GP -

They didn't find Shannan's body at the beach. The investigation is continuing.

Hi Nikesh,

You are looking for the public pre-k program (pre-kindergarten) offered from the Jersey City Board of Education.

Try downloading this form to help you with registering your child for school:

http://www.jcboe.org/media/127159/reg&intake.pdf

Telephone numbers are included to get more information on these programs. Remember to call early - many public school are already registering pre-k programs.

Good luck.

Have you checked out their website?

http://www.hudsonmontessori.net/

(It appears, sadly, that he will not also be charged as a predator because the age of consent in NJ is 16. He is being charged with child abuse - JM.)

From NJ.com

LINK TO ARTICLE

An off-duty Jersey City police officer was arrested today on charges he offered to pay for a room for a 16-year-old girl in exchange for oral sex, officials said.

The cop, Marcos Kelly, 44, of North Arlington, was arrested after the girl got scared and called a friend from the North Bergen motel, reports said.

"The allegations are serious and disturbing," said Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio of the charges against Kelly, the South District police officer who is charged with child abuse. DeFazio described the girl as "alone on the street" and said Kelly "feigned helping her" to entice her.

At about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Kelly was on Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City when he picked the girl up and offered "to provide her with a motel room in exchange for the victim performing oral sex," the criminal complaint says.

Sources said he told the girl to get down and stay out of side as he drover her into the Lincoln Tunnel Motel on Tonnelle Avenue and then registered under an assumed name when he paid for their room.

At some point the 16-year-old became frightened and phoned a friend and police became involved, DeFazio said.

North Bergen police responded, followed by Jersey City police and the case was then referred to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit, the prosecutor said.

The charges were filed against Kelly based on the "sworn statement of the victim and physical evidence located at the Lincoln Tunnel Motel," the complaint says.

"After reviewing the case and consulting with the prosecutor, I deemed it necessary to suspend the officer without pay immediately," Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey said of Kelly.

When Kelly appeared in Central Judicial Processing court this afternoon he was wearing white sneakers, blue jeans and a gray sweater, with a jacket draped over his hands which were cuffed behind his back.

His bail was set at $2,500 with a 10 percent option and he was expected to post bail after the hearing.

"Mr. Kelly maintains his innocence and denies the allegations," said his attorney, John Young, after the hearing.

Sixteen is the age of consent in New Jersey. Because the girl was 16-years-old, no sex changes were filed, said DeFazio, adding that when the matter is presented to a grand jury, additional charges may be considered.

Kelly became a Jersey City police officer in July 2005, Comey said.

DeFazio asks anyone with information in the matter to call the Special Victims Unit at (201) 915-1234.

There was a sexual assault of an eleven-year-old girl in Bayonne last week - and the suspect had a green jacket (I know, I know, a lot of people have green jackets). This attack was pretty brazen - 8am - while the child walked to her school. The description is awful, so I suppose it's hard to make a connection:

From NJ.com:

An 11-year-old Bayonne girl was accosted on a city street yesterday morning while she was walking to school, authorities said this morning.

The girl told police that she was walking along when a man came up from behind and squeezed her buttocks, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said this morning. It is believed that the incident occurred on Fourth Street near Broadway, at about 8 a.m.

The girl told cops that she told the man "Don't touch me!" and the man fled, reports said. The man was described as wearing a green jacket.

Bayonne police said that officers assigned to provide information on crimes to the media were either off or not available. Calls to the police chief and deputy police chief were not immediately returned. A call to the mayor's office also was not immediately returned.

What an awful story. Likely, Settle is not locked up anymore. He was convicted and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. I found this excerpt:

March 5, 1995
A man was convicted Friday of throwing a bowling ball off an overpass and through a windshield, killing an 8-month-old girl. Calvin Settle, 19, was found guilty of manslaughter and could get up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing April 7. Settle contends the ball fell out of his hands, but two younger boys who were with Settle at the time of the accident say they saw him heave the ball off onto the roadway deliberately.

Here's a close up shot of kitty litter - looks pretty close to me:

The Golden Door School is moving to Journal Square - and this new school, METS is moving in to their old space at 180 9th Street, downtown Jersey City, across from the Newport Mall. They are beginning registrations soon.

This is from NJ.com:

The new METS Charter School in Jersey City has finally found a new home at 180 Ninth St. and will soon be holding an open house.

METS (Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science) will be a Grade 6 through 12 school focused on math and science.

According to founder John Sico, who is also a former Paterson school district superintendent and adjunct professor at William Paterson University, the school will start with 320 students Grades 6 through 9 when it opens this September and will add students each year until it reaches 560 students.

Sico said the school will also be working with the Liberty Science Center and NASA.

Those interested in the school can attend the school?s open house and registration on Wednesday, Mar. 16 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Saturday, Mar. 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Proof of residence is needed to register.

If more than 80 students apply per grade level, a lottery will be held to determine which children can enroll in the school, Sico said.

For more information, call (973) 224-8376.

That's great you were able to get photographs. I highly recommend you contact NJPIES - that's the NJ Poison Control Center. They are the #1 experts on situations like this and they handle poisoning of pets as well.

Link to Pet Poisoning Information - NJPIES

I have contacted these folks before and they are just terrific. Please keep us updated.

Quote:

So if I read this correctly, anyone that has been towed in the past can file a complaint within the next year and EZ/Danny's must address the complaint legitimately.

It would seem that a driver who has received a tow could dispute it and win because the towing company used illegal trolling practices and they often (based upon the comments in the ShopRite towing thread) did not accept credit cards unless pressed to.

From NJ.com
Link to Article

A state probe into predatory towing complaints has resulted in two Jersey City car towing companies agreeing to pay nearly $20,000 each in civil penalties, attorney fees, and investigation costs, officials with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs said yesterday.


"It is completely unacceptable, nearly two years after the state's Predatory Towing Prevention Act went into effect, for any towing company to be running roughshod over consumers and their rights," said Thomas R. Calcagni, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.


As a result of the inquiry, Gary Matarazzo of EZ Towing and Recovery on Grand Street, and Daniel E. Johnson of Danny's Towing on Eighth Street, have agreed to, among other things, cease all predatory towing practices, Division of Consumer Affairs spokesman Neal Buccino said in a press release.


They are also obligated to submit to binding arbitration in all outstanding consumer complaints, and for any disputed consumer complaints filed within the next year, Buccino said.


The two towing companies may be best known by residents for their swift work towing illegally parked cars from the lot used by patrons of Pep Boys, ShopRite and BJ's, near the Newport Centre Mall in Downtown Jersey City.


"Let it be known: the days of towing companies casing out parking lots, hijacking someone's vehicle, and holding it for a cash ransom while authorities quietly stand by, are over," Calcagni said.


The Predatory Towing Prevention Act prohibits towers from failing to release a vehicle hooked or lifted but not yet removed from private property upon request of the vehicle's owner.


It prohibits trolling for vehicles parked without authorization, paying for information about vehicles parked without authorization, refusing to accept an insurance company check or a debit card, charge card, credit card or check for towing or storage services, if the company ordinarily accepts them.


It also prohibits charging unreasonable or excessive fee, and charging for a towing or storage service that is not on the Division of Consumer Affairs list of services.


Anyone who thinks they have been cheated by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs at www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov or by calling or .

I hate this law as well - most especially as a small business owner. They are already following mandatory insurance regulations in Massachusetts;

Mandatory Health Insurance
What is the Individual Mandate?

The individual mandate is a requirement that all Massachusetts residents over the age of 18, for whom available health insurance is affordable, obtain and maintain health insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements beginning July 1, 2007.

Individuals who cannot show proof of health insurance coverage by Dec. 31, 2007, will lose their personal income tax exemption when filing their 2007 income taxes. The 2006 personal exemption is $3,850 for an individual, which translates into a tax savings of approximately $204 for an individual (5.3 percent of $3,850).

Failure to meet the requirement in 2008 will result in a fine for each month the individual does not have coverage. The fine will equal 50 percent of the least costly, available insurance premium that meets the standard for creditable coverage.

If you're brave enough to venture near Hoboken tomorrow, remember their annual St. Patty's Day Parade and respective after parties will be held in to the weeeee hours of the night. Fines of up to $2000 for open containers, loud house parties, public intoxication and more will be handed out.

I've hired Regina Maids three times to do housecleaning - they do work slowly and they are not thorough at all. I have found that the women who work independently do a much better job.

From NJ.com:
LINK TO ARTICLE

The off-duty Jersey City police officer involved in a fatal crash in Bayonne Sunday was disciplined by the department less than two months ago; and he was recently saluted for his valor as well.

In December, Officer Rick Garrison was one of the officers involved in hiding the car keys of persons attending a fund-raiser for Mayor Jerramiah Healy during a police union protest, sources said.

The keys were snatched from the valet booth and tossed into bushes nearby. After a department hearing, the officers lost personal days as punishment for their actions, according to a Police Department spokesman.

A veteran cop who is first vice president of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, Garrison was also among a number of off-duty officers who were sued in connection with an alleged assault on Hudson County Sheriff's Officer Sean McGovern outside a bar near Lincoln Park in November 1997.

Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said yesterday the city paid out $175,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Then-County Sheriff Joseph Cassidy told The Jersey Journal at the time that McGovern suffered a broken and bitten nose, a concussion and other injuries during a fight with Garrison outside the bar.

Last year, Garrison was among 16 officers honored at the 200 Club of Hudson County's annual Valor Awards for their roles in the July 16, 2009 shootout with robbery suspects on Reed Street in which Officer Marc DiNardo was fatally shot and four other officers wounded.

On Sunday afternoon, Garrison was behind the wheel of a car that was speeding on Avenue E when it slammed into several parked and moving vehicles over the course of several blocks, officials said.

The seven-car crash claimed the life of Helen Antczak, 82, of Washington Parkway in Bayonne, and sent five others to the hospital, officials said.

Garrison was taken to University Hospital in Newark and he was released yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman said. He did not return phone calls to comment.

He has not been charged criminally, administratively or issued any motor vehicle summonses. He has not been suspended by the Jersey City Police Department and he remains off-duty due to his injuries, police officials said yesterday.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said yesterday he expects the investigation into the crash to be completed in a few days.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, but the results of a drug screening on Garrison are not yet available, DeFazio said. The prosecutor said his office will also look into Garrison's medical records to see if some illness may have caused the crash.

The Channel 7 Eyewitness News truck was on site there this afternoon...along with a lot of officials taking measurements of the accident scene.

If you can get over 30MPH on this stretch of road, you're having a very lucky day. It's unimaginable how much destruction this accident caused. It will be interesting to see the results of the investigation.

It looks like a surprisingly gentle treatment - there are several videos on YouTube. Here's one: [img][/img]

Thanks for letting us know about this, Bright. I love WNYC.

It took all of 60 seconds to send the letter Bright mentioned. I encourage all listeners to do the same. And if you don't listen to WNYC, it's 820am. Try it!

I have rented out furnished and non-furnished units - it is really up to what the tenants want. You can advertise an option to have it furnished to attract another subset of potential renters. Just be prepared to have your items used and potentially not returned in good working condition.

I would recommend a year lease - and not the bedroom rental option. You want a stable renter and a long term contract (not a month to month) to get started as a landlord.

Having done the Craigslist rental path and used a realtor, I would absolutely use a realtor. It doesn't cost you anything and the realtor will conduct the background check for you. I have used Chris Kearns in the past (another poster recommended him, too). He isn't at Avanti anymore - his contact information is below. He is one the best agents in the area IMHO and I interviewed a lot of candidates before I went with Chris. You will be able to meet with your rental candidates prior to signing the lease.

Remember, you are going to have to change your condo insurance to indicate that your unit is now leased. Check also with your condo board for their rules and regulations about renters. My insurance prevented me from having renters with dogs - and they do check to see if you're living up to that end of the bargain. I wouldn't rent to a smoker or a pet owner. Anthony Petrocci of Petrocci Agency in Jersey City (Kennedy Blvd) can help you with your insurance if you need a good local contact. To protect your investment, you can also write in to the lease that your renter must have rental insurance.

If your condo has a move in/move out fee - make sure it is stipulated clearly in the lease who is responsible for paying that - along with any other fees like parking, fitness center, etc. imposed by the condo that would relate specifically to your renter.

Make sure your lease is rock solid (your realtor will help you) and take the advice of the wise poster who said to run your rental relationship like a business. It is very, very true. Stipulate clearly who will be residing in your residence (ie; Jack Smith, Jane Smith, and their child, Percy Smith) and the policy for guests, etc.

Take photographs/video of your condo prior to leasing it so you have before/after comparisons in case you run in to a problem.

Good luck!

Chris Kearns, Realtor - Contact Information

Do you know where your tenant's have their bank accounts? If you have kept a check from them in the past, try this remedy:

Bank Levy
If you know or can find out where the debtor has a savings or checking account in New Jersey, you may ask that a court officer collect your debt from the money in the account. You must provide the name of the bank, the address, and the account number, if possible. Court officers are not required to search for bank accounts.

After the money has been levied upon by the Court Officer, it is considered frozen. You must then file a Motion to Turn Over Funds with the court and serve a copy upon the debtor and the bank. If the court grants the motion, the judge will sign the Order to Turn Over Funds that you submitted with your motion. This order will be delivered to the bank by the Court Officer.

The fee for this procedure is $5 plus mileage for each trip to the bank by the court officer. If there is a new address subsequently provided to the officer where an asset may be available to satisfy the judgment, an additional mileage fee is then charged. (A packet for self-represented litigants on how to file a motion to turnover funds is available in any Special Civil Part Clerk?s Office and is available on the Internet at njcourts.com.)

Here's more info on collecting judgments:
http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/pros ... _collect_money_jdgmnt.pdf

The person to speak with about illegal apartments is Matt Barrett at the Jersey City Fire Prevention Unit. He can be reached at 201-547-4255. He will be in today (Wednesday) after 2:00 pm.

From the description you provided, it does appear your apartment is not a legal dwelling.

I'd make the call...good luck. The law is on your side.

You may want to check to see if you are indeed living in an illegal apartment - which it sounds like you are if you have no windows. Go on the JCity website and search for the number for the renter's bureau at City Hall or just call the Mayor's Action Bureau.

If you are living in an illegal apartment, you have extensive legal recourse up to and including recovering the rent you have paid over the time you have lived there (feel free JCListers to chime in here - I'm pretty sure this is the case). Your landlord will also be fined heavily.

You shouldn't be living there because it is not safe (most important reason) without alternate means of escape in the case of a fire AND because you are living with a landlord who makes your life uncomfortable.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - landlords have a responsibility to provide safe and legal premises for their tenants. They cannot threaten to use your deposit for anything other than repairs to the unit that were caused by a renter's negligence. They cannot use it to repair normal wear and tear to the unit which is expected with normal, reasonable tenancy.

Tenants have rights - the right to safe dwellings that are LEGAL. Don't "feel bad" reporting deadbeat landlords. They are degrading the neighborhoods where they set up shop. You have rights - and the court system will back you up.

Good luck.

Quote:

Oh, that's true - a WalMart is on the way (I detest WalMart shopping!). Agreed on the Polish delis - I get my fill of the best potato pancakes - yum! Scudder's is good and across the street is an old fashioned butcher that is quite good. ShopRite delivers, too!

I should also add that the Mayor (Mark Smith) is open and approachable. He has young children in the public school system and he does seem to honestly care about the future of Bayonne. He wife is active in town as well and is a very down-to-earth individual. Good folks.

From NJ.com/ 2/7/2011

Susan Kolb Arrested after Dogs Found in Her Home...

The Jersey City woman ordered to give up a pair of large dogs in 2009 after they attacked several people was arrested after city animal control officers found she still had the dangerous South African Boerboels at her home, officials said today.

Susan Kolb is now charged with contempt and could face up to 18 months behind bars if convicted of disregarding the order of Jersey City Municipal Court Judge Nesle Rodriguez in 2009.

Kolb was released on her own recognizance when she made her first court appearance on the charges this morning before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Kevin Callahan, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said.

The dogs are currently being cared for at the Liberty Humane Society in Jersey City.

After the attacks in 2009, the dogs faced possible euthanization when Jersey City impounded them under the state Vicious Dog Law. Kolb went to trial to defend the dogs and as part of an agreement with prosecutors reached on May 15, 2009, the dogs were ordered removed from the jurisdiction.

It was said at the time that Kolb had made arrangements for the dogs to be cared for in California.

On Jan. 17 Jersey City police got a 911 call from Kolb's neighbor saying Kolb's husband was being attacked by two dogs. When police knocked on Kolb's door they were told there was no problem, Hernandez said.

Then Jersey City Animal Control got more information on the dogs and the municipal court issued a search and seizure warrant for the Kolb residence. On Jan. 28 police executed the warrant seized the dogs, named Jumba and Imani, and arrested Kolb on outstanding warrants for unpaid fines, Hernandez said.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office later filed the contempt charges and Kolb was arrested on that charge today and processed.

Jonathan L. Rodriguez, 24, of Brunswick Street, was injured on Jan. 19, 2009 at Washington Street and Christopher Columbus Drive. He said Kolb unleashed the dogs and they ran across the street and tore into his arm.

A group of construction workers tried to scare the dogs away during the attack and a driver tried to frighten them off with his car. Kolb said the dogs got spooked by trucks plowing snow and got away from her.

James Joyce, 24, said he needed six stitches after being attacked on Jan. 9, 2009 by the dogs at Warren and Morris streets. Joyce, who has also filed a lawsuit against Kolb and her husband, Gary, said he was struggling to keep one dog from biting his face when the other bit him in the groin area.

Susan Kolb said Joyce was not injured and that he had approached the dogs incorrectly.

On Sept. 21, 2009 at the park at Greene and Essex streets, police said the two dogs were reportedly unleashed when they knocked down a woman who was carrying her 6-month-old granddaughter. Kolb said she thought the park was empty.

In 2009 the Prosecutor's Office charged Kolb with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after the dog attacks and after she was indicted on the charge. She was later allowed to enter the pretrial intervention program because she had no prior convictions and she served no jail sentence.

From a family perspective:

PROS of Bayonne:

1. Great public school system
2. Best gifted and talented middle school in the state
3. Theatre program open to 8 to 18 year olds - very active
4. Nice public pool - not too crowded in the summer
5. Terrific county park
6. Housing prices are going down
7. Relative feeling of safety much higher than in Jersey City
8. Good rec program
9. Ample food shopping
10. Great pizza!
11. Light rail close to almost every neighborhood
12. Broadway offers a good array of basic shopping choices
13. Huge library
14. 15 minutes to Newark Airport


CONS of Bayonne

1. Taxes
2. Police force sometimes not as responsive as you would like
3. Pockets of areas not safe
4. No large retailer (like a Target) in town
5. NOT the city
6. Sometimes you feel like you are living in Mayberry RFD
7. Very insular - if you weren't BNR'd, it will take a while to "fit in" - it's very cliquey especially amongst the mothers
8. Parking (sometimes) - make sure you buy with a driveway
9. Some say more gang activity is moving into the area

I wouldn't buy (again) in Jersey City, but I would consider it in Bayonne.

Quote:

JayRes,

Since you attended yesterday, can you offer a better definition of what "certain students" means to the children of Jersey City? Who exactly is eligible to take advantage of these vouchers?

Thanks for your insights.

JM

Update from NJ.com

UPDATED: The president of Hudson Catholic Regional High School was charged with driving while intoxicated in Jersey City last night, Jersey City police said.

The Rev. Warren Hall, who took over at the school in September 2009, was seen driving erratically by police, cops said. A source with knowledge of the incident said that Warren sideswiped a car and kept driving, but he has not been charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

It was originally reported here that the school official was charged with leaving the scene of the accident.

Jim Goodness, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark, said he did not expect the archdiocese to take any action against Warren.

Calls to officials at Hudson Catholic were not returned.

The Rev. Joseph D'Amico, the pastor ot St. Aloysius, referred questions to the archdiocese.

Hall is a 1981 graduate of Hudson Catholic.

There's also another scam floating around the area I just read about. The vets that wait outside the supermarket (NOT the VFW guys selling poppies), but another organization claiming to help disabled vets is also a scam, according to a report I read yesterday. Only 16% of the donations actually go to vets and the guys that stand outside dressed in fatigues canning for money are paid, and are not always vets as they claim.

From NJ.COM

The president of Hudson Catholic Regional High School was charged with leaving the scene of an accident in Jersey City last night, The Jersey Journal has learned.

The Rev. Warren Hall, who took over at the school in September 2009, sideswiped a car and kept driving, a source said. The victim followed Hall to the priest's home at the St. Aloysius rectory on West Side Avenue and police responded.

When questioned about the incident, Jim Goodness, the spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark, said he not heard about it. Calls to officials at Hudson Catholic were not returned.

The Rev. Joseph D'Amico, the pastor ot St. Aloysius, referred questions to the archdiocese.

Hall is a 1981 graduate of Hudson Catholic.

Stay with Hudson Now for updates as more information becomes available.