I thought I would forward this on to all who might be concerned. The topic of high tuitions for private schools and the state of public education in Jersey City is one often debated on the Jersey City Family Alliance list and is of grave concern to parents throughout the City. What is especially distressing is that while tax abatements have been given out like candy, the State of New Jersey is looking to slowly return the JC schools to the city, which will further exacerbate this problem.

While this email was originally addressed to Councilman Fulop, I strongly encourage anyone wishing to write a similar letter to address it to the mayor and the entire Council.

Sincerely,

Althea

\"Dear Steve [Fulop]-

I wanted to tell you about a call I received from a neighbor yesterday. We are good friends with this family and they had called to tell us that they are leaving Jersey City, because they can no longer afford to stay. Very sadly they can no longer afford putting both of their daughters (6 and 4 years old) through private schools.

This is not the first of my friends to leave Jersey City because the lack of good public schools and it certainly will not be the last. The exodus to the suburbs is in full swing. My husband and I will also be facing this same horrible situation come next spring when we try and figure out where our daughter will go to kindergarten.

The dearth of good schools in Jersey City really has reached a crisis level for many, many families and there seems to be no solution in sight. The choices are few.

There is the wonderful Learning Community Charter School, which has become completely overwhelmed with applicants, this past February they had 108 applications for 15 available Kindergarten seats. There is, if you have the financial resources to pay over 10K a year for private school, Stevens Cooperative which has had a 50% increase in their applications for the 2007/2008 school year. Some families in the Hamilton Park area have tried to get seats for their children in PS 16 (because of the good reputation) but this is very, very difficult.

And this is not just limited to elementary school, the situation for preschools is just as bad. All of the quality preschools have waiting lists as far as the eye can see. The
Garden Preschool had over a 50% increase in applications from the previous year and regretfully we have only a few precious seats available for the next school year.

All of this is to say, what is the political leadership in this City doing to address this issue?

The situation only stands to get significantly worse as new housing development in Downtown is exploding. This development, while very exciting, it will certainly only burden the system further, increasing the demand for quality education will make competition for the very few existing seats even more fierce, ultimately driving many families out of the area. It will be extremely difficult families to grow their roots in Jersey City when they have no place to send their children to school.

I think this poses a very important question to the City leadership, what sort of community does it strive to be? A city that\'s citizenship will almost always be in a constant state of transition. Or a community of families settling here for the better part of their adult lives who will give back to the community in a variety meaningful ways because they are truly invested in its success.

Please also let us not forget that quality education makes sound fiscal sense and not just for the people with children -- property values only stand to increase when having high quality schools are available. Further more people would be much more comfortable paying the high property taxes if they were getting good schools in return.

Running parallel to all of this frustration is the very steady rise in property taxes. So far we have seen very little movement from city government on this issue and it is extremely troubling.

I hope as our Councilman and local advocate you will take steps to address this very serious issues.

Sincerely,

Shelley Skinner
Concerned Parent and Co-President of The Garden Preschool Cooperative\"

What I have noticed and these are just my own ovservations, is that the many groups that I am involved with the span the whole City and not just one ward, Fulop is the person people run to.

This seems really odd to me. I have never seen a Council-wide or even a cc of a single other Council person go out. So I can't help, but think that a majority of people that care about any given issue think that Fulop is either "their man" or that he is the only one at least willing to listen.

This deeply disturbs me that even in my own ward, I see no one even thinking of reaching out to my councilman. They must not think it worth their time or energy. Yet, they will come out to a council meeting to support Fulop.

This is insane. We need to believe that our council people have our best interests at heart and will properly represent us. The whole Pay to Play vote, whether you were for it or against it, was major denial on the part of the council people. More people need to get out and vote, even if their choice is to vote for no candidates at all.

As for the survey... not the first time Fulop has done this... the other council people can utilize the same tactics.

Althea

Quote:That?s why this project, along with the conversion of the National Carpet building, is so important to this area. It will help stabilize Webb Park, make the neighborhood safer, and possibly jump-start supporting retail on Garfield Ave. It?s been a long time coming.

Thanks again for the update, Parkman.

It is great to see the continued development of JC ..... especially in its interior.

It's on the south side of Bright, around the corner from Jersey.

SOUP'S ON!!!

Sunday, March 18, 2007
3:00 p.m. to meet and mingle
3:30 p.m. - SOUP SWAP begins

Barrow Mansion, 83 Wayne Street, Jersey City.
(Wayne Street between Jersey and Barrow.)

Invite your friends, the more soup, the better. You can even copy and paste the info below to an email!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Great Jersey City
SOUP SWAP 2007

Bring 4 Quarts of Your Frozen Homemade Soup
(divided into single quart containers)
PLUS
One or More non-perishable item to donate to the St. Matthew?s Food Pantry
(canned soup, one-can meals, cereals, peanut butter, tuna, canned tomatoes or sauces, canned fruits or vegetables, and non-perishable milk are all appreciated)

WHEN: Sunday, March 18, 2007
3:00 p.m. to meet and mingle
3:30 p.m. to swap soup

WHERE: Barrow Mansion, 83 Wayne Street, Jersey City.
(Wayne Street between Jersey and Barrow.)

What exactly is a SOUP SWAP?
You bring FOUR single-quart containers of your homemade frozen soup. (Plus your donation to the food pantry.) We will then draw numbers and take turns picking out different soup. You will leave with FOUR 1 quart containers of a wonderful mix of homemade soups. Bring whatever soup you like to cook best. This can include chili, stews, chowders, and gumbos. Can?t be here? You can always assign a proxy to do your soup swapping for you!

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! We can never have too many soups to choose from!

The St. Matthew?s food pantry serves persons living with HIV/AIDS through the Hyacinth Foundation.

Quote:

What I don't understand is why the state lets Abbott district cities give tax abatements to developers.

People have written here before that the public schools do get something when Jersey City grants a tax abatement, but I think the percentage is a lot lower than if the property owners would pay regular property taxes.

If I were an official in some middle-income city that made everyone pay property taxes, I'd be really angry to see my residents' tax money going to subsidize Gold Coast Jersey City schools.

Riverview Neighborhood Association

February 25, 2007

Dear [redacted]

Two public meetings scheduled for this week are the final opportunity to provide your input to the Parks Master Plan draft before it goes before the City Council for approval.

WARD D Meeting
If you are concerned about Riverview Fiske Park , Leonard Gordon Park, or other parks in Ward D, this is the meeting for you. (This is the rescheduled meeting due to T&M Consulting's oversight of not attending the first Ward D meeting...)

Thursday, March 1 at 6:00PM -9PM at Public School 28, 167 Hancock Street (Between Bowers and South St)


WARD C Meeting
If you are concerned about Janet Moore Park, Pershing Field, Reservoir 3 or other Ward C parks - this is the meeting for you.

Tuesday, February 27th at 6PM - 9PM at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Community Center at Pershing Field.


Meetings are Open to residents of ANY Ward

While the meetings are set in each Ward, residents are free to speak about any park at any meeting - so do what is best for your schedule.


Please tell the City what you want for your parks. Thank you!


Becky Hoffman
Riverview Neighborhood Association

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

email: riverviewneighborhood@comcast.net
phone: 201-876-1980

Lets see if Epps can make a case for funding Jersey City schools like he makes a case for expanding his own salary.

Corzine takes a harder line on funding for Abbotts

Sunday, February 25, 2007
BY JOHN MOONEY
Star-Ledger Staff

For more than a decade, New Jersey's education policy has focused on one Herculean task: fixing poor, struggling urban districts that the courts said were failing to educate their children.

Now, Gov. Jon Corzine wants to turn the focus away from just the 31 poorest districts, known as Abbotts, and embark on broader reform that considers middle-class districts the governor believes have long been neglected.

This shift appears to represent the biggest change in focus and structure at the Department of Education in years.

The first signals came only last Thursday during his budget address. The next day, Corzine visited Rahway -- a classic blue-collar town not quite poor enough to qualify for Abbott funding -- to trumpet a 10 percent increase in state aid to that district.

Tomorrow, when detailed state aid numbers are released for all districts, Corzine said, Abbott districts, such as Newark, Jersey City and Elizabeth, will see no increases in aid unless they can individually make a case for it. Even then, raises will likely be modest.

Corzine's reforms don't end with a shift in how aid is distributed. The administration also is in the midst of reorganizing the Department of Education and is expected to dismantle the Division of Abbott Implementation. Its high-profile director, Gordon MacInnes, already has announced he is leaving state government. And, in another personnel shift, a former State Police major will be assigned to ferret out waste and corruption, signaling tougher policing by the department.

"I believe in the Abbott concept," Corzine said on Friday during a meeting with The Star-Ledger editorial board. "I don't believe in the Abbott execution."

MONEY FOLLOWING KIDS
MacInnes, a former Morris County legislator and public face of the state's Abbott programs for five years, said in an interview that leaving was his own decision. At 65, he cited the grind of a long commute and a wish to branch out into the nonprofit or foundation world.

A Democrat first appointed during the administration of former Gov. James E. McGreevey, MacInnes said he supports Corzine's idea of pumping aid into other districts outside the Abbott boundaries.

"We've come down to a situation where a student's constitutional opportunity to get a good education is defined by geography," he said, noting court mandates to help poor students have been limited to the 31 Abbott districts. "I'm in favor of having the state ensure that every kid has a fair shot at a constitutionally required education."

That attitude is good news for the hundreds of other districts, where officials have had their state aid capped since the McGreevey years and are straining to serve a growing number of impoverished students. The problem is most pronounced in working-class towns like Rahway or others on the edge of large cities, where parents have taken extreme measures like using the addresses of friends or relatives to register their children and get them out of urban districts they perceive to be failing.

In the far suburbs there has long been rebellion over the flood of state money pouring into Abbott districts.
Advertisement





But Corzine said he supports the struggles that got the state to this point.

He endorses the state Supreme Court decisions in the case of Abbott vs. Burke -- first filed in 1981 -- which have led to the additional funding, mandatory preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds and $6 billion in new urban school construction.

But given the state's fiscal woes over the past five years, the governor argues that the Abbott focus has begun to come at the expense of other districts.

Corzine stressed in his budget address that aid will now follow needy children, regardless of where they attend school.

Clearly, he is not turning his back on the large urban districts, which tend to be Democratic and are huge Corzine supporters. But he and other education experts believe the billions of dollars invested in those districts in recent years have shored them up appreciably.

"It's a recognition that 10, 12 years ago, they (the Abbotts) were grossly underfunded, but now that they have the funding, maybe the focus should be on how to use that money to improve outcomes," said Education Commissioner Lucille Davy. "It's a focus away from just the money."

Davy said part of that shifting focus will include eliminating the Abbott division, which has 100 employees. She said they are not eliminating jobs, but there will be a broad reshuffling.

A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
There also is a feeling in some quarters that with so much money poured into the Abbotts in recent years that not all of it is being spent properly.

In his proposed budget, the governor set aside $120 million for additional Abbott aid -- but he stressed districts must make a case for a dime of additional funding.

"There are 31 districts," Corzine said of the Abbotts. "Some are doing a good job, and some are doing an awful job. Union City is getting a lot more for its $13,000 per student than others that are spending $18,000."

Part of the new approach will be a get-tough attitude about waste, mismanagement or fraud.

Davy recently announced the formation of an office within the department that would consolidate investigations and audits, with an opening focus on the Abbott districts.

To head the new division she tapped State Police Major Robert Cicchino, a 29-year veteran of the force and former director of its internal affairs division.

First on Cicchino's list will be following up on audits commissioned by the state that found shoddy accounting and questionable expenses in the Camden schools and three state-run districts in Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson.

In an interview, Cicchino said the audits on first reading "certainly piqued my interest" with their references to out-of-state trips, catered food, and more than $15 million in other expenses the auditors termed "questionable."

"When you look at what's happening in the state and the dollars assigned to these Abbotts, you want to make sure the money goes to the intended purpose of providing better education ... to the children of this state," Cicchino said.

"Every dollar not going there is doing the citizens and the children a disservice."

POTENTIAL PITFALLS
Taking the exclusive focus off Abbotts won't necessarily be easy.

Any dilution of the state's investment in the Abbott districts -- last year alone the price tag was $4 billion -- will surely be challenged in the courts.

Corzine's proposed budget includes no additional funding for school construction -- the $6 billion approved by lawmakers in 2000 is running dry with many needs unmet -- and he predicted Friday that decision, too, will be challenged in court.

Officials in the Abbott districts and their advocates were being cautious in their reactions last week.

"I don't see what's happening as a threat," said Jersey City superintendent Charles Epps Jr. "I see a string of accountability pieces on us to ensure that the dollars do follow the child. ... I got no problem with that."

Others are more wary, saying the Abbott districts have been under siege for a few years.

"I hope we can get to a point where it's not either-or," said David Sciarra, director of the Education Law Center, the Newark organization that first brought the Abbott lawsuit. "We've had too much either-or for too long.

"We have a lot to do in the schools everywhere," he added, "including the Abbotts."

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

North Jersey profits from role as film location

The Record -- Feb 25 -- DUNSTAN PRIAL

On a recent bitter cold morning, as the sun emerged over a frozen apple orchard somewhere near Kingston along the New York Thruway, longtime Alpine resident Jerry McSpirit was behind the wheel of a 1983 Mercedes 380SL.

Talking into his cellphone, McSpirit assured the voice at the other end that the Mercedes, powder blue and in mint condition, would reach Stamford, N.Y., deep in the Catskill Mountains, by 9 a.m.

Hanging up, he turned to his passenger. "They're nervous 'cuz this is the hero car," he said.

Hero car?

"Yeah, the one used by the star," he explained.

The Mercedes was being used in a scene for an upcoming HBO movie about heiress Doris Duke starring Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes.

For 30 years, McSpirit has provided period cars and specialty vehicles -- police cars, taxis, buses -- for movies being shot in the area.

He is one of dozens of North Jersey business owners who derive all or part of their living from the state's vibrant film industry.

In 2005, film production crews spent $86 million in New Jersey on 937 projects, which included a record 92 feature films, according to the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission. Those figures have essentially doubled during the past decade.

Recent feature films shot in North Jersey include Academy Award winner Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," which brought crews to Carlstadt, Fair Lawn, Fort Lee, Glen Rock and Lyndhurst; parts of Tony Award winner Julie Taymor's new movie "Across the Universe," a musical set in the 1960s, shot in Moonachie and South Hackensack; and a comedy called "Be Kind Rewind," starring Danny Glover, Mia Farrow and Jack Black, which got help from 300 Passaic residents who were used as extras during filming there last fall.

Given North Jersey's proximity to New York, its varied landscapes -- farmland, industrial sites and waterfront property -- all within a relatively tight radius, and its skilled labor force, the growth trend is expected to continue.

"It's got to be one of the most filmed areas in the country," said Steven Gorelick, the state film commission's associate director.

Bergen a big draw

Bergen County, in particular, is attractive to filmmakers because county and municipal leaders have embraced the industry, Gorelick said.

Because it's difficult for film crews to avoid disrupting a community by shutting down streets and blocking auto and foot traffic for days -- even weeks -- on end, community leaders need to be on board to keep relations between the crews and locals on good terms.

In Bergen County, community leaders go out of their way to mediate between the two, Gorelick said.

"They're very organized in handling the needs of film production," he said. "They have a system in place. We don't have to start from scratch."

Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney said his enthusiasm for the industry extends beyond the obvious financial impact.

"There's a cachet to having a film made in Bergen County. There's a prestige that goes with being in noteworthy films. It creates a positive feeling for the community, particularly when it shows the community in a positive light," he said.

For local businesses, having a movie crew settle in for any length of time "can mean a few hundred dollars, or it can mean tens of thousands of dollars," said the film commission's Gorelick.

Consider that one film alone, "A Perfect Murder," a 1998 thriller starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow that was filmed on an elaborate soundstage constructed in the Jersey City Armory, generated $5.4 million for the local community, according to a report filed with the state film commission by Warner Bros.

Those millions are spread out over a broad array of services.

For instance, McSpirit rents most of his cars for about $400 per day. Specialty vehicles are more expensive, and he charges more for a shoot outside the New York metro area. He gets an extra $100 if he drives the car during a scene.

His cars and other vehicles have appeared in scores of movies, including such Oscar winners as "The Godfather" and "A Beautiful Mind."

Business owners who work regularly with film crews say flexibility and patience are the keys to getting return business.

"It's hurry up and wait all the time," said Denise Florio, event coordinator for 877-Caterer, a gourmet food services company in South Hackensack that has provided meals for dozens of mostly low-budget independent films.

Because most film crews are always trying to save money, their plans can change at any time, Florio explained. Thus, companies seeking business from them have to be able to adapt to those ever-shifting schedules, and if that means fielding a phone call at 4 a.m. seeking a breakfast buffet in a few hours, so be it, she said.

Word of mouth

"It can be very time-consuming, and patience is definitely a virtue. But it's well worth it," she said.

Crew members move from film to film, Florio noted. Impress a crew on a small independent film this year, and one of the assistants on that film may be working on a bigger film with a bigger budget a year from now. And that person might recommend your business to the producer of the bigger movie.

"Over time, people move up in the business, and if they take you with them, it's a fabulous thing," she said.

And no advertisement is more effective than word of mouth, she said, especially in an insular world such as the film industry.

Val Mazzucca, chief pilot for TLI Helicopter Charters in Ridgefield Park, deals with the other end of the industry spectrum -- stars and studio executives who can afford to pay a minimum fee of $2,100, say, from Teterboro Airport to a heliport near their hotel in Manhattan, or from Manhattan to a film location in New Jersey.

Tom Cruise was a passenger while filming Steven Spielberg's 2005 blockbuster "War of the Worlds" in Newark and Bayonne.

Mazzucca differs from other North Jersey business owners vying for film-related jobs in that he doesn't need the work. The helicopter he pilots is owned by a wealthy businessman who uses it for his personal travel, he said. But to offset maintenance costs, Mazzucca pilots charter flights, frequently for movie stars filming in the area.

"Most of them are regular people," he said.

"In my case, I think they sort of look up to me because as the pilot I hold their life in my hands."

Generators may not be as glamorous as fancy cars or helicopter rides with superstars, but few movies shot on location can do without them.

Rudox Engine & Equipment Co. in Carlstadt has provided generators for such big-budget productions as "The Wiz" and "Carlito's Way."

"It's not our most profitable area -- probably less than 5 percent of our overall business -- but we're one of the old-time players in the field," said Rudox sales manager William Cook.

Film production is a specialty field, Cook observed, one that requires unique technology to meet its unique demands.

One way Rudox meets those demands is by providing specialty generators that run quietly, so they don't interfere with the filming process.

Diversity of services and a high level of professionalism appear to be two of the qualities found in North Jersey companies that keep filmmakers coming back here, even as the competition for their business gets tougher both in the U.S. and abroad.

No one can afford to stand on past laurels, said the film commission's Gorelick; there's too much at stake.

"The bottom line is all the money that's being spent here," he said.

"That's what we're all about."

E-mail: prial@northjersey.com
* * *

Making a killing

To evoke the opulence of a penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan for the film "A Perfect Murder," the Hollywood movie studio Warner Bros. built an elaborate replica on a soundstage inside the Jersey City Armory. The 1998 movie, a thriller starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow, fared well at the box office, grossing $68 million in the United States. Jersey City also fared well, with local businesses getting most of the $5.4 million Warner Bros. spent during 90 days of shooting there. Expenses included:

# $2.8 million to hire local carpenters, electricians and construction workers

# $392,000 on hardware and lumber supplies

# $113,000 on catering, bakery goods and other food services

# $77,000 for local extras

# $41,000 for administrative personnel and supplies

# $30,000 for local security guards

# $27,000 for off-duty police officers

Source: Warner Bros.
* * *

Film industry economic impact in N.J.
Year # of projects Revenues
1980 112 $8.5 million
1985 276 $16.8 million
1990 421 $26.2 million
1995 518 $40.9 million
2000 664 $69.7 million
2005 937 $85.5 million

Source: N.J. Motion Picture & Television Commission
* * *

Getting involved

North Jersey companies seeking to obtain business from the film industry are advised to add their names and company information to the production services directory on the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission Web site at njfilm.org. The commission can be reached at njfilm@njfilm.org or 973-648-6279.

Quote:

This is a nice article. But, if the Jersey Journal can't run a map graphic with an article like this, it ought to consider running cross-street information.

Example: is this address here for Bright Street at Grove, or Bright Street at Jersey Avenue? I think near Grove, but I don't really remember, and I know I walk by this building all the time.

I'm unobservant and have a bad memory, but, if I'm a little lost, it could be that someone who lives in the Heights or even Hamilton Park could be really lost.

He's got my vote. He's conscientious, he's a hard worker and he gets things done. I think he'd make a great Mayor.

"However, the city still has contend with the fact the rail Embankment is owned by local property owner Steve Hyman, who wants to build two-family homes there. There was controversy over the embankment for a number of years because activists wanted it to be part of a park. The city is going through legal channels contesting Hyman's ownership rights."

It is important to know that those "activists" that the reporter
refers to are members and supporters of the Embankment Preservation Coalition and that they are still actively involved in creating a city park on the Embankment. Like the community organizations that supported Reservoir#3, the Embankment Preservation Coalition's primary purpose is to maintain a green space for a future park. The city, with a large degree of assistance and guidance from the EPC, has been mobilized to navigate legal options for retaining the Embankment as a public park for the people of Jersey City.

Falcon or others on here that are interested in TV & film making -- you can get a pretty nice "DV Magazine" subscription -- well -- "pretty nice" for FREE that is. It is good for info on sound issues and other other tech questions .. and did I say it was free!

Click this link:
http://www.submag.com/cgi-bin/subscribe?01




Quote:

*Breaking News* Rents increase throughout affected areas.

Quote:

My favorite hangout, hope they don't close it down.

The Guaranty Trust is Romanesque Revival. Romanesque architecture dates back to the 9th century. I believe you can see some fragments of Romanesque architecture at The Cloisters in upper Manhattan, the medieval collection of the Met.

They are all a bunch of old farts having fun with nickels and dimes most likely. Then again it is a crime so they should know better.
I hope they don't find the conditions and grub in jail better then the senior center!

I wish the Police would put the same effort and resources to some other issues as well.

PS, The average age of these notorious 10, is 66 years old - I'm surprised the Mayor didn't offer to lend a helping hand to arrest them!

Teachers and any other profession that deals with adolescent and young adults should also be trained in this area to help 'pool' information and help 'extinguish' youth at risk of gang activity.

What's in a name?
Old names on Downtown Jersey City buildings tell a story

Ricardo Kaulessar Hudson Reporter 02/23/2007

Why do buildings in downtown Jersey City have names like Luker Bros. and Guaranty Trust?

Some tell a story of businesses that rose and fell, while others are branded near the roof to memorialize a former use of the facility.

Luker Bros.

At the top of 83-85 Bright St., the name Luker Bros. is displayed prominently.

However, the building is now officially a condominium development called "The Opera.

Designed by architect Edward Patterson, the building was originally the headquarters of the Luker Bros. Livery, where horses were stored. It was built between 1899 and 1900 in the Italianate style, a 19th century architectural form inspired from the Italian Renaissance.

The actual address of the headquarters was 83 and 87 Bright St., including a two-story building that is now an auto garage.

Advertisement
The 83-85 Bright St. building would eventually become a storage warehouse for the Metropolitan Opera House through the 1960s, as sets and backdrops for opera productions were stored there.

In November 1987, the Opera condos opened with two- and three-bedroom units ranging in size from 1,410 to 1,870 square feet, with two units devoted to work/live dwellings. There are a total of eight condos in the four-story building.

A bank that closed during the Depression

The New Jersey Title and Guaranty Trust Bank at 83-85 Montgomery St. had a relatively short life. Originally known as the Hudson Storage and Indemnity Company, the bank opened for business in 1888 and closed 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression.

But what the bank left behind was a six-story building bearing its name that in the 1970s became one of the first condo-converted buildings in the city.

The red brick building initially had three stories when built in the 1800s. In 1897, with the growth of the NJ Title and Guaranty Trust Bank, came the expansion of three additional floors.

The building gained landmark designation in 1974 from what was then the Jersey City Historic District Commission, now the Historic Preservation Commission.

A document prepared by the commission in June of that year described how the building is "an excellent example of Romanesque architecture in the manner of H.R. Richardson...and that it makes a notable contribution to the architecture of this City."

Romanesque architecture goes back to the early 18th century and shows an affinity for medieval European and Roman architecture with an emphasis on round arches and barrel vaults. The commission document lists such qualities of the building as arches, Tuscan columns, and a pitched roof.

In 1973, those qualities were rediscovered when Arthur Goldberg, a New York City bond lawyer with roots in Jersey City, formed a corporation to buy the building.

By 1975, it was converted into 13 units and called the Bank Building.

Among those who first lived there was former Hudson County Executive and current felon Robert Janiszewski.

Fischer Bros.

Who were the Fischer Brothers?

A worker at the Milano Furniture Store located on the ground floor of the building did not know, nor did local historians. But their name is on top of the building with the official address of 158 Newark Ave., near the corner of Newark and Erie streets.

What is known is that the building was built in 1892, designed by architect Herman Kreitler in the Queen Anne style that was popular in the late 19th century.

The Queen Anne style is the most flamboyant and eccentric of Victorian house styles. It sometimes includes lavish amenities, gingerbread-type shingles, and asymmetrical features. It was popular during the growth of the Industrial Revolution in the 1880s and 1890s, as trains transported parts that were combined for unusual styles.

The Provident Bank Building

Customers walking into 239 Washington St. are greeted with the words "Provident Institution for Savings." This has not changed since 1890, when the Provident Savings Institution, the first bank in Jersey City and Hudson County and New Jersey's oldest mutual savings bank, opened this new headquarters.

What has changed is the ground floor. The floor also served as the temporary site of the Jersey City Free Public Library when it was first formed, until its present building on Jersey Avenue was constructed.

Today, the bank is there, but the library has moved.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

Paying more for water? United Water requests 28 percent rate hike

Jersey Journal Saturday, February 24, 2007

United Water filed an application yesterday with the state Board of Public Utilities asking permission to raise rates $7.91 per month for the typical customer, an amount that would raise the cost of a monthly residential water bill from $28.28 to approximately $36.16 - a 28 percent increase.

In Hudson County, the rate increase - which translates to approximately 26 cents per day - would affect Weehawken, Union City, Guttenberg, Secaucus, North Bergen and West New York, all of which are United Water customers.

Jersey City and Hoboken, both of which use United Water as a subcontractor, and Bayonne, which gets water from its own Municipal Utilities Authority, would not be affected, said United Water spokesman Rich Henning.

The company claims the increase is necessary to recoup nearly $240 million in investments it says it has made over the past decade to improve water quality and water service, as well as the money the utility says it has shelled out in increased energy costs, Henning said.

The BPU has up to nine months to approve the request, Henning said. In the meantime, United Water will have to prove to the agency that the increase is proportional to the investments for enhanced service it has made.

The BPU can also reduce the increase. "Anything's possible, including the possibility of the board reducing what we're asking for," said Henning.

GREG HANLON

Young councilman on the move: Fulop surveys residents across city; some say it's sign of mayoral run

Ricardo Kaulessar Hudson Reporter 02/23/2007

GETTING A RESPONSE ? This is the survey card that City Councilman Steven Fulop has been sending out to Jersey City residents.

Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop mailed surveys in late January to an estimated 25,000 residents, asking for their input about the city. But was the mass mailing conducted simply to accrue knowledge, or is the Fulop preparing for a possible mayoral run in 2009?

Fulop, who turns 30 this Wednesday, said he created the survey to do what he called a "performance review" of city government, a gesture that could be informed by his experience in the business sector working for the New York City-based financial firm Citigroup.

"Politicians don't do this and they should do this," said Fulop. "You work for the people and the residents are the ones who know best what's happening in their city."

But the 25,000 residents don't all live in Ward E, which includes the downtown area of the city near the waterfront.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy said Tuesday that a card was sent to his wife Maureen and to his son Patrick.

"This is just Fulop getting ready for a run at the mayor's office in 2009," mused Healy.

He went on to say that he did not fill out the survey since it was not addressed to him.

Overhearing Healy was longtime friend and local radio host Pat O' Melia, who said he not gotten a card but would fill one out live on his weekly radio show.

"The mayor should be doing this," said O'Melia. "He should be sending the survey. It shouldn't be a councilman from Ward E."

City Councilman Steve Lipski, a rival of Fulop's who represents Ward C, did not receive a survey but he was not impressed upon hearing about it.

"[Fulop] does not want to see what I am going to write," said Lipski. "I also don't need a survey to know what to do."

Lipski lives in the St. John's Apartments on St. Paul's Ave. His ward spans from Journal Square to part of the Heights.

Moving on up

Fulop, who will turn 30 this coming Wednesday, first ran for office in 2004 as a candidate for the 13th U.S. District Congressional seat, running against former Congressman and now U.S. Senator Robert Menendez. Fulop, who was backed by late Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham, lost handily to Menendez. However, that election set the stage for Fulop's run for City Council in 2005 when he pulled off an upset victory over incumbent E. Junior Maldonado.

In over a year, as one of the youngest councilmen in the city's history, Fulop has made a name for himself as a reformer and a thorn in Healy's political backside. This has led some to wonder if the recent survey was Fulop's excuse to glean potential voters should he decide to run for higher office such as mayor or City Council-at-large.

Fulop carried out a similar survey during his City Council run in 2005.

But Fulop denied any other motives besides just doing his job.

"People may not believe this, but I really enjoy my job," said Fulop. "Working on Wall Street, you don't always see the tangible results that you get from being a councilman helping people."

Fulop continued, "I think from an organization and a public service standpoint, it is important that this survey was carried out since people are paying high taxes and they want the best service."

Surveying the land

Fulop said last week that he is learning a lot from the responses to the cards.

He said he has picked up new responses almost every day at the U.S. Post Office on Montgomery Street.

"People took it very seriously and gave thoughtful responses," said Fulop.

The first section of the survey lists 13 issues. Respondents were asked to name three as those most needing "to be addressed in order to move the city forward."

The next section asked people to rate 10 city departments and services in five different categories.

The final section asked what is the one city service or department they want to see improved.

"Here's one," Fulop said, looking at a response. "High crime rate, paving, and employment. Here's another, and she writes taxes, abatements, and more historic preservation."

Fulop also found that the Police Department got mostly positive marks while the Jersey City Parking Authority rated lowest.

"It shows that people feel the police department is running better under Chief [Thomas] Comey than his predecessor," said Fulop.

Fulop said the cards were sent out as a random sampling and the names came from a mailing list.

Discussions on the survey's creation, according to Fulop, went back at least two months. Fulop said he wanted to put together a plan to address the various issues that affect residents throughout the city.

Fulop said it will be several months before he puts together a concrete plan, as he is gathering data with the help of his assistant Tracy La'Bad and some volunteers.

"I will create a map to show what needs improvement," said Fulop. "I hope to show this map, these results of the survey to the City Council."

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

What state is the city in? Mayor speaks of new PATH stops, cutting taxes, in first govt. address

Ricardo Kaulessar Hudson Reporter 02/23/2007

REACTIONS ? Audience members applaud during the State of the City address on Tuesday.

Mass transit, new revenue sources, and the quality of life were the main topics as Mayor Jerramiah Healy gave his first State of the City Address since taking office in fall of 2004.

About 200 people, many of whom were city officials and employees, were attendance in the auditorium of Middle School 4 on Bright Street Tuesday night. Among the prominent names attending were U.S. Rep. Albio Sires and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, who gave the introduction for the speech.

Healy spoke for 30 minutes and addressed five points: public safety and crime, the quality of life, economic development and fiscal responsibility, the environment, and integrity in government.

New transit stops in Newport, Marion

Advertisement
Healy said in his address he has had meetings with Port Authority officials about a new PATH station in the Marion section of the city west of Journal Square, and with representatives from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and NJ Transit about the light rail connecting the Newport area of the city with Secaucus.

"Our quality of life will truly be improved if we rely less on cars and improve our mass transportation," Healy said.

The tracks for the Newport-Secaucus connection would run across the Sixth Street Embankment through the Bergen Arches and end at the Secaucus transfer train station near Exit 15X of the New Jersey Turnpike - an idea Healy has been pursuing for about two years.

However, the city still has contend with the fact the rail Embankment is owned by local property owner Steve Hyman, who wants to build two-family homes there. There was controversy over the embankment for a number of years because activists wanted it to be part of a park. The city is going through legal channels contesting Hyman's ownership rights.

The PATH station in the Marion section would accommodate new residents who will move into that area in future years, as the result of condo projects such as the American Can Company site on Dey Street within close proximity to the proposed station.

New revenue to lower a tax increase

Jersey City property owners were hit with an 18 percent increase on their tax bill in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. Their wrath is something Healy wants to avoid.

"My administration has also searched for new ways to help create savings and generate revenues that will not increase the burden on property taxpayers," Healy said.

Healy said he is working with state legislators to pass legislation to bring about two future city taxes: a realty transfer fee and a billboard tax.

The realty transfer fee imposed would be 50 cents per $500 of sales when property within the city is transferred from buyer to seller. Healy and other city officials estimate the fee would bring in $1 million annually into the city's coffers.

Healy mentioned a billboard tax would be placed on billboards across the city. Healy offered no further details on the billboard tax in his address.

Affordable housing

Healy announced he is going to put together a committee of city officials, developers and affordable housing advocates to determine how they want to go forward with their affordable housing policy.

The city had suffered setbacks in that area because a state Appellate Court ruling in January struck down the state's affordable housing requirements for cities, meaning a new plan will have to be put into place within six months.

Also, the city was stymied in its attempt to increase the $1,500 fee per unit of luxury housing built that developers pay into the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

How to run a city

The theme of the address, the first by a Jersey City mayor since 2003, was "Our city is strong."

To make the city stronger, Healy said, "We plan on applying the principles of CompStat to all city departments as Baltimore has done with CitiStat to bring greater accountability to city government."

CitiStat is a computerized accountability program created in Baltimore based on the ComStat crime-fighting system pioneered in the New York City Police Department by Jack Maple in the 1990s. Like CompStat, CitiStat utilizes computer pin-mapping and weekly accountability sessions for every city agency, helping a mayor run his or her own city.

Jersey City has been contemplating the implementation of CitiStat since late mayor Glenn Cunningham was in office.

But the Healy administration has given strong consideration to CitiStat, with Mayor Healy and other city officials making trips to Baltimore in the past two years to see how CitiStat works.

When asked after the address if CitiStat will be in place before his term ends in 2009, Healy expressed uncertainty.

On crime

Healy reiterated that he would like to hire more police officers, and repeated some of his past accomplishments including putting more police on the street, the lower crime statistics over the past year, and implementing CompStat.

Business-friendly

Much of the speech was Healy's review of his accomplishments in office up until last week including: hiring more police officers, filling potholes, encouraging more development through the granting of tax abatements, getting companies to clean up property polluted with chromium, and reappointing the city's Ethics Board.

One of the larger issues he addressed was making Jersey City more "business-friendly" by continuing their tax abatement policy and doing "more to market Jersey City" such as holding forums for commercial real estate brokers.

"As always, when faced with tough decisions, we will not consider what the most politically expedient course of action is, but will look at one criterion: what is best for our City?" said Healy.

Mixed reviews

What impression did Healy leave upon those in the audience?

The comments were mixed.

Lavern Webb-Washington, a longtime resident of the city's Bergen-Lafayette section, said Healy's speech was "great."

"He did good, we came a long way," said Webb-Washington. "We have a good mayor; he's doing a good job."

Greenville resident Lorenzo Richardson, an accountant for the Urban League of Hudson County, commended Healy for covering a wide range of topics in his address but felt he left out some issues.

"I think more needs to be dealt with in terms of making housing affordable for those who live here as opposed to allowing the development that was spoken of for some people who don't live here," said Richardson.

Downtown resident Dan Levin was more stinging in his assessment.

"Bottom line," he said, "the speech was an outline of the status quo, and did not provide any comprehensive plans or vision to address his stated platform of public safety, quality of life and finances."

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

Gambling arrests at Greenville club

Saturday, February 24, 2007
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City police arrested numerous people on gambling charges this week at a Greenville social club where similar arrests have been made in the past, officials said yesterday.

On Tuesday, Jersey City Police Special Investigations Unit officers executed a search warrant at the Afro-American Club on Martin Luther King Drive near Clinton Avenue, officials said

Eugene Terry, 76, of King Drive, was arrested and charged with promoting gambling, possession of gambling records and maintaining a gambling establishment, officials said.

Arrested and charged with promoting gambling were: Steven Beverly, 53, of Fulton Avenue; Gregory Malone, 59, of Union Street; Michael Leval, 52, of Garfield Avenue; Pernell Holmes, 69, of Virginia Avenue; Milton Jones, 66, of Wade Street; Fred Evans Jr., 63, of King Drive; Alfons Glover, 76, of Newark; Sam Davis, 72, of Claremont Avenue and Lawson Worthy, 73.

Jersey City Firefighters recruited in war against gangs

February 24 -- By JASON TSAI - The Record

Police have enlisted a new ally in their battle against gangs, drugs and terrorism -- firefighters.

Firefighters in the state's inner cities are being trained by the state police and the Division of Fire Safety to act as "an extra set of eyes and ears on the ground," said state police Capt. Matthew Hartigan.

It means that firefighters in 14 cities, including Paterson, will be looking for evidence of criminal activity -- fake documents, bomb-making material, drug stashes -- whenever they enter homes or businesses on fire calls.

Authorities stress that the "Fire Gangs" initiative is not asking firefighters to become police officers. Instead, they want firefighters, often the first emergency personnel on a scene, to recognize the telltale signs of criminality.

Mirroring the state police initiative is Teaneck, which is specifically training its Fire Department on emerging gang threats.

"We're asking you to be aware of the gang activity that's going on in the township and surrounding communities," Teaneck police Detective Dave Kelter told a group of township firefighters on Friday.

Although fire and police forces have long worked in tandem, authorities said the new partnerships take an innovative approach to crime fighting. Also novel, they said, is the sharing of police intelligence with fire companies.

Towns that participate in the "Fire Gangs" program, for instance, will gain access to the state police crime database located at its new intelligence center in West Trenton, Hartigan said.

State police detectives will keep fire departments aware of new trends in crime. Teaneck detectives will provide the same intelligence to township firefighters, Kelter said.

"They're first on the scene of many emergencies and see things that many others don't," said state police spokesman Al Della Fave.

They're also traditionally seen by criminals as less of a "threat" than police, Hartigan said.

"When a fire department vehicle comes down the road, nobody really pays attention to it," he said. "Criminals seem to let down their guard when it's fire -- and not police -- that's driving by."

The fire departments participating in the program are located in cities that receive funding from Operation CeaseFire -- a state program to combat violence in inner cities.

In addition to Paterson, other fire departments taking part are in cities such as Jersey City, Elizabeth and Newark, the state police said.

Teaneck, which does not receive CeaseFire funding, began its program earlier this month. Kelter's presentation Friday morning was the last of four he has given to the Fire Department's shifts.

Much of his hour-long presentation focused on signs for which firefighters will be on the lookout -- including the color of clothing, gang graffiti and how to interpret gang slang they may overhear while at an emergency scene.

The goal, township Fire Chief Robert Montgomery said, is to prevent firefighters from developing "tunnel vision" while doing their jobs.

"Graffiti on a wall may look like nothing at all," said Teaneck Police Chief Paul Tiernan. "But by training the Fire Department, they may learn about gang-related activity while they're also putting out fires."

Kelter called the police and fire partnership "pure civic responsibility."

"It's all of our jobs to report something illegal when we see it," he said. "No, we're not asking you to actively go out and look for anything gang-related. But the Police Department can't do it totally on its own."

E-mail: tsai@northjersey.com

Hi Melissa,

One topic I'd like to address with the Mayor is the "trash" issue in Jersey City. It is embarrassing the amount of trash I run into in my daily walk to/from the PATH Grove Station. It seems like there is pride in having trash on the streets of Jersey City. It is an absolute eyesore and also a sanitary concern. If the Mayor is so proud of the Jersey doing "better than ever" ask him to explain how the trash helps in beautifying the city.

Why did he campaign on the position of ending tax abatements for the waterfront, yet support them for Lefrak's Shore Club development, calling them good for the city?

Why did it take him over a year to implement the COMPSTAT police management system, the so-called centerpiece of his campaign?

JCdowntown is sitting down with the Mayor for an interview that will be printed in our April issue. I would love to hear what questions and topics you would like to see the Mayor address.

Melissa
Editor-in-Chief
JCdowntown Magazine
melissamaguire@jcdowntownmag.com

It's not the first time the museum has been the recipient of a "generous donation" from a developer. Whenever there is a controversial tax abatement or other project, it seems that the "donation to the museum" is the sweetener that the city makes the developer throw in. It was just more egregious in the case of 111.

The hilarious irony of it is that the Museum has asked the Conservancy to speak at it's afternoon speaker's series for seniors. The topic is....wait for it....the history of the warehouse district.