to a decades-long effort to secure the waterfront for public use and access.
“This request from NY Waterway in concert with both Union Dry Dock and NJ Transit, came as a surprise without any input from Hoboken officials or its residents,” they added. They also stated, “On its merit, this application is anything but environmentally sound, creating environmental risks and quality of life issues for residents of and visitors to Hoboken.”
NJ Transit has informed the city that they will enter into an agreement with the company and plan to allocate $12 million in its budget to acquire the property, according to a press release from the city. This ownership by a state agency would effectively nullify the city’s power to condemn and acquire the property.
Residents may speak at the next NJ Transit board meeting which will be on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 9 a.m. in the Board Room at NJ Transit’s Headquarters at One Penn Plaza East, Ninth Floor, in Newark.
Zimmer and Bhalla also urged the DEP Commissioner to deny the application and ensure that the “entire transaction be fully evaluated in the light of day with full transparency for all interested parties. Unfortunately it appears as though the transaction has so far been conducted in a manner that appears intended to hide information.”
Bhalla and Zimmer’s letter can be viewed in full at http://www.hobokennj.gov/docs/mayor/Letter-Zimmer-Bhalla-DEP-NY-Waterway-Permit-11-28-17.pdf
NY Waterway’s permit application can be viewed at http://www.hobokennj.gov/docs/NJDEP-Waterfront-Development-Permit-Application-NY-Waterway.pdf.

Zimmer appoints new provisional fire chief

Mayor Dawn Zimmer has announced that Battalion Chief Brian Crimmins will be appointed as the new provisional fire chief. He will be sworn in this week and will serve until a new Fire Chief test is administered in early 2018. The test will be open to all battalion chiefs and captains, and Mayor-elect Ravi Bhalla’s Administration will make a decision on the next fire chief after the results of the test have been received.
The position was previously held Anton Peskens. According to city spokesman Juan Melli, “The city and Chief Peskens were unable to agree upon terms for his permanent appointment to the position of fire chief. Therefore, the city has requested that Civil Service generate a new eligibility list. Chief Peskens did a great job as fire chief, but Civil Service rules do not allow the City to keep him in the provisional position while Civil Service generates a new eligibility list for consideration.”
“I thank Chief Peskens for his service to Hoboken as Provisional Chief and Battalion Chief Crimmins for stepping up to serve as our next Provisional Chief,” said Mayor Zimmer.
Battalion Chief Crimmins has served in the Hoboken Fire Department since 2004 and was ranked first on the Battalion Fire Chief promotional list. He graduated magna cum laude from Boston College and graduated first in his class at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he received a Master of Public Administration.

CarePoint ‘Lunch & Learn’ series to focus on heart and lung diseases

CarePoint Health-Christ Hospital will hold its next Lunch & Learn Series, “Managing Heart or Lung Disease,” on Thursday, Dec. 7 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
The program will include presentations by medical experts about how to better manage congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A free, healthy lunch will be included.
Register at holly.goroff@carepointhealth.org or Nancy.aleman@carepointhealth.org.
The event will be held at Christ Hospital, 176 Palisade Ave., Jersey City.

SoulCycle is scheduled to open in Hudson Reporter building on Jan. 27

According to a press release and email, SoulCycle is scheduled to open its Hoboken and second New Jersey location on Jan. 27 in the former Hudson Reporter building, 1400 Washington St., Hoboken.
The full-body indoor cycling and lifestyle brand will have a 54 bike studio in the 8,955-square foot building, including the basement, and will also house an expansive lifestyle boutique selling SoulCycle’s original performance and athleisure clothing collections.
Additional rider amenities include two showers, four individual restrooms and two changing rooms.
SoulCycle in the New Jersey area costs $34 per class, according to the press release, and more than 20,000 riders take SoulCycle classes every day. Riders engage in high intensity cardio while also toning their upper bodies using hand weights and core engaging choreography.

Fundraiser for Hoboken Family Planning Clinic announced

The Friends of the Hoboken Family Planning Clinic will host their fifth annual Wine and Dessert fundraiser on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the home of Jeannie and Bruce Lubin, 58 Ninth St., Hoboken, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The evening will raise funds for the Hoboken Family Planning Clinic. This year’s goal is to raise $20,000 to serve 70 low income women with needed health services for one year. The average cost for one woman is $286 per year.
The minimum contribution is $50 and is tax deductible.
Contributions can be made online to: hfp_contributions@aol.com with PayPal and checks can be sent to Cindy Cray at 1248 Bloomfield St. Apt 4, and made payable to the Hoboken Family Planning Clinic.
RSVP at FriendsofHobokenFamilyPlanning@gmail.com

$6,000 raised for Hoboken High School girls’ soccer team

On Friday, Nov. 17. the Hoboken Soccer Patrons, a local nonprofit, hosted Hoboken’s first “Pasta Cup” to raise funds for the girls’ soccer program at Hoboken High School.
The first annual Hoboken Italian “Pasta Cup” had top local restaurants competing with their signature pasta dishes to win the Pasta Cup for Best in Hoboken.
This year’s winner was Augustino’s, with Johnny Peperonni coming in second place, according to one of the founders of the organization, Councilman Ruben Ramos.
Other restaurants included Blue Eyes, Tratttoria Saporito, Leo’s Grandevous, Otto Strata, Margherita’s, Luca Brasi, Grand Vin, San Guiseppe, and Rosticeria Da GiGi.
“Thank you to all the restaurants, sponsors, and attendees,” said Ramos in a phone interview. “We sold about 170 tickets and raised about $6,000.”
Sponsors included Hoboken Bar and Grill, Grace Leong of Hunter Public Relations, Joseph Branco, Tony Theodore, Rosalie Gennarelli of Zigarelli Chocolates, and Stan’s Sporting Goods.
According to Ramos, the money will go to new training equipment and warm up gear.

Give the gift of a good story

The Friends of the Hoboken Library will host a used book sale on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to pick from a wide-ranging collection of gently used books which will be on sale on the newly renovated and yet to be open lower level of the Hoboken Public Library at 500 Park Ave.
The books span wide categories including children’s, cookbooks, mystery, sci-fi, novels, classics, biographies, non-fiction, “coffee table” art books, plays, poetry and more.
Prices range from $1 to $5 according to the organization and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to supporting the Hoboken Public Library.

Public Hearing announced for part of the Master Plan

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element of the Hoboken Master Plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in the ground floor conference room of City Hall, 94 Washington St.
The city has been actively involved in sustainability efforts for nearly a decade, achieving bronze certification from Sustainable Jersey in 2011 and silver certification in 2017. Sustainability has been promoted through several recent and current efforts that address climate adaptation, flood mitigation, public and environmental health, Green Building, and non-vehicular transportation.
The draft Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element (“Sustainability Element”) discusses these efforts and outlines goals, strategies, and actions to make Hoboken a more sustainable and resilient city.
The purpose of the public hearing is to take public comments on the proposed Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element of the Hoboken Master Plan. Depending on those public comments, the board may adopt the proposed Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element at that time.
To view a draft of the Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element, go to www.hob-art.org and via
France Garrido (201) 319-1504 or director@hob-art.org.

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