especially since the opposite corner has the big "DRUGS" sign for the pharmacy.

and.. add my vote for wondering why the police don't do something about that park...

Yest I got on the 545 bus from the Port Authority. It was "scheduled" to arrive at my bus stop about 640. It was 710 when it finally arrived. AND we went thru Palisade avenue. Am I missing something here? I thought they were going thru Central Avenue? The bus driver said that "at that time" they would go thru Palisade. Im confused. And very tired since my days begin at 5 AM and end at midnight. So I might be missing something. Please excuse this posters ignorance and lack of energy if someone has already answered my concerns.

I am all for it running on Palisade avenue, but is their a set schedule somewhere? When I went to the website it had the old prices and the old routes.

Checked this place out yesterday for lunch and had a very nice experience. The garden patio isn't open yet, but the service was great and fast (which is an improvement from BBs).

We had panini sandwiches and the hummus platter. Will definitely be back.

I was inspired as well, and stopped by the Union Sq. Market composting stand this past weekend.

The idea of it is REALLY appealing. NYC has all this programs that provide a ton of info and include discounts on some of the composting bins. Doing a quick internet search, I see that Bergen County has program for buying discounted compost bins, but I couldn?t see anything similar for Hudson County. Is there such a program in Hudson county?...

Have any of you JC gardeners actually tried it here in downtown? If so, any problem with rodents?... Any other tips?...

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yeah, I remember that. I always thought it was kinda funny.

Last night at the Congress street stop heading towards the city around 8pm the driver blew right past the stop. I caught up with him at the stop light and he opened the door looking at me like I'm a crazy person when I hand him my ticket. He tells me I need to pay cash if I'm heading into the city! WTF? I was too tired to even get into it with him.

Seems to me that he knows neither where he's supposed to stop to pick up fares, nor how the fares are supposed to be paid. Where do they find these drivers? If this route's business is down it's less likely about the number of passengers than the competence of the dispatchers & drivers.

Fulop: Let's tighten our ethics rules
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

On the same day Gov. Jon Corzine signed a law banning dual office-holding for state legislators, Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop yesterday announced he's seeking to up the ante locally by making it against ethics rules to hold both a county and city post.

That proposal - one of a plethora of standards Fulop wants the city's Ethical Standard Board to adopt - would apply to five of his colleagues on the nine-member City Council.

Another provision barring employees working for a "city-linked autonomous agency" from serving on the council would knock a sixth colleague, Ward B Councilwoman Mary Spinello, out of the box. Spinello is a supervisor at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority.

Not shy about highlighting what he considers conflicts of interests among his fellow council members, Fulop said he planned to have his resolution introduced at next week's City Council meeting.

Having had a pay-to-play bill swatted down by a 6-2-1 vote in January, Fulop, a Citigroup trader, knows he's in for a fight. But it's worth it, he said.

"I'm committed and I'm fairly certain we'll have this accomplished by the end of my first term (May, 2009)," Fulop said during an editorial board meeting at The Jersey Journal. "This would be the strictest standards in the state."

Council members Viola Richardson, Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan, Willie Flood and Mariano Vega all hold county jobs.

For his colleagues, the ban would kick in when they next run for re-election, Fulop said.

And "one salary, one pension" on the council isn't the only goal. Fulop wants stricter rules preventing the personal use of city cars, the hiring of relatives, and city officials becoming lobbyists when they leave office.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and at least two of Fulop's colleagues weren't impressed.

"The nine members of the Jersey City municipal council work on a part-time basis and make less than $30,000 a year," said Healy. "This requires they work an additional job."

Gaughan, who doubles as chief of staff for Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, called Fulop "a guy who wants to run for mayor, grandstanding by way of the City Council," and pointed out the late Jersey City mayor Glenn D. Cunningham failed in court when he tried to bar Gaughan from the council for exactly the same issues Fulop is raising.

Fulop denied he plans to run for mayor.

Gaughan acknowledged he drives a city car and uses it occasionally for personal use. But he said he reports part of the value of the automobile as income on his income taxes.

City Council President Mariano Vega, the county's director of parks, engineering and planning, said Fulop was "barking up a dead tree," adding holding two posts helps him see "how one position complements another."

Might be of interest to new home or apartment buyers.

I spent 3 days doing a thorough building inspection of a brand new 10 family building in NY.

The body corporate manager / resident and friend called me in to do the inspection.

Being a new building and under 'guarantee' for workmanship and products, I expected this to be an easy inspection. (like getting a new car)

However, this was not the case even though the place 'visually' looked great.

To cut a long story short, there were 203 items to be corrected and 5 that were of a structural nature that could mean that one of the residents would need to leave while it got repaired - nothing too serious but a pain to remove, replace and make good.

It just might be a good idea for a new building's body corporate to invest in a building inspector to check over the entire place before they 'write off' any responsibility a builder / construction co. might have with the place.

A previous inspection by another inspector, found only 8 items to fix and the one's I found had been there since day one. If an inspector arrives without some sort of 'level' and tape measure and relying on 'line of sight' then I'd be asking questions especially if you want to know where water might run and if running in the right direction!

I'm not so sure that the top end of the residential real estate market will continue to do as well as it has in the last 5 years. The current financial crisis is hurting Wall St. and resulting in diminished bonus expectations. As Wall Street goes, so goes the NYC real estate market...

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'Wolfpack leader' arrested in beating of 60-year-old

by Michaelangelo Conte
Tuesday September 04, 2007, 9:08 PM
The adult ring leader of a wolf pack of teens who brutally beat a 60-year-old Jersey City man was arrested Saturday and made his first appearance in court today, where he was slapped with a substantial bail, officials said.

"This is a serious offense and bail will be set at $250,000," said Judge Vincent Signorile of Jarrick Taylor, 18, of Harlem, who appeared in Central Judicial Processing Court via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.


Arrested Thursday in the Aug. 25 attack on Bramhall Avenue attack on Robert Wilkinson of Union Street, were three boys, 13, 16, and 17 years of age, as well as a 17-year-old girl.

Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said yesterday that his office is considering prosecuting at least some of the juveniles as adults.

All four are charged with aggravated assault and robbery in the beating that broke Wilkinson's left knee and several ribs, one of which punctured his lung and collapsed it. Conviction as an adult in a robbery resulting in serious bodily harm carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, DeFazio said.

"They are insane, must definitely be insane," Wilkinson said today from his bed at the Jersey City Medical Center of his attackers. Wilkinson is listed in stable condition.

"I love it. I love it. I hope they give him life," was Wilkinson's reaction to Taylor's arrest. He said he has undergone surgery on his lung and knee and must wear a back brace. He said he thinks he will be released tomorrow or Thursday.

Capt. Chet Major said a task force was formed to track down the alleged robbers and police went door to door in the neighborhood until one resident said he saw what he thought was a fight at the location of the attack.

Investigators then found people who gave descriptions of people in the area before and after, got street names, got partial addresses, combed through databases, and zeroed in on the suspects, Major said today. He said police are working to determine if those arrested were involved in similar incidents and are pursuing evidence found during the investigation.

"I'm proud of the effort put forth by the members of this department in this incident, as well as in several similar incidents that have concerned us recently," Police Chief Thomas Comey said today.

Taylor is originally from Jersey City, but had been living with his mother in Harlem for the past year, police said. He did not post bail.

Beginning the week of Sept. 3rd, the new days that the program will be operating are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. As always, drop-ins are welcome and will be accomodated as possible, but it is best to reserve a space in advance as there is now only one full time caregiver. To reserve a space, either email call 201-659-2211x5.

As there seems to be increased demand for the program, we are looking to hire another parent as a caregiver in order to increase the number of children that can be accommodated each day. In the meantime, if any of you are interested in remaining with your child(ren) and volunteering for a day, a credit for a free drop off on another day will be issued. If you are interested in volunteering on a regular basis- or just want to try it out for a day- please let me know the dates you are available as soon as possible as this will impact the number of spaces that will be available for other children.

Thanks,
Sile

Some additional transport options shown in

http://www.nynjtc.org/trails/no-car.html#places

Before Subia's opened it used to be a bodega (same owners) at the corner which actually had a sign in the window "No Drugs this corner"....
Anyone else remember that? Not sure if it was an effective deterrent...

There is only one way to ride on Ocean Avenue - FAST!

Although there are laws prohibiting riding on the sidewalk, it is a big issue in the Heights because Central Avenue is packed with pedestrians. Kids will tear up and down the sidwalks. It can be dangerous, especially when they come out of nowhere.

I have biked on JFK Blvd often and during rush hour, too. There are a few hairy stretches - around Journal Square, by the turnoffs for 139 and Newark, the upper twenties to about 32nd Street in the North Bergen-UC area. Personally, I think New York and Bergenline Avenues and Summit near the Sqaure are a lot worse.

When I first started riding, I was terrified of traffic. Two more experienced riders helped me get over this by biking with me. One would bike in front of me and one would bike behind me. Following the lead of the rider ahead and knowing someone had my bck helped relax me.

I find the hostility of drivers much more of an issue than traffic. In Union City, a passing car threw soda in my face. In Union City, North Bergen and Jersey City, I have been cursed, cut off and hazed. I have also had kids cycling in groups try to play "chicken" with me. In all fairness, things do seem to be improving.

Hoboken is so polite and civilized towards cyclists it might as well be another country.

From: c21plazaskolar@aol.com [mailto:c21plazaskolar@aol.com] Sent: Sun 9/2/2007 8:53 AM Subject: Fwd: Lafayette Arts and Crafts Fair on 09/29/2007 at Ercel Webb Park Communipaw Ave Block Association is looking for vendors for their Arts & Crafts Fair. See attached & feel free to pass along Subject: Lafayette Arts and Crafts Fair on 09/29/2007 at Ercel Webb Park Attached please find our flyer for the fair. The fee per table is $25.00, the check should be made payable to Communipaw Avenue Block Association. Each table will be decorated with orange table covers and a little fall flower decoration Also, we will have a 50/50 raffle..................... Face painting and goodies for the kids, We will also serve juices, cupcakes and chips in the church basement, And I wished I could find a hot dog vendor, the vendor must stand on the Opposite side of the park, as we can not get a food permit for this event, Also, I will try and ask the ice cream truck to make himself present, Any help you can give us with vendors, would be appreciated. Thank you so much, my number is 201-985-0406, it's best to call between 6:30pm and 9pm, also my email address at home is berlinbaby46@aol.com and your email address was embedded in my address list at work. Take care Christa Atkins

Having a corner property, Ive been dealing with this BS on and off for almost 10 years. I've personally dealt with that particular NID officer badge #6030.

He's a reasonable guy and if you call him up and explain the story, (201) 547-5683, he will actually do the legwork for you.

I found garbage strewn across my sidewalk about 2 months ago with someone's name, address, bank info and that person lived about 5 blocks away. He coolectedt he information and went to investigate. Problem was, they had moved.

Call the NID offices and have a talk with him.

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Last Wednesday I got to the gate at 6:15pm. The 99S didn't show up until 6:40pm. Then the bus driver drove right by Congress and was alerted to his mistake by the passengers. He then decided to make a k-turn in the construction parking lot of the Cliffs.

It was hilarious and pathetic all at the same time. Watching this poor bus driver trying to turn the bus around in a small, dirt lot. With a few construction workers trying to block traffic so the bus could pull out onto Paterson Plank Road. It seemed like the tires were spinning in the dirt and the construction works were risking their lives with cars flying down the road. All while a busload of passengers are waiting to get home safely.

Finally after almost 15 minutes, we were going back up to Congress and the people on the bus continued to direct the driver where to go! I'm so glad that they trained their drivers on the new route! This was truly a well thought-out plan!

It looks like Pho Thang Long is closed for renovations. We all know what that means. That's too bad. I was looking forward to it for lunch.

I went to the Panda House Chinese Restaurant instead. It was clean and cool. Food was decent.

After lunch, we walked up Fairmount Avenue, between Bergen Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard. That was not a nice block to walk up. There was dog poop on the sidewalk. The buildings are not as nice as on Duncan. There were people hanging around, and an unleashed scarey dog there. Duncan is much nicer.

You can take a grayline bus out of port authority directly to the bear mountain lodge. It's been several years since I last took it, but at the time, it was about $18 round trip.

There are lots of hiking trails there. I can't name a camp ground, but I'm sure they're there too. Google would know. And there's always unofficial camping.

Cheesequake State Park is a long walk/short but hilly bike ride/short cab ride from the Matawan NJT station. The major problem with that place for tent camping is that it's by a highway and you can always hear highway noise. At night, you can look through the trees by one of the paths to some of the tent sites and see a grungy apartment complex.

Also, if you come and go on weekends, then you can take commuter rail to Netcong. My understanding is that there are several places to camp there that would be a medium-long ride from the Netcong NJT station.

Now that 99s is on central avenue I'm trying to figure out all the alternate bus routes. Is there any way to obtain information on the jitneys? (maps/routes mainly) Is there some phone number I could call to find out what's the nearest jitney from my place which goes to New York?

I cannot speak for the teachers, but in both classes they complained a lot about not having any autonomy. A lot of the complaining came from one girl who teaches in a JC school not downtown. When we talked about a lot of great literacy strategies, she and others in state run districts such as Elizabeth and Newark said that they couln't implement a lot of them because they are "not allowed". There are, however, schools which have good prinicipals who give teachers a little more room for creativity and independence.

I could go on with a lot of examples such as the teachers disliking 100 book challenge because the stories are boring and unrelated to the kids' experiences, teachers saying they are not allowed to teach reading in the context of Science an Social Studies in the primary grades. My kids are in private school, but if I sent them to public school I would want to know about the principal and whether he/she has a good professional relationship with the staff. It's important.

I used to take the NJT Port Jervis train to Tuxedo from Hoboken. There is a trail into Harriman State Park about 10 minutes walk from the train station.

The NY/NJ Trail Conference makes trail maps of the park.

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Oh. I thought you meant the Montgomery guys wanted Montgomery to be the exclusive drug retail site in the Van Vorst area, not that they wanted to take over the Wayne pocket park.

I guess the bright side here is that, if the bloods and the Wayne Street dealers get into a serious turf war, the police will have no choice but to deal with the situation, one way or another.

It will be interesting to see whether the bloods or the Wayne Street dealers have more cops in their pockets.

Illegal apartments are not just in the Lincoln Park area. They are also in the DOWNTOWN AREA (particularly the multi-family houses on Manila Avenue). I have written and called City hall about these illegal apartments but they have not done anything or responded to my calls. I have seen how these people live in these illegal apartments and it is so appalling. On top of that , the landlords are getting away with these illegal apartments. It is bad enough that rents are so expensive and the landlords are getting the extra income without reporting them to the proper agency.

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Seriously: did you hear anything else that you think parents of children entering the downtown JC public schools ought to know about?

If the teachers could talk to us honestly and get us change something about the district administration or school administrations, what would they want us to change?

When he goes, it won't be a minute too soon.

I took some Masters classes in education at NJCU this summer. I heard stuff from JC teachers about the schools and the tryrannical rule of Epps that would curl your hair. ie: students' desks must be kept in groups at all times, except, of course, during the almighty standardized tests. Also, not a lot of time to teach Social studies and Science. They also mentioned that he's the highest paid superintendent in the state.

Bastard. Hate having that dirtbag thrust upon us by the State. If/when JC regains control of the schools, I really wish we could vote for the superintendent directly on the same day as the mayoral election. Nobody votes for the school board that chooses a superintendent.

Paterson, Jersey City districts in flux

State education commissioner reserves action on fate of superintendents

Tuesday, September 04, 2007
BY JOHN MOONEY
Star-Ledger Staff

State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy told the state Board of Education she has no plans to reappoint Paterson Superintendent Michael Glascoe next year, but added her decision could change if quick progress is made.

According to an e-mail sent to state board members on Friday, Davy also said she would decide on Jersey City superintendent Charles Epps' future "in concert" with that city's local school board, one of the first steps in the state ceding control of the district.

With Newark superintendent Marion Bolden expected to step down in 2008, Davy's latest announcement on Paterson and Jersey City portends possible leadership changes in each of the state's three largest districts, which are now all under state control.

Glascoe's uncertain fate was no secret even to his supporters in recent weeks, especially after Davy this summer appointed a fiscal monitor to the Paterson schools and then last month issued a critical monitoring report that did not recommend any return of local control as yet.

A top administrator in Fairfax County, Va., schools before coming to New Jersey, Glascoe was appointed to the post in 2005.

But Davy, in her letter to Glascoe, said her decision was not necessarily final, and she would revisit it early next year. The early notice that Glascoe may not be rehired was required under his contract, presumably to give him time to find a new job.

Davy listed several areas where she was looking for progress, including student achievement, the implementation of a new curriculum, and relations with the teachers union, community groups and the fiscal monitor himself.

"If you are amenable, I would like to reconsider this decision in February 2008, and determine at that time whether to offer you a contract for continuing as state district superintendent," Davy wrote Glascoe.

Efforts to contact Davy for further comment yesterday were unsuccessful.

District spokeswoman Laura Constable yesterday confirmed that Davy also called Glascoe with the news on Friday morning. Constable said Glascoe was not commenting further this weekend, but she and other district officials expressed disappointment with the decision.

"I was devastated to hear the news, because of the enormous work he'd done against tremendous obstacles," Constable said, citing gains in three quarters of the district's test scores in 2007.

Paterson school board President Andre Sayegh called the decision "totally unjust," especially in light of his own board's 6-1 vote of confidence for Glascoe at its last meeting. "The commissioner has disregarded us, an elected board," he said.

The picture is not as clear with Epps, who has been Jersey City's superintendent since 2000. After nearly two decades of state operation, the district is expected to regain some local control in the next year following a more positive monitoring report this summer, and Davy said she wanted to work with the local board in deciding the next superintendent.

"I haven't spoken to her, but I think that's a good thing," said board president William DeRosa yesterday. "This contract issue is hovering over the district, and we do want some clarification on where it is heading."

John Mooney may be reached at jmooney@starledger.com, or (973) 392-1548.

Healy ignores the need for building inspectors

Earl Morgan Column -- Jersey Journal -- September 04

H iring more zoning inspectors, not to mention reorganizing the Buildings Department, does not seem to be a priority for Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, despite the number of new, two-family homes going up with illegal third apartments.

The city's housing task force ventures out, day after day, issuing copious violations for these offenses, but almost as fast as summonses are being written more homes with illegal apartments are being built.

Sources say that sometimes a developer will obtain a certificate of occupancy for a home and then the plumber will return and break through the drywall to hook up the water, sewage and gas lines and - voila! - you have a third apartment in a two-family house.

Logic would seem to dictate that the city do a better job of policing construction of these homes.

Several weeks ago, The Jersey Journal ran a story about a house being built with a fire hydrant blocking its driveway and followed that up with a column in this space about nightmares other city residents are having dealing with developers whose projects are affecting their property.

The stories touched off an avalanche of calls and letters to this newspaper from residents and business owners complaining of developers encroaching on or damaging their property in some way. The number of calls and complaints that proved to be valid is a clear indication that there is a problem here crying out to be addressed.

Healy's answer to this crisis was to consider hiring more inspectors - not for the Buildings Department but five more police inspectors, which are not needed.

There are already five police inspectors, the full complement called for in the department's table of organization. The request to promote more people to that rank, at a time when the city is planning to go hat in hand to Trenton to ask for more state aid, was too much even for the mayor's minions to swallow. Healy faced a revolt from some of his own directors, who balked at signing off on the idea.

From the New York side of the Hudson River, Jersey City, with its skyscrapers, hotels and boat slips, looks like a mirror image of Manhattan. So why is - or was - the Healy administration mulling a plea to Trenton for more state aid in the form of what used to be known as "distressed cities aid?"

Considering City Hall's constant boasting about the resurrection of Jersey City, and how it has become a desired destination on the East Coast to live and run a business, why is it asking Trenton to bail it out of a budget slump?

Indeed, how can this happen in a city with the likes of Goldman Sachs, Donald Trump and Merrill Lynch - just to name a few of the global entities that have established themselves here. You wonder why a property tax bonanza hasn't produced a bountiful harvest for the city coffers.

I really suggest you contact the media. Posibly the problem solvers people. If it will get on ch. 5, lots of people will know about it.

In my experience walking throught Wayne st. was not that bad, but i kept to myself and hardly looked around. People always tell me its a bad street.

If the media thing doesnt work out, post it on YouTube, really, and then post the link here. We will put views on it and it will grab attention (posibly of the media).

And i definatly thing you should have called the emergency number, 911