For clarification, the only teachers receiving the above stated increases are those who have been teaching in Jersey City for 10 plus years (many of whom possess master's degrees and have been making on average $9,000 less than other professionals with this level of education). Others receive only a nominal increase in pay, which amounts to a couple hundred dollars, and once they begin contributing 1.5% towards their healthcare benefits, they will end up with a pay cut. EACH AND EVERY TEACHER IN THE DISTRICT IS NOT RECEIVING AN INCREASE IN PAY - ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEMSELVES TO THE CHILDREN OF THIS CITY FOR TEN OR MORE YEARS. And if you think they don't deserve it, spend a week in the classroom with them before you pass judgment.

Geez this is a really constructive forum. I've lived in JC for over 6 years, I'm not worried about getting mugged. I was just wondering if there is any person I can call to complain about this. But instead I get constructive posts as such.

"Yeah, because (partially) closing a PATH station for cleaning at 7am - at the height of rush hour - is a really good idea."

"Really? you're bummed by CLEANING of a path station from 12-3? You're going to be really annoyed when you get mugged."

"Move to a quieter street. It will always be noisy there."

Just looking for friendly suggestions. I mean seriously might as well tell me to install sound proof windows. Or punch out my condo and move it to another location. Heck teleport me to the LOST island land. That might be nice.

But seriously isn't there any place I can call regarding noise? I guess not...

Quote:

Really? you're bummed by CLEANING of a path station from 12-3? You're going to be really annoied when you get mugged.

Quote:

Move to a quieter street. It will always be noisy there.

Yeah, because (partially) closing a PATH station for cleaning at 7am - at the height of rush hour - is a really good idea.

It's actually more frequent than you think. Although I am not so sure they are cleaning the station. But whatever they are doing they have to turn on this loud generator. And usually if they do run it, it's earlier at night. But this time it was just ridiculous! 12a!? Really?!?

Glad you like it. Bleecker Street near the Boulevard is a nice area and you've the #88 to Journal Square or North Bergen and the #125 to PABT and on Summit the #83 to Journal Square or Hackensack.

Luckily the Port Authority cleans the stations infrequently.

Ok I don't know what dumb manager or what not decided that cleaning the path train station during the hours of 12a - 3a is a good idea. I live in the grove pointe building and for some insane reason they decided hey let's run a generator or whatever it was all night when people are trying to sleep. I mean running it at 7-8a in the morning is one thing, but seriously why starting at midnight!?

Does anyone know what I am talking about, or can suggest who I can call to complain about this, it's just ridiculous!

I mean the stupid taxi cabs honking at night is one thing, but this is seriously stupid...

Sorry for the rant, but I have serious lack of sleep because of last night.

Oh yeah also someone needs to fix the escalator that is going up the grove path station. It's freaken squeaking like a mouse and that is annoying as hell as well! If only grove pointe had built sound proof glass... sigh...

Anyway anyone have any suggestions!?

You'd do better to go to White Star on Brunswick/ Pavonia (between 8th/ 9th St.). The dude running that place values good footballing and in general the place is run better. My opinion of course.

I think this is really neat!

I worked in the World Financial Center from 1991-2001 and I enjoyed these years. After 9/11, I began working further away and ended up in midtown, which wasn?t my cup of tea. The entertainment industry just lacked the seriousness that the financial district had.

The article says it?s open to the public starting June 4, but I?m assuming we won?t be able to get too close to watch it being assembled.

Something I know...... that male UPS drivers (brown uniform) are not allowed to wear beards. They can wear a mustache, but not a beard of any kind. Also, the men cannot wear their hair long. If they have long hair, they stuff it up under their cap.

I don't know about USPS or Fed Ex but I know a guy that works for UPS and he had to shave his beard when he got the job and his long haired friend never lets his hair down when he's working.

If you see a "UPS" driver with a beard, goatee or facial hair scruff, or wearing long hair... that's a red flag!

One late Saturday night we took the PATH to Hoboken and missed the last light rail train. We then shared a cab to the Heights for $10.00. From there we took a Champion Taxi (which is located on Paterson Plank Rd. and Central Ave.) home. In our drunken state we thought it was pretty clever.

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A ticket can only be issued to an actual name not a cooporation. So lots of home owners "rubber stamp" their name such as ie: 5 Main St. Inc. LLC. this way they get out of a ticket by hiding behind the Inc, and if they do get in trouble the LLC part keeps all problems within the said property and not towards anything else they own, this way they don't get wiped out because of one "little" property.

It sounds like a black car or limo may be cheaper. Try one of the car services. I used Delancey Car Service once in 2006 from St Vincent's Hospital to Paulus Hook. It was $35.

http://delanceynyc.com/default.asp

Call the N.I.D. (201) 547-5683 will take pictureds of the property and send a ticket. They will also send a work order for the J.C.I.A. to clean it up immediately after a "notice" has been sent to the property owner. Also call the Mayor's Office (201) 547-4900 they too will create a work order. You could also call the Housing Code Authority (201) 547-4825. By creating a huge paper trail you will get everyone in on the act...of cleaning up this mess. The number to the City of Jersey City's operator is (201) 547-5000 they can connect you to any city agency.

Yeah, that's the ticket...

they'll do it, but with tip it will probably be around $60...it is as previously mentioned around $45-$50 from downtown just to cross the river.

pretty accurate in my experience too. on an off night you might find one to do it for 40 but dont hold your breath.

This Friday May 21st at 7:30 pm
Ari Hest will be performing at The Brennan Coffee House
Located on Newark & Baldwin Avenues in the old county court house under the Teddy Conrad Rotunda.
Coffee and other refreshments will be served.

http://www.brennancoffeehouse.com/home.htm

http://www.arihest.com/home/about.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Hest

Brennan Coffee House...
WE DO JUSTICE TO GOOD MUSIC

Address: Justice William Brennan Court House
583 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ

Phone Number: 800-542-7894
Admission and Show Information:

Shows Start at 7:30pm
For reservations and ticket information call 800-542-7894

Open Mic concludes each concert.
5 minutes for each performer.
Sign-up Sheet at the box office.

Fresh brewed house blend coffee and home made desserts are available before and during the show.
Performer CDs for sale during the intermissions and after the show.
BCH logo tee shirts are also for sale.

Free Parking
Wheelchair Accessible

Anyone interested in meeting up at Barrow Street Pub to watch the Champions League game?

Stupid is as stupid does.

P.S. That aphorism is turrible.

I call bullshit. 21 year old with 92k in a briefcase... I was just holding it for my brother. Yeah right. Two women were in my house and I don't know their last names?

You usually just have to pay them a flat fee. Haven't seen the double meter plus toll lately. I think I may actually prefer that method though. Depends where you are coming from in NYC. If it's downtown 45 bucks is about what I've paid.

I'm taking my elderly mother into the villlage tonight for a party. I will need to get a cab back into downtown JC at about 11:00 p.m. I haven't taken a cab back from the city in a long time. Are most cabbies still willing to drive back into JC, and do they still do double the meter plus the toll?

Ate there tonight with my dad. Strange place. The bar/lounge/dining area has some pretty bad acoustics, as just four people having a standard good time at the bar was heard throughout the dining area. The KTU dance music is also somewhat off-putting for diners who want to simply enjoy food and are paying a little bit extra for a "nicer" place. Perhaps once the upstairs is open, there'll be a quieter place for people to enjoy a more peaceful meal.

That aside, the food was pretty decent. My dad had the shrimp teryaki and a white wine and I had the miso skirt steak and a 2pc of shrimp sushi with some house sake. My dad really liked his, the sauce wasn't too sweet like a lot of teryaki can be. My steak was a bit overcooked (I asked for medium, got medium-well) but decent. Portions on both dishes were large. One interesting non-Japanese thing they do is mashed potatoes. Both of us got a serving, which is kind of weird for teryaki. Between that, the white rice and some very crispy fried noodle, there's a lot of starch on the plate.

Service there was excellent. I didn't get more than a couple of sips deep on my water until someone showed up to refill it. This happened at least five times. Did help that we were there a bit early - we got there at 6ish so there weren't too many other diners, but still much better than most.

Jersey City residents file suit against PPG, Honeywell over chromium contamination

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
May 20, 2010, 2:24PM

Citing a federal study showing increased risk of cancer from chromium exposure, three Jersey City residents have filed a lawsuit against Honeywell International and PPG Industries saying the companies should pay for long-term health monitoring.

?Health and environmental regulators publicly assured Jersey City residents that the presence of this chromium did not increase their risk of developing cancer,? said Howard Janet, one of the attorneys representing the residents. ?However, a subsequent study completed recently by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry reveals they were wrong.?

The 2008 federal study found that of the participating residents, those living closest to the waste sites had a 17 percent higher rate of lung caner than those living farther away.

Representatives from both companies said they have been working under the supervision of the state Department of Environmental Protection to remediate the contaminated sites, which stretch beyond the two former processing plants.

Jeremy Neuhart, a spokesman for PPG, said he could not comment on the lawsuit at this time, but said the company would ?continue to satisfy its remedial obligations.?

Victoria Streitfeld, as spokeswoman for Honeywell, refuted the allegations.

?We vigorously deny the allegations of the lawsuit and remain committed to continuing to work with and listen to the Jersey City community to resolve these matters,? she said.

The contamination was caused through chromate ore processing. PPG Industries acquired the Garfield Avenue plant in 1954 and processed chromium until 1963, when it opened a facility in Texas. The substance was later found to be hazardous.

Honeywell is the successor of Mutual Chemical Company of America, which processed chrome from about 1895 to 1954 at a 32-acre site on Route 440 known as the Roosevelt Drive-In.

The suit alleges the companies generated over 1 million tons of contaminants.

The 45-page lawsuit is filed on behalf of two Jersey City residents and a former city residents who lived near chromium-contaminates sites. The group is seeking class-action status. Janet said there are thousands of people with concerns about the disposal of chromium waste.

Read the full lawsuit, filed Monday in Hudson County Superior Court, here.

The lawyers are seeking other residents interested in joining the suit.

The residents are seeking payments for periodic medical screenings and damages for their properties being devalued by the contaminants.

?We know early detection brings about the best outcome for people,? Janet said.

The suit sites a 1937 internal memo from Honeywell that says chromium might be ?actually harmful,? and notes that in 1938 the company began to maintain records on ?chrome dust and lung cancer.?

Also in 1954, PPG commissioned a study, which warned that processing chromium could cause lung cancer and other health issues.

The same year, both companies jointly commissioned a study. In 1957, a report detailed the association of chromium and lung cancer.

?The defendants? internal records demonstrate they had early knowledge of cancer risks associated with exposure to hexavalent chromium,? said Steven German, one of the attorneys representing the Jersey City residents.

The suit alleges, ?Despite this knowledge, defendants engaged in a campaign to mislead federal and state government regulators and the public of the health risks associated with chromium then and through the present.?

American Idol seeking singers in Jersey City

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
May 20, 2010, 4:18PM

Are you the next Carrie Underwood or Taylor Hicks? Perhaps you're a little more Susan Boyle or you just enjoy singing in the shower and think you've got what it takes.
Well here's your chance. American Idol is coming to Jersey City this summer to hold auditions for its 10th season.

And with Simon Cowell announcing that Season 9 will be his last, you don't have to worry about handling his criticism while everyone is watching.

You will of course, still have to convince comedian Ellen DeGeneres, Randy Jackson and the other judges that you've got what it takes to be the next American Idol.

Contestants must be 16 to 28 years old to audition. For any readers outside the Jersey City area, the show will also visit Nashville, New Orleans and San Fransisco in search of talented singers to take the stage during Season 10

A split Jersey City Board of Education vote approves four-year teachers pact

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
May 21, 2010, 12:15AM

The Jersey City Board of Education approved a four-year teachers union contract last night by a 4-3-2 vote.

Board president William DeRosa, vice president Sue Mack and members Peter Donnelly and Carol Lester voted in favor of the pact and panel members Patricia Sebron, Francis Thompson and Sean Connors voted against it.

Trustees Angel Valentin and Sterling Waterman, who were backed by the union in the April election, both acknowleged support for the contract but abstained because of a state ethics ruling.

The contract calls for a 4.34 percent pay increase for the current school year. There are salary hikes of 3.1 percent, 3.2 percent and 2.88 percent in subsequent years

Stolen briefcase held brother's $92G in cash, Jersey City cops told by Greenville man

Friday, May 21, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A briefcase with $92,000 inside was stolen from the home of a Jersey City man on Wednesday while two women he barely knew were at the residence, reports said.

At 4:05 p.m., police went to the 21-year-old man's home on Greenville Avenue off Old Bergen Road, where he told them he had seen a man walk past his window going toward his backyard, reports said, adding that the man then passed going in the other direction with the briefcase.

He told police he ran out of his living room and chased the man down Greenville Avenue and onto Scott Street before giving up and calling police, reports said.

The victim said the money in the briefcase belongs to his brother and he was holding it for him, reports said, adding that only his brother knows the combination to open it and that he had never seen the money himself.

The 21-year-old said that at the time the briefcase was stolen, a female friend he knows only by her first name was in the back room of his apartment with another woman he did not know at all, and that the door to the back room was closed, reports said.

He said that both women were gone when he returned home after calling police, reports said.

The victim gave police two addresses for the woman he knows, but police could not locate her, reports said.

He described the thief as being about 25 years old, 5-foot-8, and wearing black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, reports said.

It's not clear why the victim or his brother were keeping so much cash around, based on the police report.

Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to call the Jersey City police tip line at (201) 547-JAIL.