If it is not a big deal, try the Duane Reade walk-in clinic in Manhattan. It is $95. Skin condition is on the list.

http://www.drwalkin.com/services.html

My Japanese coworker said that his friends, who had no insurance, used to go to Chinatown because it was cheaper in Chinatown.

Tired of Waiting for a Doctor? Try the Drugstore

The Record has pictures of the damages on the Pulaski Skyway.

The skyway -- like the Minnesota bridge -- has a non-redundant "truss" design with steel beam sections that could cause a deck collapse if one failed

Pulaski Skyway, at 75, to get first wave of critical repairs

Photos: Damage on the Pulaski Skyway

I just watched 'House Hunters International' on HGTV, and this woman wants to buy a home in Lucca, Tuscany.

Lucca has a wall around the city, and the people walk, jog and cycle on it. Interesting.

http://www.knowital.com/html/lucca_-_the_town_walls.html

+2 on cars and dogs.

Sometimes I walk from JSQ to the Vietnamese restaurant at McGinley Square for lunch. The walk is safe except there are people sitting on the church steps asking for money. I often wonder where do they live.

The Number 87 King Drive bus travels on Fairmount Avenue to JSQ to Hoboken. At Montgomery and Bergen, there is the Number 80 Newark Avenue bus that goes to JSQ to Grove Street and Exchange Place. McGinley Square sounds like a convenient place to live.

There are some pictures here:

http://www.newportresident.com/mb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11#p41

This one is on Long Island.

-----------------
BRENTWOOD

At-risk students offered golf class

BY BILL BLEYER

June 26, 2007

The Islip Town Board is scheduled to approve today a program in which Brentwood middle school students at risk will be taught how to play golf by mentors in an attempt to keep the young people from joining gangs.

The Gangs to Golf program would match six students from ages 11 to 14 with mentors from Stony Brook University, who will teach them the fundamentals. Then the fledgling golfers would be able to play at a town course in Brentwood with the greens fees waived during the 15-week program over the summer. The town would absorb the $2,000 cost.

"This program will take kids off the streets and onto the green for a game that builds both confidence and character," Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan said. "Right in their backyard is the town's Brentwood Country Club, a great venue for these kids to learn the game."

The program was developed by Alexander Lopez, an assistant clinical professor of occupational therapy at Stony Brook. He told The Associated Press that the "lady- and gentleman-like behavior" required on a golf course would be a good model for the students and that the game fosters good sportsmanship while exposing the children to an unfamiliar side of life.

"Many of these kids have never been out of their neighborhood," he said. "It's all they know."

Lopez said the slow pace of the game leaves a lot of time for conversation between mentors and students.

They were mentioned here.

http://hoboken411.com/?p=7200&cp=1#comments

Downtown forecast: Traffic hell

Saturday, July 14, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A study commissioned by Jersey City has concluded that by the year 2020 traffic in the Downtown area will reach the full capacity of the current roadway system.

The $176,00 federally funded "Jersey City Regional Waterfront and Downtown Circulation Study," 11/2 years in the works, was undertaken in order to come up with solutions to the increasing crowding on city streets.

To deal with this impending gridlock, the study's consultant, Stantec, makes several recommendations, both large - extending the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System along the Sixth Street Embankment through the Bergen Arches into Secaucus - and small - changing the timing of traffic signals to speed traffic flow.

"As the fastest-growing city in the state, it is imperative that we look at all options available in alleviating the tremendous congestion in the Downtown area," said Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

The price tag for all the recommendations comes to well over $300 million. The mayor and City Council will review the recommendations and set priorities, city officials said. City Planning Director Bob Cotter said funding for the projects is expected to come from the federal government.

The most controversial proposal is to extend Jersey Avenue from where it currently ends, just behind the Jersey City Medical Center, through Liberty State Park to Audrey Zapp Drive.

"Our main concern is a Jersey Avenue road would be a magnet for rush-hour commuters . diminish the peaceful experience for people who come to the park," said Sam Pesin, president of the Friends of Liberty State Park.

Naomi Hsu, a city planner, said she doubted the two-way, two-lane road with bicycle paths would become a rush-hour thoroughfare, since a light rail crossing of Jersey Avenue would naturally slow traffic and discourage commuters from using that route.

The study also recommends building a ramp across Montgomery Street, at the Christopher Columbus Drive exit of the Turnpike, as well as building an 11th Street viaduct exit from the Turnpike that would lead Downtown.

The full study can be found at www.downtownjcras.com

Sorry for your loss.

If you stay till next spring, the market is supposed to be better.

You might want to consider keeping the house, renting it out, and using the house as a college fund for your children, or for your retirement.

There are two Craigslist for this area. They have different ads on them. My guess is that the New Jersey one has cheaper apartments than the New York one.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/search/ ... =min&maxAsk=max&bedrooms=

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/searc ... =min&maxAsk=max&bedrooms=

I ate there a couple of times and I enjoyed it.

The front of the restaurant is misleading. The dining room is in the back and it is family friendly.

If the front looked better, I think they would have more business.

http://www.menupix.com/hoboken/restaurants.php?id=306654#

Quote:

Did you write this story?

Whirling Dervish at Journal Square for Egyptian festival today

The Tapestry of Nations Egyptian Festival will bring a Whirling Dervish and the "Horse Dance" to Journal Square from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today along with authentic Egyptian cuisine, entertainment for children and artistic portrayals of ancient and modern Egypt.

The festival takes place at PATH Plaza.

-------------------
What:
Tapestry of Nations Egyptian Festival
When:
Saturday, June 30 - 10 am to 6 pm
Where:
Journal Square PATH Plaza

Featuring:
- Traditional Egyptian music & dance - Whirling Dervish
- traditional "Horse Dance"
- Children's Entertainment
- Authentic Egyptian cuisine

http://www.thenewjournalsquare.com/index.htm

When I first visited the library a few years ago, I was surprised by the empty shelves.
-------------------------------------------

THROWS THE BOOK AT THEM

Peeved by library's dumping

Friday, June 29, 2007
By LYSA CHEN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Juan Albornoz has been a frequent visitor of the Jersey City Public Library for decades, so when he discovered several hampers of discarded books - sitting in the rain and waiting to be recycled - outside the library's main branch, he was shocked.

Albornoz said he knew something was off when he noticed several shelves in the library's circulation room were "noticeably empty" last Friday.

"I was sort of shocked, because the circulating section is the main section of the library, and I found nobody could tell me why the shelves were so empty," he said.

Unable to find someone in the library who would tell him what had happened, Albornoz looked for himself, discovering three hampers of books - some torn to pieces with their covers ripped off.

Among the piles were names like Joseph Heller and John Irving, he said.

"And I just went through the top," Albornoz said. "The books that I pulled out of the library garbage were critical American key authors. They were more than critical, essential."

Sonia Araujo, assistant library director, said the books were not "just being thrown away."

"It's a weeding procedure that every library in the world does," she said. "It is a way of us trying to keep out books that are factually incorrect - medical books, science books and computer books- so we can make room for new editions."

Outdated and damaged books from the library's 12 branches are first offered to different community centers and schools or put in the library's used book store, she said, but if nobody wants the books, they become brittle and yellowed and are eventually discarded to make room for new books.

Albornoz, however, said the empty shelves in the library did not justify the disposal of books, adding that the weeding seemed "indiscriminate and wholesale" given some of titles he was able to salvage.

Albornoz met with directors of the library to voice his concerns yesterday and Araujo said she was surprised when Albornoz presented some of the books that had been weeded. She said the library will be taking into account some of Albornoz's concerns and suggestions.

"We're going to make sure before any books are put outside that we get a look at them," Araujo said. "Even now we get second opinions, but this time we'll make sure any title being put out is not any kind of really good book that should be in the collection."

Maybe some of you graphic artist types can make up a poster for our pathetic city.

Like this:
(Warning, big file!)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/downloads/pdf/bp_english.pdf

Quote:

I have seen tourists at the Grove Street PATH station and I was wondering where they are staying.

Where do you advertise?

The Journal Square Farmers Market started today. It is open till 7 PM. I bought some blueberries, peaches, and broccoli.

Next week, because of Independence Day, it will be on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

Corporate welfare.
=============

On agenda tonight: Abatement for new Goldman Sachs tower

Wednesday, June 27, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Its 42-story tower at 30 Hudson St. is barely 65 percent occupied, but Goldman, Sachs & Co. wants to construct another office building right next to it - and wants a tax abatement to do it.

The Wall Street heavyweight dispatched a phalanx of officials to the City Council's caucus meeting on Monday to describe the high-rise proposed for 50 Hudson St. and make their pitch for a 20-year abatement.

Plans call for a 30-story office building consisting of more than 700,000 square feet of office space, roughly 21,000 square feet of retail space and a 573-space parking facility, Goldman officials said.

By the end of 2009, 30 Hudson will be completely filled, said Goldman Managing Director Dino Fusco.

The proposed 20-year abatement, already given a green light by the mayor's "Tax Enhancement Committee," calls for a "payment in lieu of taxes" to the city of 15 percent annual gross revenue for the retail space and 10 percent of annual gross revenue for the office space.

The first-year "PILOT" would be $2.2 million, officials said. The site currently generates $165,000 a year in taxes, city officials said.

The Goldman abatement is scheduled to be introduced at tonight's council meeting.

Council members were receptive to the application."

There's a video here.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_173164654.html

Does Jersey City taxpayers get reimbursed too?

Quote:

Let's throw bricks at their parents, too.

So. We are voting in America, and the poll workers do not speak English?

How long does it take to get a permit to open a restaurant? Six months? Why? What is wrong with City Hall (rhetorical question)?

Small business owners cannot afford to pay rent on an empty store and not get any income. Landlords are not going to give them free rent until they open.

Thank goodness, Sawadee was able to hang on and open.

Steve, this process must change if we want to attract individual small businesses and not big generic corporate chain stores.

Are they, the ones who should be working at City Hall today, using a vacation day or personal day for this?
------------------
About 25 people were in the tiny courtroom, including Healy's wife, Maureen; former Police Chief Robert Troy and his wife; city Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis; Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini; two of the Healys' children, and the mayor's sister, who owns the bar/restaurant where the mayor had been attending a party that night.

You remind me of preachers on the subway, forcing Christianity hell and condemnation on people. And I don't know what your message is. Are you sure you are talking to the right audience?

Maybe you should go here if you want to preach real estate:
http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=26

I almost walked into a Jersey City sign post at Bergen and Montgomery. It was almost in the middle of the sidewalk in front of the Check Cashed place. Do you see all the new red/maroon and blue sign posts all over town? The ones about historical sites and not so historical sites. They put them in the middle of the sidewalks. There are so many sign posts already everywhere. Do we need another one? Who actually look at these Jersey City sign posts?

How does the number of voters here compare to the number of voters in the primary in Hamilton Park?

So, what should we do now? Vote republican in November?