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I have friends with kids coming this weekend and am looking for some fun things to do. I came across this in Secaucus:

http://www.fieldstationdinosaurs.com/

Has anyone been? Is it fun?

Thanks!

LINK TO ARTICLE AND PHOTO OF MC DONALD

From the Jersey Journal:

A 19-year-old woman working at a Jersey City daycare center has been charged with breaking the leg of a 4-month-old boy in her care and failing to get medical attention for the infant, officials said.

Heather L. McDonald, of Summit Avenue in Jersey City, made her first court appearance today on the charges of aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse. Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale set bail at $50,000 cash or bond this afternoon for the employee of The Academy of Learning on Sherman Place, officials said.

The alleged incident occurred on Monday Aug. 6 and the criminal complaint says McDonald injured the child "by breaking the tibia bone of the victim's left leg with her hand."

The child returned to the daycare at least once that week but by Friday the child's mother noticed the boy was not placing weight on the leg and when the leg was touched the child seemed uncomfortable, Hudson County Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Debra Simon said this afternoon.

The baby was brought to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a fractured tibia and was later transferred to University Hospital in Newark, Simon said. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Special Victim's Unit was notified and began an investigation that led to McDonald's arrest yesterday, Simone said.

The prosecutor would not provide additional information on the manner in which the child's leg was broken, but said the child is in a cast and is recovering.

McDonald is charged with child abuse and endangering for "failing to seek medical treatment for the victim," the complaint says.

McDonald's attorney, Daniel Welsh of Jersey City, said his client is expected to post bail.

A supervisor was not available for comment at the daycare this afternoon.

It's a shame - he really seemed like the kind of individual that would advocate for JC kids.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... d_vice_president_res.html

Azul,

So sorry to hear about your beloved pet. I don't have experience with this service, but it sounds like what you're looking for:

http://www.eleosvet.com/index.html

LINK TO JJ ARTICLE

A former Jersey City woman whose dogs were accused of committing violent attacks faces a violation-of-probation hearing Friday and possible prison time after authorities say she was walking the dogs without muzzles in her new hometown last October.

Susan Kolb and her husband, Gary Kolb, now of Jefferson Township, were indicted by a Morris County grand jury on one count of contempt for allegedly violating the terms of a court agreement which had spared the dogs from possible euthanizations.

Among the conditions of the agreement was to have the large South African Boerboels -- Jumba and Imani -- muzzled when not in their enclosure. Susan Kolb faces up to 18 months behind bars if found to have violated the terms of her probation.

Susan Kolb's attorney, Gerald Miller, said "She is going to enter a plea of not guilty."

After the Downtown Jersey City attacks in 2008 and 2009, which sent three adults and a baby to the hospital, the animals faced possible euthanization. In May 2009, Susan Kolb saved them by agreeing in Jersey City Municipal Court to move the large South African Boerboels out of the county.

The agreement fell apart in January 2011, when police found the dogs at the Kolbs' Jersey City home. Susan Kolb was convicted of being in contempt of the court order to move the dogs and she was sentenced to two years probation by a Hudson County Superior Court judge.

The couple saved the dogs again by once more agreeing to move them out of Jersey City and abide by certain rules. But soon after moving to Jefferson they were cited for failing to muzzle the dogs while they were out of their enclosure -- allegations that led to the indictment in Morris County. The dogs have been impounded since the muzzle violation on October.

The indictment, in the case of Susan Kolb, represents a re-involvement in the criminal justice system and a violation of her probation, officials said.

Susan Kolb's violation-of-probation hearing will be Friday morning before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lisa Rose in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

With the benefit of hindsight, these are the things I WISHED I had known prior to purchasing a condo. They may sound a bit Debby-downer, but if I was buying again, I would check out every single issue carefully:

1. What is the condo board like? Are they a group of like-minded individuals working toward the benefit of your building or are they totally out of touch with residents?

2. What is the management company and maintenance staff like? Are they responsive to resident's needs? Can you get something minor fixed in-house (makes a difference if you're busy all of the time).

3. What is the vermin/pest problem like? Check into bedbugs, roaches, mice, etc.

4. Are any major construction or road development projects happening near the vicinity of your home that will keep you up at all hours, fill your house with dust, kill your quiet moments?

5. How long have your concierges and doormen been employed at your building (a few months - be careful/a few years - likely there's stability and a good working environment).

6. Make friends with a doorman/maintenance staffer prior to purchasing - buy them a beer and ask them to talk to you about issues in the building. Find out who your neighbors are from them...are they nice, noisy, crazy, chain smokers, ex-cons?

7. Check out the elevator and sewage issues - how are the maintenace issues? How old are the systems? Are the elevators functional?

8. Do you have security - long term or rent-a-cops?

9. Go to the basement or S level and take a whiff - sewage smell? Musty? Old water? Tons of mice traps? You'd be surprised what you see and learn.

10. Never buy on the first floor of a highrise - go high.

11. How close is your apartment to a well used exit/entrance, an entrance to a gym or amenity, the laundry room? It can be noisy!

12. Try to buy with in-condo laundry facilities. So much easier than sharing your laundry room with 100 other residents.

13. Try to buy 2+ bedrooms - easier to rent and resell.

14. RESEARCH online - research the condo board, the building, the developer to see if anything untoward has happened in your building in terms of construction, maintenance, etc. Go to apartmentratings.com to see what renters in your building have to say.

15. What is the percentage of renters to owners? High renters is a problem. How many of the units are in short sale or bankruptcy?

16. What have the special assessments been in the last few years to owners? What capital projects are coming up? Have the condo owners been assessed fines for anything recently (fire, elevator safety, etc.)

17. If you will even remotely consider having children, investigate the schools. If you plan on going public, really look at the schools carefully and have a solid Plan B, regardless of your public/private choices. Is the building kid-friendy?

18. Look very carefully at your condo rules - can you rent your unit out? Can you rent it out for a short term? What are move in/move out fees? What are the policies for bringing deliveries in? Can you have pets if you want them? Do they have any ridiculous rules that will drive you crazy?

Good luck!

Excited for the race...but don't you all know we already have a big racing program in JC?

I called over to the funeral home and they told me the procession will be leaving about 10:00am on Saturday. They weren't sure of the route and advised me to call tomorrow afternoon for details - St. Pauls Ave apparently has construction so they're not sure if they're going that way.

I encourage JClisters to come and support this family...they will need it.

JerseyMom
Proud Sister of Marine Staff Sgt. S.R.V.
1967-2008

He knew why he served.
He knew what service he was providing.
He gave his life for the country he loved.
He watched the planes hit the towers, and said he had to do something, anything. And he did.
What have you done today?

Good luck at Motor Vehicle...read over the website carefully and make sure you have everything they ask for.

Start here and see if you're able to reach the 6-points of identification:

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/DocumentSelector/index.htm

Hi MDM,

Congratulations on your rooftop garden! My dear old dad taught me some wonderful organic gardening tips back when I was a kid. They are easy and relatively inexpensive.

For vegetables, try some companion gardening techniques -
marigolds planted alongside of tomato plants work wonders!

Learn about companion planting here.

Also, you can order your own set of ladybugs which will naturally demolish your aphids in a matter of days. It is really cool to release them and watch them in action.

Order your ladybugs here.

Good luck!

Do any JCListers have experience dealing with the local PODS dealer? It looks like pretty economical - your input/experiences would be helpful.

Thanks!

Quote:

Caj - the Kolb's are facing violations in two jurisdictions - Morris County where they are facing contempt charges AND in Hudson County where they are facing parole violation charges.

That's the way I read it...

JJ: KOLB HEADING TO JAIL?

The recent indictment of a former Jersey City woman whose dogs committed violent Downtown attacks has triggered the filing of a violation of probation against her that could put her in state prison for 18 months, officials said yesterday.

Susan Kolb and her husband, Gary Kolb, now of Jefferson Township, were indicted by a Morris County grand jury recently on one count of contempt and they each face possible sentences of up to 18 months in prison if found guilty, officials said last month.

After the Downtown Jersey City attacks in 2008 and 2009, which sent three adults and a baby to the hospital, the animals faced possible euthanization. In May 2009, Susan Kolb saved them by agreeing in Jersey City Municipal Court to move the large South African Boerboels out of the county.

The agreement fell apart in January 2011, when police found the dogs at the Kolb's Jersey City home. Susan Kolb was convicted of being in contempt of the court order to move the dogs out of town and she was sentenced to two years probation by a Hudson County Superior Court judge.

The couple saved the dogs again by once more agreeing to move them out of Jersey City and abide by certain rules, but soon after moving to Jefferson they were cited for failing to muzzle the dogs while they were out of their enclosure. The muzzle allegations led to the recent indictments against the Kolbs in Morris County.

The indictment, in the case of Susan Kolb, represents a re-involvement in the criminal justice system and a violation of her probation, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said yesterday.

Susan Kolb's violation of probation hearing is scheduled for June 29 before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lisa Rose in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

It's not clear who is representing Susan Kolb in the matter of the violation of probation.

JJ LINK

Similar convoys are in New York City, too:

Danilo Medina is the presidential candidate for the Dominican Republic election coming up on May 20th. I was in the Heights Sunday and saw a bunch of cars plastered with his posters.

Here's some background:

Danilo Medina S?nchez (born November 10, 1951) is a Dominican politician and economist. He was the presidential candidate of the Dominican Liberation Party in the 2000 presidential election, and was defeated by Hip?lito Mej?a. He is again standing as a presidential candidate in the 2012 presidential election.

Medina was President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic from 1994 to 1996. He subsequently served as Secretary of State of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic from 1996 to 2000 and again from 2004 to 2006.

Wiki Link

Danilo Ahead in Polls - ARTICLE

So is this a private park or a public park? The private schools seems to be using it for gym classes and recess. I've also seen private, for-profit lessons being advertised for park activities after school and on weekends. It doesn't seem like this space will be available on a regular basis for area kids that aren't affiliated with private, for-pay entities.

Kind of defeats the whole premise of a park for "urban kids."

Who is overseeing permits for use? Who is maintaining the park?

Because proving you are YOU at the DMV isn't already frustrating enough, here are the new rules taking effect this Monday for any resident renewing or obtaining their driver's license.

Love that crime-bustin' star decal...

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/truid.htm

So cool - it was fun to hear the kids in the park cheer as the plane roared by...

From NJ.com:

The former Jersey City couple whose dogs committed violent attacks in Downtown Jersey City have been indicted on contempt charges after allegedly failing to muzzle the animals at their new home in Jefferson Township, officials said.

Susan and Gary Kolb have each been indicted on one count of contempt and they face a possible sentence of up to 18 months in prison if found guilty, Morris County Prosecutor's Office Captain Jeffrey S. Paul said yesterday.

The Kolbs' attorney, John Nulty, said yesterday that his clients "will continue to press ahead and demonstrate their innocence and obtain their dogs."

On Oct. 18, Jefferson officials cited the Kolbs for failing to muzzle their two large South African Boerboels -- Jumba and Imani -- while out of their enclosure, a violation of the agreement to allow them to bring the dogs there. The Kolbs were charged with contempt by the municipality and the dogs have been impounded since then.

The Kolbs pleaded not guilty to the failure-to-muzzle charge in Jefferson Township Municipal Court, where the judge ruled the contempt charge made the case a criminal matter and it was forwarded to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. The pair were indicted following a presentation to a Morris County grand jury.

After the Downtown Jersey City attacks in 2008 and 2009 that sent three adults and a baby to the hospital, the animals faced possible euthanization. In May 2009, Susan Kolb saved them by agreeing in Jersey City Municipal Court to move them out of the county.

The agreement fell apart in January 2011 when police found the dogs at the Kolbs' Jersey City home.

The couple saved the dogs again by once more agreeing to move them out of Jersey City, but soon after moving to Jefferson they were cited for muzzle violations. If the couple is found guilty of the to contempt charges, the dogs could face euthanization under the state's Dangerous Dog Law.

LINK TO JJ STORY

Willie Flood, the longtime Jersey City councilwoman and educator, who participated in the Montgomery bus boycott in the 1950s, died this morning. She was 72.

Flood resigned as councilwoman at large last February, citing her failing health. In her final months on the council, she was often absent, sometimes appearing at council meetings just to vote.

?She was a great lady,? said Councilwoman at large Viola Richardson. ?And I mean that word, lady.?

Richardson served with Flood on the council until Flood?s retirement last year. Richardson said she last saw the late councilwoman when she was receiving treatment at the Jersey City Medical Center.

?She was saying to me, you know, how much she respected me and loved me,? Richardson said. ?And she was glad that I came and prayed with her. That was the last thing she said to me."

Flood grew up in Mobile, Ala, the second of 13 children. Her uncle was a Baptist preacher who knew Martin Luther King Jr.

After she moved to Jersey City in 1962, she became an elementary school teacher at School 22, where she met her husband, Phillip, the current chair of the Jersey City Incinerator Authority. Flood eventually rose through the ranks to become assistant principal of the Whitney M. Young Jr. School.

During desegregation, Flood was tapped to be one of the first non-white teachers to work in one of the newly integrated schools, and served as the district?s desegregation coordinator until 1990.

She had three children with her husband: John, Phillip II and Todd. Todd died in 1992.

She had been on the council since 2005 when she resigned last year, and had previously served three years as a councilwoman starting in 1990 after being appointed to fill a vacancy.

In 2004, Flood spoke to The Jersey Journal about her unassuming manner.

?Sometimes people think that just because I speak softly that maybe I?m not as forceful, but (the students) could tell you that I talk softly but carried a big stick,? she said.

Cotton-Parker Funeral Home, 37 Clinton Ave, said they are handling the arrangements for Flood?s funeral.

Link to JJ Story

The only Montessori school I would recommend in Jersey City is Hamilton Park - it is an excellent, albeit expensive program.

Remember that anyone can get a Montessori plaque for just a small investment. It's the schools that follow the true philosophy that are a rare find. The director at Hamilton Park is passionately dedicated to creating a true Montessori experience - and I admire her for that.

You might also want to try Primary Prep in Journal Square and also Garden Cooperative in Hamilton Park.

Interesting read about the new way that NJ schools will be rated - and how JC schools are faring in that rating system (quite poorly actually). Liberty Charter is highlighted as a school under particular state scrutiny. Congratulations to McNair and High Tech.

How JC Schools Rate

Article: NJ Spotlight

With No Child Left Behind essentially off the books, welcome to New Jersey?s new age -- and labels -- for school accountability.

The Christie administration yesterday released the final list of schools that will be highlighted under new accountability rules that put heightened attention on the very lowest and the very highest achieving schools, while giving leeway to the vast middle.

Replacing the labels of ?schools in need of improvement? in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the new nomenclature will be Priority Schools, Focus Schools and Reward Schools. The lists total 370 schools in all, about a seventh of the state?s 2,500 schools.

The Priority Schools are the lowest of the low in terms of state test scores, the Focus Schools more about specific shortcomings in things like graduation rates and achievement gaps. Both will get new state interest, if not intervention, the administration said.

The Reward Schools are the top achievers, both overall and in terms of progress. Some may get money for their efforts.

The following is a breakdown of each new category, as well as who falls into them, including a few surprises.

Priority Schools (75 schools)

These are the schools that the new rules are most meant to address, those that fall at the bottom 5 percent in overall performance over the past three years, most of them in urban districts and serving predominantly poor and minority populations.

Overall, their proficiency rates in the state?s math and language arts tests were just 31 percent, or less than a third of all students being able to read, write or do math on grade level, according to the state.

They are not new to these lists, either, many of them highlighted for low achievement on every other accountability system over the years. Twenty-three are in Camden, a vast majority of all the schools in that district. More than a dozen are from Newark and Trenton, each.

Three are charter schools, including one the state is now seeking to close, the Emily Fisher Charter School in Trenton. Three others remain open for the time being, the subject of new state focus. They are Paul Robeson Charter School for the Humanities in Trenton, Liberty Academy Charter in Jersey City, and Freedom Academy Charter School in Camden.

For all the schools on this list, the options for the state are many, including replacing staff and leadership. New curriculum and mandated training are also on the list.

Focus Schools (183 schools)

This is the biggest group of the list, one that calls out schools for a variety of shortcomings.

Nearly 60 schools are included for having the biggest achievement gaps in the state, ones the administration said average over 40 percentage points. That means the highest achieving category of students -- typically white or Asian -- are seeing proficiency rates almost double the rate of achievement as the lowest.

And that?s where it starts to get interesting. Many of the schools on this list have big concentrations of low-income or minority students, but they are also places like Leonia Middle School in Bergen County, two schools in Montclair, and three in South Orange/Maplewood. Other suburban schools typically well regarded but making this list include those in South Brunswick, Metuchen and Westfield.

More predictable are the 37 high schools making the Focus Schools list for low graduation rates, virtually all of them urban or working class. According to the state, none of them have graduation rates higher than 75 percent under a new and long-awaited methodology the state is using to track individual students and how they graduated. The state has yet to release those numbers to the public.

The last category of Focus Schools are 88 schools with particularly low achievement levels in any one subgroup of students, be it minority or low-income or also those with special education needs. That, too, is almost entirely an urban list, sweeping up many of the schools that weren?t caught in earlier lists.

What the state will do for them is less aggressive than Priority Schools, targeting the specific shortcoming with requirements for additional training or programs.
Reward Schools (112 schools)

These are the top performers on the state?s tests, the first to get specifically called out for their high achievement levels. Those that are receiving special federal aid for serving low-income populations may get a little more as a reward, officials said, although the actual amounts are yet to be determined.

By and large, they are also the schools one would expect, either in the wealthier communities or drawing the top students in middle- or working-class districts.

They?re split into two groups, those with the highest achievement outright and those making the biggest progress. The latter is gauged by a new measure for student achievement being launched by the state called Student Growth Percentile, a controversial statistical method that compares students? progress across their peers.

For highest achievement overall, Bergen County tops the list with 15 schools. Morris and Union counties are also well represented, although in part for the success of their countywide magnet schools run by their vocational and technical districts. Among urban schools labeled as Reward Schools, it?s also the magnet schools like McNair High School in Jersey City and Science Park High School in Newark.

Two charter schools are included: Robert Treat Academy Charter School in Newark and Classical Academy Charter School in Clifton. Ironically, Classical was recently put on probation by the state department for operational and fiscal problems.

The list of schools making the most progress is a bit more eclectic, with also a big contingent from Bergen County but also more middle-class communities like Woodbridge and Hackettstown. Two charters also made this list, Discovery Charter Schools Newark and Foundation Academy Charter School in Trenton.

Link to Article

So sorry - I just really need to rant for a minute. If I see one more driver in Jersey City allowing their child to ride in a car without being properly secured, my head is going to explode. You cannot, ever, allow your child to sit on your lap (front or back seat) and expect them to be safe, even for a quick drive. You cannot allow your child to bounce around in the back seat while you drive because "they don't like wearing a seat belt." Children need to be car seats, booster seats or seat belts. In recent years, at least three children in Hudson County (two in Jersey City and one, last month, in West New York) have lost their lives because they were not properly secured. It takes moments to properly secure your child...please do it!

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Received this in the morning in my email from Steve Fulop (from his email blast):

After 13 years working in finance, I'm walking away. Well, taking the PATH, back to Jersey City. Today, in fact, is my last day working in New York.

Why? Because I want to spend the next 14 months talking full time about how Jersey City can become an even better place to live and work. The mayoral election is in May 2013 and I know history is littered with well intentioned campaigns that started too late and that were ultimately crushed by the Jersey City political machine. I don?t intend on letting that happen. We are in a very good position, but I know that we face a deeply entrenched political machine.

I am sure we agree that life presents us with both risks and opportunities, and that there are moments that simply have to be seized. That's why I'm taking the scary and important step of going all-in on this campaign.

Commitment is important, and this change in my personal circumstances is part of a commitment to put forth the best mayoral campaign possible, touching the most people. Whether it be at schools, senior centers, bus stops, parks, or PATH stations, I will probably see you in the near future as my goal is to walk every last block in Jersey City starting Monday. I'll be out there. And when you see me, please don?t hesitate to let me know what you think we can be doing to make the city better. My hope is that you will be a part of this in some way, whether you are contributing ideas, financial support, or your time.

As our campaign slogan from the first run at council put it:

?A Good run is Better than a bad Stand? ? Translated

Thank you, as always, for your support.

Sincerely,
Steven

I was never really impressed with the selections at the garden centers in and around JC. I'm an avid gardener - the only place that was decent was down on 1 & 9 North in Ridgefield - about a mile past the Lowe's in North Bergen. It takes about 30 minutes to get there from the Heights.

Matera Garden & Nursery Center
(201) 943-8288 514 Broad Ave N, Ridgefield, NJ 07657

If you want an excellent selection of hardy annuals, perennials and especially veggies, take an hour ride to this nursery:

Dercole Farms - Norwood, New Jersey
http://www.facebook.com/dercolefarms

They've been in the same spot since the 1940's - this is where I learned to be a gardener alongside of my good ol' dad. There is such a difference between what is here and at Lowe's/Home Depot.

Welcome to JCList - it really is a great forum for guidance on all thing Jersey City.

Planning for the long term, if you want to bring children into your home equation, think about exploring the schools in the neighborhood where you plan to settle. Not everyone can 1)get a space in the area private schools or 2) afford the astronomical private school tuition that is found in JC or 3) win the coveted spaces in our improving charter schools. I've never been a fan of the JC public school system in the neighborhoods I've lived in (JSquare and the Heights).

When my husband and I purchased our first home in the Heights ten years ago, the school issue seemed so far off, we really didn't think about it. In hindsight, I really wished I had given it first priority as we would have made drastically different decisions.

Also, there are some great former threads about being a landlord here. If it's your first time as a landlord, you are well advised to also browse through and view what awaits you. I was a landlord, too, in the Heights, when we had a two-family. It's a great way to offset the mortgage, but it does come with its challenges. Think about the area and the type of renters you will encounter that are unique to that neighborhood.

I would strongly encourage you to rent for six months to a year and get aquainted with the area before you make the big purchase. Good luck and let us know how your search goes!