Red - I'm very sorry to read of your parent's death from cancer. But your query is interesting...and led me to dig up a 25 year old study from UMDNJ that showed a higher incidence of bowel/stomach cancers in our area vs. the national average.

The stats are old - but I wonder what the full study looked like and what, if anything, was done to further track this disturbing epidemiological trend:

STUDY ARTICLE NY TIMES

You might also want to Google 'China/Chromium 6' or 'Mexico/Chromium 6.' Some past studies (flawed, but interesting) were done that points to some connections between stomach cancers and high degrees of chromium exposure.

In terms of testing, I believe chromium leaves the body very quickly upon exposure - not sure there would be residual build up. I have seen hair testing kits online that test for heavy metal exposure, but I'm a bit skeptical of these.

I would check out the testing resource posted earlier - they could probably point you in the right direction.

As an FYI, osteosarcoma is considered an "orphan disease," that is, a rare disease that impacts a relatively small number of individuals.

There are about 900 new cases of osteosarcoma diagnosed in the United States each year. About 400 of these cases occur in children and adolescents younger than 20 years old. Osteosarcoma is about 50% more common in males than in females. Most osteosarcomas occur between the ages of 10 and 30. Teenagers are the most commonly affected age group, but it can occur at any age. About 10% of all osteosarcomas occur in people over the age of 60.

Now put that in perspective with lung cancer. In 2004, 108,355 men and 87,897 women were diagnosed with this major cancer.

It is unlikely that JC is a hotspot for osteosarcoma, but I'd be interested in seeing the data if you uncover anything unusual.

Here's an interesting chromium fact sheet from the Department of Health and Human Services:

Chromium Fact Sheet

Tests can be done on the hair, blood and urine to determine chromium exposure.

Here's an excerpt about testing:

ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.

For more information, contact:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1- 800-232-4636 / TTY: 888-232-6348
FAX: 770-488-4178
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Sorry for the typo, Cali. Here's a new article from the JJ about Chromium studies and lung cancer:

--------------------------------------------

Two chromium studies in city differ on lung cancer threat
Saturday, November 15, 2008
By PAUL KOEPP
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A new state study has found a correlation between lung cancer rates and exposure to chromium in Jersey City over the past three decades, but another recent investigation found little exposure in residences over the past two years, according to summaries of the two studies.

One study, completed last month by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health and Senior Services, found that men living near chromium-contaminated sites had rates up to 17 percent higher than men in other areas, while rates for women were up to 10 percent higher.

The study looked at all 3,249 cases of lung cancer reported in Jersey City between 1979 and 2003.

As a result of the city's industrial past, residents in some areas, including the West Side where Honeywell International is doing an extensive cleanup, have been exposed to hexavalent chromium, known to increase the risk of lung cancer when inhaled.

The other study, done for the state by the Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute, of Piscataway, found "no evidence of chromium levels likely to cause health effects" in 100 Jersey City homes between November 2006 and April 2008. Homes that were close to capped or partially remediated sites did not have higher chromium levels than other neighborhoods, the study found.

A second phase of the EOHSI study will monitor children's urine in volunteer homes to determine residential chromium exposures.

Honeywell will be conducting a pilot program, as part of its cleanup, to see whether contaminated soil can be chemically treated to reduce its concentration of chromium to a safe level.

First, the causes of bone cancer are not entirely known and the connection to chromium is not definitive (chromium has been linked to lung cancer which can spread to bones in advanced stages of the disease).

Second, there's a whole lot more to the Jersey City chromium story - and putting the blame squarely on PSEG doesn't present the whole story.

You might want to start here first:

NY TIMES - LIVE IN NEWPORT/SOCIETY HILL? YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THIS.

Then check out our local superfund sites:

EPA Superfund Sites in JC/Hudson County

Sad to say, many of us are living on top of chromium, thanks to a whole lot of folks-to-blame from days gone by.

As an aside, my prayers are with the family of the young girl fighting osteosarcoma. I hope she makes a healthy recovery. MSK is a great institution with some of the best advances in cancer care in the nation.

Here's what's really galling:

1. Lipski pulls down a salary of $105K a year for running CREATE Charter school - salary details

2. His school currently boasts state scores that indicate only 53.1% of his students meet standardized reading proficiency and 21.7% meet basic math proficiency.

3. Further, only 33% of his graduating students appear to go on to a 4-year college.

4. CREATE'S AYP status indicates that they are not making adequate yearly progress. (AYP targets are set for state test proficiency and participation, as well as for other academic indicators such as attendance and graduation rates)

Nice work at the helm. Our children deserve better.

state scores

I wonder if this arrest will have any impact upon his standing as the Executive Director of Jersey City's CREATE Charter School?

Can an educator gain the state clearance necessary to be part of a school with an arrest/conviction record?

CREATE Charter School - Jersey City

There are several places in Jersey City that could use adult volunteers:

1. CASA (hudsoncountycasa.org)

Hudson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is an independent, 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 are available to foster children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes.

CASA volunteers speak in court on behalf of children who have been abused, neglected and removed from their homes and placed into out-of-home placements such as shelters, group homes and foster care.

In Hudson County we have over 700 children in out-of-home placement. We desperately need volunteers to advocate for these children.

2. PAL (The Police Activity League)

The Jersey City Police Department runs after-school programs for youth in the Journal Square area - their facility is on Bergen Avenue in the old YMCA building. If you had an idea for a program for kids, or just want to help out, contact FRANK WILLIAMS at director@jerseycitypal.org
Their programs are not just athletic-based.

3. HUDSON CRADLE (hudsoncradle.org)

Not sure if they take outside volunteers, but their amazing program helps homeless infants with special health and development needs.

4. JC PUBLIC LIBRARY

The United Way (I think that's the sponsoring organization) runs a great program out of the JC Public Library on Jersey Avenue that fosters literacy, English language development for non-English speakers, and even computer skill training. As this pertains to children, I'm not sure, but imagine the impact you could have teaching someone how to read.

Good luck - and I hope others catch your same spirit. The kids in Jersey City can greatly benefit from the energy and attention of motivated adults like you and your wife.

If this is bullshi*, I ask our good webmaster to kick this idiot off immediately. I'm trying to feed this information to parents in Jersey City who have legitimate concerns over their children's safety tonight and this rumor cra* infuriates me to no end.

Okay - so I just called 201-547-5477 and I was told by the dispatcher that "they're not allowed to give any kind of information like this out over the telephone."

So how am I to figure out this is really going on? And if the police cannot tell the public if they're in danger or not, what does that say about the JCPD?

Tom - you're saying in the last few hours ten girls have been shot in Hudson County in gang initiation rituals?

Can you please verify where you're getting your information?

I ran into a friend with children in a Bayonne Catholic school. The rumor of "35 girls being killed" for a gang initiation prank was all over the school - and she actually left work to pick up her daughter.

I've looked this up on Snopes.com in the past as many of the Halloween gang rumors are standard urban legends.

As the rumors fly, apparently Newark is supposed to be a big target, too. It's hard to say whether this is true or not, especially given the way gang violence/youth offenders are so prevalent in our city.

Two very talented local designers I work with on a regular basis (I'm a copywriter) are:

1. Chris Wright
christopherkwright.com

2. Starr James
poisonkitty.com

They are both reliable, smart, flake-free and highly creative.

Good luck in your search.

My husband and I were eating lunch on Grove Street yesterday when Frank Scalcione's (running for Ward E council seat) poster-bedecked minivan drove by blasting (and it was really, really loud) the theme song from ROCKY and garbled campaign rhetoric. It was truly one of those "only in JC" moments.

Look at the street area where you received the tickets. If you cannot see a sign, and you can somehow document that, you may be able to fight your tickets in court.

That said, there should be a small sign somewhere on the length of your street (they're usually at least two to three on a block) - or on the blocks beyond in the same direction that spells out when the street cleaners come.

Know any nice neighbors? Ask them, too. If all of that fails, try the parking authority on Central Avenue.

You can tell also by looking at the tickets you received. The tickets should show the days you received the tickets and times. Avoid those days and times.

NJCU (New Jersey City University) just sent their Fall 2008 course offerings. They include swimming classes for children from ages 6 to 14. My daughter took lessons in the spring and the classes were pretty good.

There are two sessions - September 20 to October 18 for $79.00. The second session is from November 1 to December 6 also for $79.00.

They also have swimming classes for adult beginners.

For more information, go to www.njcu.edu or call 201-200-3089,

I think New Heights sounds like a well organized landlord. You can't get emotionally involved with your tenants - it just doesn't make business sense at all.

Tenants will use you like a door mat if allowed. I set a business tone up front, do background checks, and enforce late fees for late payments - always.

I don't buy sob stories. I have a ton of my own and my mortgage company doesn't buy them.

Woman found shot dead in her home, police say
by Charles Hack
Monday August 11, 2008, 1:07 PM

A 29-year-old mother of three was found dead in her bedroom with a gunshot wound to her chest yesterday evening, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

Soveira Rojas was found by Jersey City police in a second-floor bedroom of her Webster Avenue home immediately after her 40-year-old live-in boyfriend called 911, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said this morning.

The Hudson County Homcide squad is investigating the incident and was notified shortly before 8 p.m., DeFazio said. A semi-automatic pistol was found at the scene, he said.

"At this point we have not ascertained the manner of death pending the atuposy and further police investigation," DeFazio said.

According to the investigation so far, the woman and her boyfriend were the only two in the room at the time of shooting but several people are being questioned in connection with the shooting, DeFazio said.

Although the three children were in the home, investigators have not established if they witnessed the incident, he said. The children were taken into custody by the state Division of Youth and Family Services, he said.

No charges have been filed, he said.

The gang problem was the reason we moved from the Heights - it broke our hearts to leave. It was getting too much - as were the "quality of life" crimes - thefts, broken car windows, shed break-ins, etc. etc.

This just happened recently - gang related:

'Gang-related' Heights stabbing of man, 19
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - From The JJournal

A 19-year-old man was punched and stabbed several times in the Jersey City Heights Monday in what reports indicate was a gang-related incident.

As he was speaking to friends in front of 38 Prospect St. shortly before 9 a.m., two men jumped out of a golden Honda and attacked the 19-year-old, reports said.

One man punched him in the back of the head and then stabbed him in the neck, reports said.

The two attackers then chased the man four blocks to a dry cleaners on Webster Avenue where one of the attackers stabbed him in the leg and slashed his right arm, reports said.

A witness told police he saw the 19-year-old tumble out of the dry cleaners scuffling with one of his attackers, before both attackers fled along Webster Avenue, reports said.

Police reports described the victim as uncooperative.

He did, however, tell cops he is a member of a street gang that's having a "beef" with lots of people, reports said.

Despite his injuries, the 19-year-old walked to Christ Hospital, where he was treated for the stab wounds, reports said.

CHARLES HACK

I would take the landlord to small claims court - if you have the time and can take off work without a hassle.

Keep in mind, the landlord can choose not to show up and then you'll be left with a collections issue on your hands, if a judgment is made in your favor.

You will probably be asked to mediate prior to the actual court hearing. You and the landlord sit in a room with a court officer and try to work out a settlement agreement prior to the judge hearing the case. It's the court's way of saving time.

The landlord cannot do this to you. It's a blatant rip-off. And by the way, your security deposit is supposed to be kept in a bank account that bears interest, which you're supposed to receive when you get your security back. Virtually no one does that though in Jersey City that I know of.

If you have a friend that's an attorney, try to get a letter written to her attention outlining your reasons why you should get your full security back (she's in violation of the law, etc).

You can do the same on your own, too. Send it certified mail, return receipt signature required, so you have proof to present to the court that you tried to work this out prior to suing. State the facts, tell her what you want (maybe tell her you'll settle for $250, instead of $350).

Keep the letter business-like, civil and succinct but state the facts. Make sure you add a dramatic CC: like The Attorney General and Arnold Diaz, Channel 2 Shame on You; Daily News Consumer Reporter - stuff like that. You don't really send it to them - but CC's do get people's attention, especially small-minded landlords who try to rip off good citizens.

Sorry for your plight. That's just plain wrong.

https://www.cityofjerseycity.com/WebTaxInquiry/AccountSearch.aspx

If you click on your account number (on the left of the screen), your account information will appear. It seems you can only pay online if an amount is showing as due. Next to the amount due will be a link that prompts you to pay online.

I paid my taxes via credit card here - and got a nice membership point bonus on my credit card (for a small convenience fee).

Good luck!

I have recently seen some amazing, very old postcards for sale on Ebay that feature photographs of Jersey City.

There are a few listed now from the turn-of-the-century:

http://search.ebay.com/search/search. ... le=jersey+city&category0=

You might want to try complaining at the corporate level (see USPS numbers below). Or try your local freeholder or council person. If you're that upset, it seems like someone should do something to remedy the situation - and you're probably not the only one impacted by the noise.

Call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777)

Automated information is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week

Customer Service representatives are available as follows:
o Monday thru Friday: 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time to 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

o Saturday: 8:00 AM Eastern Standard Time to 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

o Sundays and Holidays: Closed

Throwing a tennis ball in front of a car because you perceive it to be speeding is irresponsible and reckless. Your actions could cause a great deal more harm than "teaching a lesson" to a driver. Call the cops and let them handle the speeders.

Newsday article

People protesting the acquittal of detectives in the fatal shooting of Sean Bell will gather Wednesday near six transit choke points around New York City before leading a march and "pray-in" organizers anticipate will lead to some arrests, the Rev. Al Sharpton said yesterday.

Speaking at the "House of Justice," headquarters for his National Action Network on 145th Street in Harlem, Sharpton said the civil disobedience will continue weekly, and produce a "citywide shutdown" to press for a civil rights prosecution.

"If you're not going to lock up the guilty in this town, then I guess you're going to have to lock up the innocent," he said.

The meeting places will be 125th Street and Third Avenue; Park Avenue and 34th Street; 60th Street and Third Avenue; One Police Plaza; Varick and Houston streets; and in Brooklyn at House of the Lord Pentecostal Church, 415 Atlantic Ave. Protesters will meet at 3 p.m., Sharpton said.

"Where we're going, those that know won't say, and those who'll say don't know," Sharpton said.

"All they'll know is why we're going," he added. "And we're going because the world must see that we're in a climate where the justice system in this state will lock up folks who'll be nonviolent and pray, but will not lock up police."

Several of the locations are near transportation pressure points, including the Triborough Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, the Queens Midtown Tunnel on the East Side and the Holland Tunnel on the West Side - reminiscent of locations targeted by Sharpton and supporters in protests during the so-called "Days of Rage" nearly two decades ago, and again in 1999 after the police killing of Amadou Diallo.

On April 25, Queens State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Cooperman cleared three detectives - Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora and Marc Cooper - in the shooting of Bell and two of his friends, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield, outside a Jamaica, Queens, strip club on Nov. 25, 2006.

Prosecutors failed, the judge said, to undercut the officers' claims that they fired a 50-shot barrage in self-defense against Bell, who was unarmed. Within hours, the Department of Justice said the Eastern District U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn and the FBI would be conducting an "independent review into the facts and circumstances" in the Bell case to see whether a federal civil rights prosecution was warranted.

In April 1999, Sharpton led protests of the killing of Diallo, 23, an unarmed West African immigrant hit 19 times in a fusillade of 41 bullets by four officers in the Bronx.

Then, about 7,000 protesters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge into lower Manhattan and held a rally at One Police Plaza to speak against police brutality. The protests were peaceful, though Sharpton and others - including Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem), actress Susan Sarandon and activist Jesse Jackson - were arrested.

"The vigils and demonstrations related to the Bell case to date have not been violent," said Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Paul Browne. "We have no reason expect otherwise now. The police department, as it is on any day, is prepared for any contingency."

Police could not confirm yesterday if organizers had applied for permits for the planned protests.

Quote:

What on earth does that mean? What neighborhood isn't "mixed income?"

Don't forget also he pulls down another $49,000 per year as our state assemblyman - which requires him to be in Trenton at least two days a week (according to a news report I read).

So he double dips New Jersey for two salaries and two pensions.

http://www.robotswillkill.com/graffit ... wgraff.php?artist_id=9010

Robotswillkill.com is a NY based website that "taggers" display their "work" on. The link above shows vandalism by "CEAZE" - a grafitti name I see a lot of in JC. Scroll down and you'll see his/her work on a PATH train overpass.

If you click on the GRAFF section of the website and search by the tagger's ID, you'll see familiar sites all over JC. I've noticed a big increase in grafitti in North Bergen, too - and they're usually completely on top of getting rid of this stuff.

While acknowledging that abnormal lead levels in children can be a serious issue (particularly in JC with the amount of older homes), I don't understand why this has to be a legislated issue.

Lead testing is a standard part of well-baby visits - something I've been hearing about since the day my child has been born. If you receive state-funded insurance, you receive reminders about the importance of lead testing as part of your child's annual exams.

I'm getting more and more concerned with the government's increasing role in mandating what they perceive I need to do to keep my children healthy.

If Fulop wanted to take on a health issue that is widespread and impacting our local youth - try obesity. And then tell me why I cannot find a safe and clean park in JC to take my kids to - or why decent, well-staffed recreational options are so difficult to find.

I have had infinitely better luck and better service at the DMV in Bayonne. It's a straight shot on JFK Blvd toward Bayonne - about a 15 minute ride from Journal Square. They have parking, the lines are shorter, and the folks there are way nicer than the Summit Ave DMV.

If you have to use the DMV for anything these days, make sure you bring every conceivable form of ID you have because they ask for everything (my birth certificate, my social security card, my marriage license, a passport and a proof of residence address (utility bill) was needed to renew my license and adjust the name to my married name). Geez.

There are a few for-pay parking lots on Summit/Sip Ave near the DMV in JC. I think the cheapest is across from the Burger King. You can also have some luck parking on Magnolia for free and walking about three blocks to DMV.