Jersey Journal selling building and seeking new location in Hudson County

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
December 06, 2012

The Jersey Journal is finalizing the sale of its Journal Square headquarters in Jersey City, the daily newspaper?s home for 87 years, and is in the process of finding a new location in Hudson County.

Publisher Kendrick Ross announced the news to staffers yesterday morning, saying the upcoming move will not have an impact on the day-to-day operations of the paper.

?This is positive news, as it will allow us to find space that is suitable to the needs of a 21st-century news organization,? Ross said. ?We will continue to be the No. 1 news source in Hudson County in print and online.?

Ross said the process of finding a new location for the newspaper?s offices could take up to eight months.

?We are committed to remaining in Hudson County,? Ross said.

The Jersey Journal has moved its home a number of times since it first printed as The Evening Journal on May 2, 1867. First housed in an Exchange Place office, the paper moved to a Greene Street location two years later, and then to 37 Montgomery St. in 1875.

The paper headed out of Downtown in 1911 to Bergen and Sip avenues and relocated again to its current home in 1925 after the city?s creation of Journal Square, which was named after the paper.

The paper?s headquarters, at 30 Journal Square, was designed by John T. Rowland, the legendary Mayor Frank Hague?s personal favorite architect, according to historian and Jersey Journal columnist John Gomez.

Rowland was also responsible for Dickinson, Lincoln and Snyder high schools, as well as the old Jersey City Medical Center.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... rnal_selling_buildin.html

Jersey City panel approves three-tower Journal Square development

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
December 06, 2012 at 4:28 PM

Three residential towers containing nearly 2,000 units may soon call Journal Square home, with the Jersey City Planning Board this week approving a plan that city officials hope will jumpstart development in the heart of the city.

The towers would sit adjacent to the Journal Square PATH station, just west of Summit Avenue, and the project includes a public plaza connecting Summit to the transportation hub.

Developers KRE Group are behind the project, and the company hopes to begin construction by the end of 2013.

"KRE are proven developers in Jersey City with successful projects such as 225 Marin," said city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill. "It is classic example of transit-oriented development with density located next to mass transit."

The three towers are just one of a number of possibly transformative developments planned for Journal Square, including a two-tower project long planned for the lot just south of the PATH station and across the street from The Jersey Journal office.

Another possible project is a residential tower planned for a lot near the old Summit House, one that could reach up to 42 stories, though a city official recently called that development a ?pipe dream.?

Journal Square?s Hilltop Neighborhood Association is against the scope of the KRE towers, according to its president, Rich Boggiano. Boggiano said he is pro-development, but 70-story towers would tower over homes in the neighborhood.

?Nobody in this city listens to the neighborhood. Nobody listens to the people of Jersey City,? he said.

The first phase of the project would be a 54-story tower with 540 units, followed by a 70-story structure containing 700 units. The third tower would have 60 stories and 600 units. Each tower would have a retail or restaurant component.

The Hilltop group believes the project will increase traffic problems in Journal Square and put strain on the local sewer system and local schools.

City officials have said the project is ideal for the site, since its proximity to the PATH station will attract residents who don?t have cars.

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

Former Jersey City mayor's aide joining Healy ticket as at-large City Council candidate

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
December 05, 2012 at 2:17 PM

A former aide to Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has joined Healy?s reelection team as an at-large City Council candidate.

Omar Perez, a public-policy advisor, is the second person confirmed for Healy?s ticket. The mayor, who is seeking his third full term as mayor of New Jersey?s second-largest city, will also run with Ward E council candidate Dan Levin.

In a statement from the Healy campaign, the mayor said Perez ?knows how to bring people together.?

?In putting together my reelection team, I?m looking for those who share my same motivation for both running for office and for governing ? namely, always doing what?s best for the families, taxpayers and small businesses of Jersey City,? Healy said.

Healy will face Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop in next year?s mayoral contest. Yesterday, Healy touted endorsements from two unions representing over 4,600 teachers and school employees, while Fulop nabbed nods from high-profile leaders of the city?s Latino community.

Last year, Perez was one of 17 candidates vying for two at-large vacancies on the nine-member council. He came in ninth place.

?I have been a student of Jersey City politics for years, and I know, in this election the best candidate to move Jersey City forward is Jerramiah Healy,? said Perez.

Perez said he wants to better connect the community to city government, implement more green initiatives and create a city office of volunteerism.

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

Jersey City agency grants easement to Spectra Energy; City Councilman objects

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on December 05, 2012 at 11:16 AM

A Jersey City City Councilman last week used his opposition to the controversial Spectra Energy natural-gas pipeline to vote against granting the Houston energy giant an easement to place the pipe underneath property owned by a city agency.

Councilman at large Rolando Lavarro, also a member of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency board, was the only member of that board who voted against granting the easement at its November meeting.

Spectra will pay the agency roughly $130,000 for the easement. The issue came in front of the board about four months ago, but the body tabled their decision until last month's meeting.

Lavarro concedes that Spectra has already won approval from a federal agency to build the pipeline, which will snake underneath parts of Bayonne, Jersey City and offshore Hoboken. But he said granting the energy company an easement is tantamount to ?making Spectra?s life easier.?

?If we?ve exhausted every measure ? and we have no options left to us, then I would certainly reconsider,? Lavarro said. ?Right now, we still have pending options before us.?

The Federal Energy Regulator Commission in May gave final approval to Spectra?s request to build roughly 15 miles of new pipeline in parts of Hudson County and New York. Jersey City officials have voraciously opposed the project, with Mayor Jerramiah Healy vowing to utilize every legal method at the city?s disposal to halt construction.

The pipeline will create myriad safety issues and discourage development in the city, Healy has said. Spectra counters that the project will be one of the safest in North America.

But in October, the federal agency declined to reconsider its earlier decision, leaving the city with only one option left: a lawsuit in federal district court. City officials have privately conceded that stopping the pipeline at this stage ? construction has already begun ? is a longshot.

JCRA chief Bon Antonicello said the agency is aware of the city?s opposition to the pipeline, but he notes that Spectra has already won the approval of a federal judge to seize properties like the JCRA's 14,808-square-foot parcel in Greenville Yards, a former industrial area on the city's southern tip.

?Obviously we don?t want to jeopardize the city?s case, but we should negotiate the best deal we possibly can because they?re going to proceed to take it,? Antonicello said, adding that Spectra?s original offer for the easement was around $12,000.

Spectra has already seized other properties in the city to build the pipeline, including land near the Liberty Humane Society animal shelter.

Antonicello noted that while Spectra ?took possession? of the JCRA-owned lot and have started construction on it, the property remains owned by the JCRA though it has ?no market value for the agency.?

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

Jersey City mayor's reelection bid receives endorsement of local teachers union

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
December 04, 2012 at 12:40 PM

The 4,000-member Jersey City teachers union today endorsed Mayor Jerramiah Healy in his bid for reelection.

The Jersey City Education Association was joined in their support of Healy by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2262.

JCEA President Ron Greco said Healy is ?motivated by what?s best for Jersey City.?

?He?s always had Jersey City?s back, and we?re proud to have his back against an opponent who seems to care less about Jersey City?s children and more about what?s best for his own political gain,? Grecco said in a statement today released by Healy?s campaign.

Healy, who is seeking his third full term, will face Ward E City Councilman Steve Fulop in the 2013 mayor?s race.

Bill Murawski, president of AFSCME Local 2262, called the mayor ?a man of his word who understands Jersey City?s working families.? The union represents over 600 custodial workers, bus drivers, security and maintenance staff at Jersey City schools.

Healy said he is "honored" to have the support of the two unions.

?Everything I do as mayor is motivated by what?s best for Jersey City and the future of all the families who live here,? he said in the statement. ?Nothing is more important than looking out for Jersey City?s children."

Fulop's camp said that, notwithstanding today's Healy endorsements, the Fulop campaign has a "tremendous amount of respect" for school teachers and staff.

?While this endorsement is similar to the endorsement supporting Healy?s team in the last Board of Education election that we ended up winning, we still look forward to working with the unions representing our teachers and staff," Fulop said.

Fulop last week was endorsed by a group of black ministers, and today announced the endorsement of some high-profile leaders of the city?s Latino community.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ves_end.html#incart_river

Jersey City Latino leaders endorse Steve Fulop's bid for mayor

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
December 04, 2012 at 12:43 PM

Jersey City Ward E City Councilman Steve Fulop?s 2013 mayoral bid announced the endorsement today of some of the city?s Latino leaders, including the former councilman Fulop unseated when he first joined the council seven years ago.

Junior Maldonado, a Ward E councilman for one term until Fulop defeated him in 2005, said his former political rival will be ?an inclusive? mayor who will reach out to ?all the diverse communities? in the city.

?Jersey City can only be great when all its residents feel they have a say in the direction of the city,? Maldonado said in a statement released today by Fulop?s campaign.

Maldonado ran in 2005 as part of a ticket headed by Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Fulop?s chief rival for the mayoralty next year.

Maldonado is not the only former Healy loyalist to jump on the Fulop bandwagon. Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez, who ran on Healy?s ticket in 2009 along with Maldonado, said today that she has ?gained a tremendous amount of respect? for Fulop.

?I have seen how hard he fights for his constituents and much he cares about every resident of the city,? she said. ?I know Steven will be a terrific mayor and I am proud to support him?

Lopez?s endorsement should come as no surprise. Though she first joined the nine-member council in 2005 as part of Healy?s team, she has in recent years sided more ? though not always ? with Fulop against administration initiatives.

Fulop today also touted endorsements from former deputy mayors Alma Santana and Anthony Cruiz, former Ward E councilman Jaime Vazquez and others.

Last week, a group of about a half-dozen black ministers endorsed Fulop over Healy, as did Hudson County Freeholder Bill O?Dea, while today two public-workers unions, including the Jersey City Education Association, endorsed Healy

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ers_end.html#incart_river

Jersey City deputy mayor resigns, saying it's time to 'move on'

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on December 04, 2012 at 10:45 PM

After a nearly seven-month tenure as a Jersey City deputy mayor, Hudson County attorney Ray Velazquez has resigned, Velazquez told The Jersey Journal tonight.

Velazquez, who sat on the City Council for about a year until being unseated during a special election last November, said tonight he enjoyed his time as deputy mayor, but has decided it's time for him to "move on."

"I thank the people for the privilege to serve them," he said

Velazquez was sworn in on May 17 to become one of three city deputy mayors. He accepted a $1 annual salary for his role with the city, as does another deputy mayor, lobbyist Raj Mukherhi, who does accept health benefits.

Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari's annual salary is $110,056.

The role is largely ceremonial with few duties specified by statute, though Mayor Jerramiah Healy has said that deputy mayors play a large role in real-estate development and state and federal issues.


Velazquez was appointed to the City Council in October 2010, filling an at-large vacancy left when former councilman Mariano Vega stepped down after pleading guilty to corruption charges. Velazquez ran in November 2011 to remain in the seat until next May's city election, but was defeated.

Velqzquez is assistant county counsel for Hudson County, earning roughly $77,000 for that role.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... r_resig.html#incart_river

Political Insider: Healy left trying to convince backers to go down with ship

December 03, 2012, 4:25 PM
By Agustin C. Torres/The Jersey Journal

Assemblyman Sean Connors of the 33rd Legislative District by way of Jersey City is being tagged this week with the nickname "Robert the Bruce" after taking back his endorsement of Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

All those fans of the movie "Braveheart" know the political implications of the moniker. In the popular 1995 flick that stars Mel Gibson as Scottish warrior William Wallace, the nobleman Robert the Bruce, who becomes king of Scotland, sides with Wallace in his fight against England. In a key battle, Robert the Bruce -- obviously cognizant of his political future -- doesn't follow Wallace onto the bloody field, guaranteeing the heroic rebel's defeat, torture, and death.

While I understand the Connors analogy, perhaps "Robert the Bruce's" "dis-endorsement" is more epic than most realize.

This whole thing started with Healy's early September announcement that he is indeed seeking re-election. At the same time, the mayor produces nearly a half-dozen endorsements from the same pols who either work for him or are part of the same Hudson County Democratic Organization or Jersey City Democratic Organization pea pods that they all inhabit -- including Connors.

Healy's archenemy, Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop, makes light of the endorsements, noting that they come from career pols who had been living on more than one paycheck and padding pensions, even while the councilman was with the Marines in the Middle East.

After being wined and dined on the Jersey Shore by a couple of Healy acolytes, Connors is talked into attacking Fulop. The assemblyman then publicly calls Fulop "un-American" for saying bad things about pols who he says worked hard at becoming public servants.

Since then, the Healy ship of state "Re-elect" has been taking on water, even before Hurricane Sandy. In recent columns I?ve suggested there would be people jumping ship about now.

Early this week, there were endorsements from several African-American pastors. Then came the big surprise -- Connors announced he was taking back his endorsement of the mayor, mostly based on what he called Healy's dismal performance during the hurricane aftermath. The assemblyman said he heard the complaints of residents of chaos and looting in the cold, dark neighborhoods.

He did not say he was backing Fulop, so it seems the assemblyman was anxious to put himself back on neutral ground, a return to the factory default settings. Connors has to start back on the bottom rung of the ladder, but at least he will not be underwater.

The administration immediately went on the offensive and attacked Connors publicly, saying Healy worked 24 hours a day during the hurricane crisis. Privately, they tried to sell the story that Connors was trying to leverage his endorsement for a job, which is against the law, and then that the assemblyman wanted Healy to fire Police Chief Tom Comey and Chief of Staff Rosemary McFadden. It is hard to believe that Connors, who was never taken seriously by the Healy administration, would really think he could make those requests.

Connors is capable in the Heights section of the city, which is considered the center of the administration's political strength. The withdrawal of "Robert the Bruce" is a serious blow, a move that could "gut" -- well, depress -- Healy's base.

Then the snowball got bigger Thursday when Freeholder Bill O'Dea sneaked in a hook by endorsing Fulop's bid for mayor. The freeholder called Fulop and his followers young and energetic, something that could only help the city. O'Dea is a powerful influence on West Side, Marion and even Journal Square voters. The former councilman also has strong name recognition in other sections of the city.

There are two ways Healy and company will try to stop the bleeding -- money and one big endorsement.

Funding starts tonight when McFadden hosts some Democrats from Monmouth and Ocean counties at her Allenhurst home at $200 a pop. Hope it's a big house.

The big one is on Thursday. The Healy fundraiser is at Casino in the Park on Thursday, starting at 5 p.m. It will cost $150 per ticket.

Will they close off some of the hall to make the crowd look bigger? There is some panic. Parking Authority front office workers are getting some pressure -- forget Christmas -- to attend, according to city sources.

Contrast this with Fulop scheduling three fundraising events this month with no problems.

Finally, Healy and company are planning a meeting with Sen. Sandra Cunningham, rumored to be a last-minute hat in the mayoral ring (it will never happen), and her political guru Joe Cardwell in the mayor's effort to solicit her endorsement. The mayor will come with a big shopping list for the senator to pick her holiday gifts in return for an immediate endorsement.

Negotiations should be short. Healy no longer has a majority of votes on the City Council. He can not offer 40 to a million pre-election promotions in the Police and Fire departments. Even if he can do something for the senator and her followers, it may only be available for five to six months, until the May election.

Last-minute source report: This morning the Healy Team plans a pep rally at the Liberty House Restaurant in Liberty State Park to toughen up the jellied backbones of some political followers. The campaign can ill afford the cost, but there are several more "Robert the Bruces" ready to walk in the Healy camp.

A Healy speech at the rally may resemble the one below from "Braveheart."

Wallace: "I am William Wallace. And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny! You have come to fight as free men. And free man you are! What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?"

A Scottish warrior responds: "Two thousand against ten? No! We will run -- and live!"

http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index ... _left_t.html#incart_river

Jersey City City Council rejects request to borrow $9.5M to fund retiree costs

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on December 03, 2012 at 11:10 AM

The Jersey City City Council last week rejected a measure that would have allowed the city to borrow $9.5 million to pay for terminal-leave costs associated with retiring city workers.

While the ordinance received five affirmative votes at Wednesday?s council meeting, bond ordinances need six affirmative votes for adoption.

Council members voting against the ordinance David Donnelly, Steve Fulop and Rolando Lavarro said they don?t want to ?kick the can down the road? by borrowing money for today?s costs.

Business Administrator Jack Kelly repeatedly stressed that he believes it is ?fiscally prudent? to take advantage of historically low interest rates to borrow for what he dubbed an extraordinary number of retiring workers.

Council members Peter Brennan, Bill Gaughan, Nidia Lopez, Viola Richardson and Michael Sottolano voted in favor of the city?s borrowing plan.

At her first meeting as a council member, Ward F Councilwoman Diane Coleman abstained, saying she hadn?t received enough information to vote yes or no.

The city on Friday announced that the council would reintroduce the ordinance for a vote at a special meeting Wednesday.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... ance_to_allow_95m_lo.html

Drivers blast Port Authority's Hudson River toll hikes

By Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal
December 03, 2012 at 12:07 PM

Toll hikes went into effect today at all of the Port Authority's Hudson River crossings, and drivers heading into --and in some cases avoiding -- the Holland Tunnel yesterday afternoon from Jersey City were not happy.

"I think it sucks," said taxi driver Edward Melnikov while he was gassing up at a station just outside the tunnel.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey increased cash tolls for the Holland and Lincoln tunnels, as well as the Bayonne Bridge, from $12 to $13 yesterday.

Drivers using E-ZPass will have to fork over $10.25 during peak commuting hours -- that's up from $9.50 -- and $8.25 during off-peak hours, up from $7.50.

Cash tolls increased at the same crossings in September 2011 from $8 to $12, and from $8 to $9.50 during peak hours for E-ZPass users.

By December 2015 cash tolls are slated to increase to $15, while peak-hour tolls for E-ZPass users are to rise to $12.50.

Jersey City residents Malene Kleman, 25, and Michael Stentebjerg, 28, were filling up at a gas station near the Holland Tunnel yesterday but had no intention of driving into Manhattan, because according to Stentebjerg, tolls are already "too damn high."

"I don't go to Manhattan because it's (the tolls) so expensive," Kleman said. "I would rather take the PATH."

The controversial increases were approved last year by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, with the bistate agency saying it needs the revenue to fund a 10-year, $25.1 billion capital-improvements plan.

"The whole thing is ludicrous because it's all going to the World Trade Center," New Jersey based-limousine driver, Jeroy Klunek, 72, said yesterday. "It gives us nothing ...They keep raising the costs, raising the costs and raising the costs."

A lawsuit filed against the Port Authority by AAA claims the new revenue is instead intended for real estate development at the new World Trade Center site, not transportation-related expenses as the Port Authority claims.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... horitys.html#incart_river

Jersey City men hit with multiple indictments in Journal Square murder

By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
November 29, 2012 at 1:26 PM

Two Jersey City men charged in the murder of a man shot in the head near Hudson County Community College on Journal Square in March have been indicted on multiple counts.

Now 18 years old, Kashawn Q. Fuller, of Wilkinson Avenue, and the alleged triggerman, Christopher D. Erazo, 18, of Suydam Drive in Jersey City, are charged in the March 29 killing of Chad Edgehill, 24, of Fairmount Avenue, officials said.

The indictment was signed on Nov. 20 and made public yesterday.

Fuller was 17 at the time of the killing, but he has been waived up to criminal court.

Security footage shows the victim meeting the gunman and accomplice near the Jackie Robinson statue in front of the PATH station on Journal Square, officials said at the time.

The gunman and victim were ?????then captured on video in the drugstore on the PATH concourse, where Edgehill withdrew money from an ATM, officials said at the time.

The three men then walked toward the community college, and under the covered walkway on the building?s west side was where Edgehill was shot at 9:20 p.m.

An off-duty Port Authority police officer heard the shot and found Edgehill dead with $120 near his hand, officials said at the time.

Edgehill moved to Jersey City from Brooklyn a year before he was killed. He worked as a security guard at New York?s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Officials said Edgehill and the gunman apparently knew each other.

Erazo and Fuller?s bails were set at $500,000 cash only.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... y_men_hit_with_multi.html

O'Dea backing Fulop for JC mayor
By Politicker Staff | November 29th, 2012

Another day, another political endorsement for Jersey City mayoral candidate Steve Fulop.

Citing the need for change in City Hall, Hudson County Freeholder William O?Dea today endorsed the downtown councilman in the non-partisan May election.

?Councilman Fulop is the embodiment of a new generation of young, energetic leaders that Jersey City needs to reach our full potential,? said O?Dea, who represents Jersey City?s West Side and parts of Greenville and Journal Square on the Freeholder Board.

?Councilman Fulop believes that all elected and appointed government officials need to be held accountable. Through his years on the City Council, he has demonstrated time and time again that he is not afraid to ask the tough questions that lead to solutions facing his constituents in Ward E,? O?Dea said. ?I know he will use those skills to benefit the entire city when he is elected mayor.?

O?Dea said Fulop understands that there are two waterfronts in Jersey City with many neighborhoods in between that need attention.

?He understands the need to create incentives to develop communities throughout the city, not just along the Hudson River waterfront,? O?Dea said. ?He realizes that more resources and energy need to be put into neighborhood revitalization. We need to bring balanced development throughout the city, improving all neighborhoods and creating job opportunity for all residents.?

O?Dea said Fulop has the energy to organize and motivate people to accomplish a mission. The freeholder said he witnessed Fulop?s energy during the recent crisis following Hurricane Sandy.

?With much of his ward devastated by flooding, the councilman diligently saw to it that his constituents were informed and had access to government relief,? O?Dea said. ?Councilman Fulop has shown a willingness to use technology to keep his constituents informed, whether through email, social media or the internet. He also sent volunteers into effected parts of his ward to reach out to residents who lacked access to the technology after the storm.?

Fulop said O?Dea?s endorsement is significant from a personal, governmental and political perspective.

?I am proud to have Freeholder William O?Dea in my corner,? Fulop said. ?This is personally significant because Bill is a born and raised resident of Jersey City. He is as tough as they come and his confidence in my abilities means more than I can convey. From a government standpoint, there has been no bigger advocate for the West Side of Jersey City for the last 20 years than Freeholder Bill O?Dea. Politically, it is no secret that his political organization and volunteers are the strongest in this community, winning year after year.?

Earlier this week, Fulop was endorsed by Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, one of the most prominent African-American religious leaders in the state, along with more than a dozen Jersey City clergy. Fulop has also been endorsed for mayor by U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a Democrat whose district extends into portions of Jersey City.

Read more at http://www.politickernj.com/61310/ode ... op-jc-mayor#ixzz2Dg26ClAh
or sign up for a free trial of State Street Wire at http://www.politickernj.com/freetrial

Jersey City school elections to move to November, thanks to City Council's vote

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
November 29, 2012 at 3:25 PM

Jersey City?s school elections are moving from April to November next year, thanks to a nearly unanimous vote by the City Council last night.

Voters overwhelmingly approved a non-binding referendum earlier this month approving the change, a ballot initiative the council had intended to use as a guide to determine whether the community was OK with the switch.

Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop championed the move, saying it would save taxpayers about $200,000 a year and would increase voter turnout. Voters this November, who approved the change 73 percent to 27 percent, ?spoke loud and clear,? Fulop said last night.

In Hudson County, Guttenberg, Hoboken and Kearny have moved their school elections to November.

The council approved the change 7-1, with Councilwoman at large Viola Richardson voting ?no.? Richardson said she is concerned that the referendum's supporters didn?t know that once school elections are moved to November, school budgets that don?t have tax increases above the 2 percent tax-levy cap do not have to be approved by voters.

?I think that perhaps people didn?t really understand, and I didn?t really understand what it would mean,? she said.

Fulop said it?s ?presumptuous? to think that the 24,000 voters who cast their ballots in favor of the change didn?t know the consequences of the decision.

Fulop has played an influential -- his critics say overreaching -- role in local school-board politics. In the last three school elections, all nine of his picks have won election.

Richardson?s thoughts echoed comments made by about a half-dozen residents, including her cousin and aide, Lorenzo Richardson, who pleaded with the council last night to keep the school elections in April.

Making the change would increase the role politics plays in school elections, and it would also leave the community with no say in how the district taxes residents, said the residents.

Riaz Wahid voiced objections to the City Council's decision to move school elections to November.

?We are giving up our ability to work on the budget,? said Riaz Wahid, a frequent critic of Fulop and a constant presence at Board of Education meetings.

Wahid added that a November ballot with school candidates included will be ?very confusing? for voters.

The Jersey City council?s decision essentially increases the length of the terms of three sitting school board members ? Carol Lester, Angel Valentin and Sterling Waterman ? whose terms were set to expire next April.

Board member Gerald Lyons, who was appointed in September to fill a vacancy on the nine-member board, will also see is temporary term extended until after next November's election.

468 school districts in the state have moved their school elections to November, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association. Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill into law last year that permits school boards, voters or municipal councils to make the switch.

NJSBA spokesman Mike Yaple said schools boards that have OK?d the move were attracted by the idea of ?budget stability.?

School districts with elections in November do not have to seek voter approval for budgets unless they come with tax increases over 2 percent. In that instance, voters are faced with approving or voting down just the tax increase, according to Yaple.

This November, three school districts asked voters to approve tax increases. Two of those districts succeeded.

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

Waterfront walkway linking Hoboken, Jersey City to close this weekend for Spectra pipeline construction

By Charles Hack/The Jersey Journal
on November 29, 2012 at 2:54 PM

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway that links Newport in Jersey City and the Hoboken Terminal will be closed for the construction of the Spectra Energy gas pipeline this weekend, the company has announced.

The walkway will be closed from Friday Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. to Monday, Dec. 3 at 5 a.m.

Spectra, which wants the pipeline completed by next November, has been using drilling equipment just to the south of the Hoboken Terminal to bore under the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York.

Spectra Energy will be providing a 24-hour shuttle bus service between Newport and the Hudson Terminal.

The shuttle will stop at two locations in Newport, one at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Pavonia Avenue, in front of the PATH station; and Washington Boulevard and 14th Street.

For more information call (888) 568-7269

http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ss ... ing_hob.html#incart_river

Jersey City law implementing six-month waiting period for failed ordinances set for repeal

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on November 28, 2012 at 7:48 PM

A Jersey City law aimed at prohibiting the City Council from revisiting failed ordinances for six months may soon be repealed.

The law, which Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop believes was targeted at him, was adopted in 2010 after Fulop continued to introduce ordinances even after they repeatedly failed to win approval from the nine-member body.

Fulop voted in favor of repealing that law tonight, and was joined by council members Diane Coleman, David Donnelly, Rolando Lavarro, Nidia Lopez and Viola Richardson. Peter Brennan, Bill Gaughan and Michael Sottolano opposed the move.

The council needs to OK the measure one more time before it is adopted.

Fulop said the council only moved to implement the six-month waiting period to keep him from introducing measures that were unpopular with the city administration. Repealing the waiting period merely restores what had been the law for ?80 years,? he said.

?This is reverting back to the way it?s been,? Fulop said.

Sottolano, meanwhile, said there ?should be some waiting period? before a failed ordinance is reintroduced, while Richardson warned that she hoped repealing the law doesn?t lead to council members repeatedly introducing failed measures.

?When it becomes redundant, I?m going to vote ?no? in the future,? she said.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... nting_s.html#incart_river

Jersey City City Council rejects $9.5 million ordinance to pay for costs associated with retiring workers

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on November 28, 2012 at 8:35 PM

A measure that would have allowed Jersey City to borrow $9.5 million to pay for terminal-leave costs associated with retiring city workers has been rejected by the City Council.

The ordinance, sought by the city?s administration, received five affirmative votes at tonight?s council meeting. Bond ordinances need six affirmative votes for adoption.

Council members voting against the ordinance ? David Donnelly, Steve Fulop and Rolando Lavarro ? said they don?t want to ?kick the can down the road? by borrowing money for today?s costs.

?There is nothing budgeted this year to repay any of this bonding for the retirements that are happening this year,? said Fulop, who called the city?s borrowing plan ?bad public policy.?

The city was seeking to take advantage of a state law that permits municipalities to issue bonds in order to pay off terminal-leave costs in five years instead of budgeting the costs all at once.

Business Administrator Jack Kelly repeatedly stressed that he believes it is ?fiscally prudent? to take advantage of historically low interest rates to borrow for what he dubbed an extraordinary number of retiring workers.

?All these contracts were approved ? now we need to pay the piper,? said Kelly, who added he prefers to pay it off in five years than ?dump it all on the taxpayer this year.?

The city paid $4.5 million to retiring workers in 2009, an amount that nearly doubled the following year. This year, the city has already paid out $6.7 million to retiring workers, and could pay nearly $3 million before the year ends, according to Kelly.

Council members Peter Brennan, Bill Gaughan, Nidia Lopez, Viola Richardson and Michael Sottolano voted in favor of the city's borrowing plan.

At her first meeting as a council member, Ward F Councilwoman Diane Coleman abstained, saying she hasn?t received enough information about the ordinance to vote yes or no.

Seconds before Brennan cast the final vote, Kelly attempted to withdraw the measure from consideration. But as council members told him he couldn?t take that action once voting started, Brennan voted, and City Clerk Robert Byrne declared that the ordinance failed to pass.

City Chief of Staff Rosemary McFadden said officials will discuss tomorrow how to proceed.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... rejec_5.html#incart_river

Changes permitting 42-story tower in Journal Square approved by Jersey City City Council

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on November 28, 2012 at 9:02 PM

Amendments to a Jersey City redevelopment plan that will permit a controversial 42-story tower in a Journal Square neighborhood were approved by the City Council tonight over the objections of a neighborhood group.

The amendments are the result of a legal settlement between the city and the owner of a property that runs along Summit Avenue across the street from the Journal Square PATH station.

City officials praised the deal, saying the property is the logical spot for a high-density residential tower. Officials also noted that the city will receive a nearly one-acre lot from the property's owner that the city plans to use as a public park.

?Journal Square is the heart of the city,? said Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez, who voted in favor of the amendments. ?I think we need to bring Journal Square back and I think projects like this are what?s going to bring it back.?

Lopez was joined by council members Peter Brennan, Bill Gaughan, Viola Richardson and Michael Sottolano in favor of the changes to the Journal Square Redevelopment Plan.

David Donnelly, Steve Fulop and Rolando Lavarro voted against, while new council member Diane Coleman abstained.

Rich Boggiano, representing Journal Square community group the Hilltop Neighborhood Association, voiced his objections, saying the group?s members are opposed to having a 440-foot tower in their neighborhood.

?It?s going to put them in a shadow,? he said.

Boggiano used an expletive to describe the council?s action, and blamed ?politics? on the city?s decision to settle with Robinhood Plaza, the property?s owner, rather than fight Robinhood in court.

?We?ve got lawyers who are afraid to go to court,? he said.

Robinhood Plaza sued the city after the 2010 Journal Square Redevelopment Plan was adopted, claiming the plan left the owner with "no development potential" for its Summit Avenue property.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... rmitting_42-story_to.html

Jersey City Councilman Fulop eyes repeal of measure limiting reintroduction of rejected ordinances

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
November 28, 2012 at 3:00 AM

Jersey City's law prohibiting City Council members from reintroducing failed ordinances "too soon" may be history.

The measure, adopted in 2010 in a seemingly direct rebuke of Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, barred the council from revisiting any ordinance less than six months after its failure to pass.

At the time, Council President Peter Brennan, who proposed the measure, denied it was directed at Fulop. But Fulop had only recently failed to win council support for a host of items, and had threatened to continue bringing the failed ordinances before the council.

At Monday's council caucus, Fulop said repealing Brennan's measure would merely restore a process that has been around "forever."

Fulop is flexing some political muscle after helping Diane Coleman win a special election earlier this month, securing what could be a crucial fifth vote in favor of Fulop's agenda. Coleman is expected to be sworn in as the council's new Ward F representative before tonight's meeting.

Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano said Monday night that he thinks Brennan's measure should stand.

"We're constantly going over the same ordinances. There should be some time restraint," he said.

Tonight's council meeting is at 6 at City Hall, 280 Grove St.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... y_councilman_fulop_e.html

'Musical chairs' on Jersey City City Council as body preps to add sixth new member since 2009

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
November 27, 2012 at 3:15 PM

Just call it Jersey City Musical Chairs.

Diane Coleman, who is expected to be sworn-in tomorrow as the City Council?s newest Ward F representative, is set to become the sixth new person sworn onto the nine-member body since its term began in July 2009.

With Councilwoman at large Viola Richardson being elected to two different seats since 2009, Coleman's will be the seventh swearing-in since the last city election.

That?s an unprecedented turnover rate the likes of which the city has never seen, according to one city official.

Seven different individuals have sat in the three at-large seats since the last city election, while three different women have been the Ward F rep in that period, counting Coleman.

?It?s musical chairs,? the official said.

Since 1961, only one council?s term has been as tumultuous, with the 2001-2005 period seeing current Mayor Jerramiah Healy, then an at-large council member, resigning to become mayor, current Council President Peter Brennan stepping down as the Ward A rep to replace Healy and Kathleen Curran replacing Brennan in Ward A.

This term?s epic turnover rate began with the massive corruption sweep in July 2009, which ensnared former Ward B council rep Philip J. Kenny ? who was first appointed to the council just six months earlier ? and former at-large member Mariano Vega, first elected in 2001.

Kenny resigned in October 2009, while Vega held onto his seat until September 2010. Both were sentenced to federal prison for accepting bribes, Kenny for one year and Vega for 30 months.

Current Ward B Councilman David Donnelly was appointed to replace Kenny, and won a special election in 2010 to remain in the seat until Kenny?s term expires next June. Vega was replaced by mayoral appointment Ray Velazquez, a Hudson County attorney.

The musical chairs continued in February 2011 when former councilwoman at large Willie Flood resigned, citing illness (Flood died in April 2012). Mayoral appointment Kalimah Ahmad, also a Hudson County attorney, quickly replaced her.

Velazquez and Ahmad ran in a wild special election in November 2011 ? along with 15 other candidates ? to remain in the at-large seats until Velazquez?s and Flood?s terms expire next June. Both lost, to Richardson -- then the Ward F councilwoman -- and New Jersey City University official Rolando Lavarro.

(Adding to the confusion, Velazquez was sworn-in as a deputy mayor this May.)

When Richardson became a councilwoman at large, that opened up the Ward F council seat. Mayoral appointment Michele Massey was sworn-in to the post in December 2012, and ran in this month?s special election to remain in the seat until June 2013.

Unofficial election results show Massey lost by about 1,500 votes to Coleman, whose victory is expected to be certified by Hudson County election officials this week. The results are not expected to shift to Massey, and Coleman?s council nameplate has already been engraved.

Ward E Councilman Fulop said he thinks the high turnover rate is ?sad.?

?I think that continuous representation is important to an elected government,? he said, adding that the near-constant shift of elected officials ?affects services ? affects responsiveness.?

Brennan ? who replaced Vega as the nine-member body?s leader when Vega resigned from the post ? disagrees. The high turnover rate can be seen as a positive, with new council members bringing ?different viewpoints? to the table, Brennan said.

He added, ?I think each council person that comes on board knows their area.?

Fulop backed Coleman in this month?s special election, while Healy backed Massey. Fulop said there?s only one culprit for this council term?s musical chairs: political corruption.

?It?s been tumultuous because there?s been unprecedented arrests associated with this administration for corruption,? he said. ?One is directly related to the other, and all of this costs taxpayers money.?

In a statement, Healy noted that only two council members resigned because they faced corruption charges, while Flood stepped down because of illness.


"To assign all changes on the council to corruption is just another gross exaggeration of the facts by Steve Fulop," Healy said.

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

Several members of Jersey City?s African American clergy endorse Fulop for mayor in 2013

Nov 27, 2012 | Hudson Reporter

JERSEY CITY ? Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, a former executive director of the Black Ministers? Council of New Jersey, was today joined by several other African American clergy members to endorse Ward E City Councilman Steven Fulop in his 2013 bid for mayor.

Fulop?s challenger next year is current Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.

Referencing some of the most important concerns to voters, Jackson said Tuesday, ?Steven Fulop is an experienced leader who is committed to all the residents of Jersey City. A vote for Steven Fulop is a vote for positive change. Steven Fulop will not rest until every child in this city has the opportunity to attend successful schools and live in a city with safe streets, thriving business and young families investing in their communities. He will not rest until every child can walk the streets without fear of hearing gunshots, or being recruited by a gang, or being offered drugs. He will not rest until this city?s government treats everyone in the community fairly and equitably.?

Bishop Jackson made his endorsement in Ward F, home to Jersey City?s largest population of African American residents. He was joined by Rev. Donna Atwater of Greater Destiny Family Worship; Rev. Julian Cooper of St. John?s AME Church; Rev. Abdel Khan of Breath of Hope Ministry; Rev. Charles McKenney of House of Prayer; Rev. Reginald McRae of Mt. Pisgah AME Church; Rev. John Milligan of New Redeemer Reformed Episcopal Church; Rev. C. Eugene Overstreet of New Covenant Baptist Church of Christ and Ministries; Rev. Lawrence T. Rivers and Rev. Wendolyn Rivers of Trinity Faith Church; Rev. Vincent L. Thomas of Bethany Baptist Church; and Rev. Joyce Watterman of Continuous Flow Christian Center.

Elder Thysson Halley, of Chosen Generation Ministries, has also endorsed Fulop for mayor, according to Fulop?s campaign, although he did not attend the Nov. 27 event.

These endorsements come a day after New Jersey State Assemblyman Sean Connors (Jersey City ? 33rd Dist.) withdrew his support from Healy, citing the mayor?s handling of the superstorm Sandy earlier this month. Connors had previously endorsed Healy for re-election.

http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/fu ... te_lead_story_left_column

Gay Men, Moms Sue NJ Jewish Gay Conversion Therapists

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES
Nov. 27, 2012?
abcnews.go.com

JONAH Official Says Group Has 'Helped Hundreds'

Four gay men and two of their mothers filed a lawsuit today against a New Jersey conversion therapy group that claims to rid men of same-sex attractions and turn them straight.

The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of New Jersey Hudson County, alleges that methods used by the Jersey City-based Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing (JONAH) http://jonahweb.org/index.php do not work and constitute fraud under the state's consumer protection laws.

Arthur Goldberg, JONAH's co-director, and Alan Downing, a "life coach" who provides therapy sessions, were also named in the suit.

The plaintiffs include Michael Ferguson, Benjamin Unger, Sheldon Bruck and Chaim Levin, all of whom used the services of JONAH when they were in their teens or young 20s.

Two of the men's mothers, Jo Bruck and Bella Levin, who paid for therapy sessions that could cost up to $10,000 a year, were also plaintiffs.

One of the plaintiffs alleges that therapy sessions that involved a virtual "strip tease" in front of an older male counselor, as well as reliving abuse and homophobia were "humiliating."

They are seeking declaratory, injunctive and an undisclosed amount of monetary relief, as well as court costs, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs have received legal help from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which claims in the lawsuit that conversion therapy is a dangerous practice that has been "discredited or highly criticized" by every major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional organization.

Three of the young plaintiffs are from an ultra orthodox Jewish background; Ferguson came from a Mormon background and met Downing at a "Journey Into Manhood" retreat, according to the lawsuit.

JONAH appears to cater to orthodox Jews, but its methods "do not have a strong religious aspect," according to SPLC lawyer Sam Wolfe.

The lawsuit alleges that some of the methods used included: telling boys to beat a pillow, the "effigy of the client's mother," with a tennis racket; encouraging "cuddling" between younger clients and older male counselors; and even instructing attendees to remove their clothing and hold their penis in front of Downing.

Attendees were also subjected to ridicule as "faggots" and "homos" in mock locker room and gym class role playing, according to the lawsuit.

"It's definitely cruel and unusual and doesn't work," said Wolfe. "They are peddling bogus techniques that have no foundation in science and are basically ridiculous and even harmful."

Wolfe paraphrased JONAH's message as: "All you have to do is put in the work to overcome your sexual attractions. If you follow our program your true orientation emerges and will turn you into a straight person."

"Often if what the conversion therapist tells them doesn't work, it's their fault," Wolfe added.

In 2008, when the plaintiffs were seeking help from JONAH, the cost of an individual therapy session was $100 and for a group session, $60. JONAH also "strongly pushed" attending weekend retreats that could cost as much as $700, said Wolfe.

Arthur Goldberg said he "knows nothing about the lawsuit," which was filed this morning, and referred ABCNews.com to JONAH's website.

"We have a lot of people who were a success and were healed," he said of JONAH's 14 years in service. "Hundreds of the clients we serve are satisfied ... Our therapy is very conventional."

When asked about the group's practices, he said, "I can't tell you about the methodology." Goldberg admitted he had "no background specifically in counseling."

"I am the administrator," he said. "I used to teach family law."

When asked about instructing boys to take off their clothes, he said, "I know nothing about that."

Goldberg also said he had "no idea" how to reach Downing because he was an "independent contractor."

According to JONAH's mission statement on its website, the nonprofit group is "dedicated to educating the world-wide Jewish community about the social, cultural and emotional factors which lead to same-sex attractions."

"Through psychological and spiritual counseling, peer support, and self-empowerment, JONAH seeks to reunify families, to heal the wounds surrounding homosexuality, and to provide hope," the statement reads.

JONAH's Goldberg, who runs the business side of the nonprofit, says on the website that "change from homosexual to heterosexual is possible ? homosexuality is a learned behavior which can be unlearned, and that healing is a lifelong process."

According to the lawsuit, JONAH cites the "scientific" work of Joseph Nicolosi, one of the primary proponents of conversion therapy and Richard A. Cohen, who was permanently expelled from the American Counseling Association in 2002 for "multiple ethical violations."

Nicolosi's methodology is based on the belief that a weak father-son relationship and a dominating mother contribute to homosexuality. He advocates "rough and tumble games," as well as father-son showers, according to the lawsuit.

Cohen uses a technique called "bioenergetics" that includes having male patients beat a pillow, which represents their mother, as a way of stopping same-sex attraction, according to the lawsuit.

Conversion therapists also cite child abuse and bullying as a "primary cause" of homosexuality, according to the lawsuit.

APA Calls Gay Conversion Therapy Risky

The American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization, among other mental health groups, have cited the potential risks of reparation therapy, including "depression, anxiety [and] self-destructive behavior," according to the lawsuit.

Chaim Levin, the most vocal of the plaintiffs, is now 23 and a gay rights advocate who writes a blog, Gotta Give 'Em Hope.

He grew up in a Jewish ultra orthodox community in Brooklyn where religious leaders threw him out of the Hebrew-speaking yeshiva at the age of 17, when they learned he was gay.

Levin told ABCNews.com that he had been abused as a boy and that he was "confused" by his sexuality and took a rabbi's advice and began 18 months of gay conversion therapy at JONAH.

[Levin filed a civil lawsuit against his cousin in July, alleging he was abused for three years from the time he was 6.]

When Levin met co-director Goldberg, he said the defendant told him JONAH could change his sexual orientation, "as long as I tried hard enough and put enough effort into it."

"He told me, 'You will marry a woman and have a straight life,'" said Levin.

"Given where I came from, with three older siblings who were married with kids and not knowing any gay people or English, I was sure I could change," he said. "That was the theology."

Levin first did a retreat with Downing, then saw him weekly at therapy sessions in Jersey City.

"A lot of the therapy involves reliving the experience," he said. Levin alleges he was forced to relive the sexual abuse by his cousin, "with no counseling afterwards."

But the most "humiliating" experience, the one that Levin alleges made him quit therapy, was being asked by Downing to take off his clothes, article by article and told to touch his "private parts" -- to hold his penis in front of a mirror to "be in touch with my masculinity."

"I told him I wasn't comfortable, but I desperately wanted to change and was ready to do anything," said Levin. Afterward, he said he felt "degraded and violated."

Today, Levin no longer identifies as orthodox, but said his parents have been "supportive" of the lawsuit.

Some Jewish denominations and many congregations are inclusive of homosexual congregants, and even New York's orthodox communities are more open-minded now, according to Levin.

"I had gone for help and they had misrepresented themselves," he said.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/nj-lawsu ... y-fraud/story?id=17814302

Jersey City assemblyman withdraws support for mayor's reelection bid, citing 'dismal' performance

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
November 26, 2012 at 4:51 PM

Citing Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy?s ?dismal performance? in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Assemblyman Sean Connors withdrew his support for Healy?s reelection bid this afternoon.

Connors announced the unusual move in a statement he released at just after 1 p.m. today, saying it?s time for ?a change of leadership? in Jersey City.

Healy?s performance following Sandy was ?simply inexcusable,? the assemblyman said.

?There were many parts of the city where the mayor never even appeared,? Connors said. ?In a crisis, a true leader must provide a strong sense that he has the situation under control. What I heard from many residents is they felt a sense of growing chaos in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, with looting in some neighborhoods.?

Connors, a Jersey City police detective and former Board of Education member, stopped short of endorsing Healy?s main rival, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, but the assemblyman said he is ?looking for an alternative? to the mayor.


In a statement from his campaign, Healy said he worked ?around-the-clock? during the storm and its aftermath to get Jersey City families and businesses ?back on their feet.? Connors was with the mayor ?throughout much of the process,? the mayor said.

?Not once did Sean Connors bring up any critique of our response - privately or publicly - until today's orchestrated political press release,? he said. ?Frankly, it smacks of sheer opportunism to take this tragic situation that had such a profound impact on so many lives and to use it for personal, political gain."


Connors statement seemed to take two Healy loyalists contacted by The Jersey Journal by surprise. Earlier this month, the assemblyman was rumored to be joining Healy's ticket to represent Ward D on the City Council.

In August, Connors was one of five public officials to endorse Healy, an endorsement that led to a spat between Connors and Fulop when the Downtown councilman called the five ?career politicians? who ?have 15 jobs between them.? Connors responded by calling Fulop ?un-American.?

All may be forgiven now, with Fulop commending Connors for his ?difficult, though completely reasonable decision? to withdraw his support of Healy?s reelection.

?I am looking forward to having discussions with the Assemblyman to determine where we have common ground and how we can work together going forward for the residents of Jersey City,? Fulop said in a statement from his campaign.

Healy is seeking his third full term as Jersey City's mayor in next May's city election.

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

Jersey City official: more than $22 million in damages from Sandy

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on November 26, 2012 at 6:37 PM

Jersey City suffered more than $22 million in damages thanks to Hurricane Sandy, its emergency-management director told the City Council tonight.

Sandy led to extensive flooding throughout Downtown Jersey City, Country Village and other neighborhoods, as well as power outages that some residents are still experiencing today.

?It was a very trying experience for myself and my staff,? said Greg Kierce, director of the city Office of Emergency Management.

City Hall suffered major damage, as did the main branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library, which lost roughly 30,000 books and other materials to flooding, Kierce said today.

There was also damage to water pumps and city-owned vehicles, added Kierce, who said the OEM is still assessing Sandy-related damage.

At tonight?s council caucus, Kierce said the massive power outages after Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29 ? which led to thousands of residents without internet access and any ability to charge their cell phones and other electronic devices ? led to a communication gap as the city tried to tell people where to find shelter, water and food.

The city may have to ?revert? to items like ?bullhorns? to keep residents up-to-date during future disasters, Kierce said tonight.

?All I can do is promise that in the future we can do better,? he said.

Kierce noted that a Federal Emergency Management Agency official sent an email to top city officials on Nov. 21 praising Jersey City?s response to the storm. The city?s ability to respond to the disaster without major federal intervention led to less media coverage of its response, reads the email from FEMA official Keith Holtermann.

?It appeared to me that communities, like Jersey City, who received incredible devastating impacts and fared well due to their ?resilience? received little positive press, and in some cases even negative press since they didn?t have/require external assistance,? the email reads.

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

Come hell or high water
What started as neighborly help could grow into citywide emergency preparedness network

by E. Assata Wright
Reporter staff writer - Nov 25, 2012

The next time a superstorm decides to flood Jersey City streets and homes, knock out power to thousands of residents for days, and cripple the local transit system, the folks behind Jersey City Sandy Recovery say, the residents will be ready.

By now, the all-volunteer group founded by Dana Shilling, Candice Osborne, and Tiby Kantrowitz has become somewhat legendary for its response to Hurricane Sandy in the early days of the crisis. Aware that their neighbors downtown were in need of everything from food to furniture removal, the women began posting hand-written signs in public spaces telling people to gather each day at noon at City Hall.

Through these informal gatherings, folks who were able to offer help were paired up with residents who were in need of help.

Now that the worst of the crisis is over, Osborne, Shilling, Kantrowitz, and other residents who have joined Jersey City Sandy Recovery are already preparing for the next superstorm. Drawing from the lessons learned from Sandy, the group plans to formalize itself, pull in more members, and fan out across the city.

Learning as a community

?One of the things we?re going to have to do as a community is learn who our vulnerable residents are,? said Shilling. ?We may need people on every block, or almost every block, who know who the elderly residents are, who the physically challenged people are, who?s sick. This way, when something happens, like a blackout, we can check on those residents quickly and communicate with the Red Cross, the city, or other agencies to let them know that there are people who maybe need water, food, or medication. They may need to be evacuated. This needs to be formalized so that help comes faster for these residents.?

Days after Sandy hit the area, it was discovered that there were several senior buildings that had no power, no elevators, and no heat. Volunteers from various groups eventually donated water and other supplies to the residents of these buildings. But it would be better if neighborhood groups could anticipate these needs before a disaster strikes, Shilling said.

Developing lines of communication so that residents can share needs and resources are something else that needs to be created before the next superstorm comes our way. For example, the need for carpools has been apparent given the ongoing disruptions to mass transit system, said Shilling.

?We need to have a mechanism that allows residents to say, ?I need a ride to my office in Newark. Can I carpool with someone?? Obviously, there were gas shortages that added to the situation. So, encouraging people to carpool when we can?t rely on mass transit is going to be important,? Shilling added.

Thinking big, thinking small

The founders of Jersey City Sandy Recovery admit that this level of organization is going to require deep commitment and a level of community that will take a certain amount of work to sustain long-term.

?In a time of crisis, people don?t leave their homes,? said Osborne. ?We were successful in reaching people because we used social media to reach people through Facebook and Twitter. But we also combined that with pretty extensive canvassing, just going door to door talking to people about what their needs were.?

At the height of the crisis, Osborne said, Jersey City Sandy Recovery was able to assist residents of public housing developments who had been told by their landlords that they couldn?t remove damaged, waterlogged furniture from their homes. The volunteers are now assisting residents ? including seniors and those with limited English-language skills ? navigate the application process from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Moving forward, she said, communities may need to help residents prepare emergency plans for each household.

?We have to think big, but we also have to think small, too,? said Osborne. ?We may need to have days where we encourage people to buy flashlights, buy batteries, buy canned food, because unless they have that encouragement, some people won?t make this a priority.?

But this isn?t to say the group does have big plans as well.

They are looking into the possibility of buying light towers that can be posted around town in the event of another mass power outage and they have already bought generators as well, although it is unclear whether the city will let neighborhood groups use them.

http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_s ... ndary_stories_left_column

Healy is leading?really?
Leaks of mayor?s political polls raise questions about timing and truth

by E. Assata Wright
Hudson Reporter staff writer - Nov 25, 2012

The re-election campaign of Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy seems to be doing a bit of post-Nov. 6 damage control.

In recent weeks, people connected to the campaign have forwarded and leaked various political polls to media outlets, perhaps in an effort to prove that Healy?s aspiration for another term is viable. Campaign insiders have often discussed these polls with local reporters, columnists, and prospective ward candidates for the Healy slate, talking up the mayor?s political strength while insisting on anonymity.

But in the Nov. 6 special election for the Ward F City Council seat, Healy?s chosen candidate, incumbent Michele Massey, lost by over 1,500 votes to Diane Coleman, who was endorsed by the current Ward F Councilman Steven Fulop, Healy?s major challenger for the mayoralty. So Healy?s campaign is now prepared to show, not just tell.

The timing of these poll leaks is telling. They come not only after Massey?s defeat, but also at a time when the mayor is about to launch a major fundraising drive to get money for his campaign.

One person close to the campaign speculated recently that these poll leaks might be happening now so that Healy?s funders and prospective funders are aware of the results and see that he still has a shot at re-election next year.

However, people close to Fulop argue these leaks are a sign of ?desperation? that suggest the mayor and his campaign feel they are on the ropes.

What was leaked

One poll, conducted in June by Rex Marketing, was leaked to The Reporter recently. The full results of this poll were shared, including the specific questions asked and a demographic breakdown of the residents who were contacted.

The results of a second poll, commissioned by the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) and conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Hamilton Campaigns, were also supplied to The Reporter by a second source. While the overall results of this poll were shared, the questions asked and demographic information regarding who was contacted were not.

The Rex Marketing poll surveyed 300 Jersey City residents, 245 of whom said they were ?very likely? to vote in the 2013 mayoral election.

In this poll, crime was often given as the city?s most pressing issue. In one question, residents were asked directly what they thought the single most important issue is in the city and crime was listed as the top concern, followed by the economy and taxes.

The poll, which, again, was conducted in June, rated Healy against several other possible mayoral contenders, including Fulop, Councilwoman Viola Richardson, State Sen. Sandra Cunningham, State Assemblyman Sean Connors, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, and Jerry Walker ? all of whom have at times mentioned an interest in running for mayor.

In a three-way race between Healy, Fulop, and Cunningham, the mayor would beat them both, according to the poll, with Fulop coming in third behind Cunningham. In a two-way race between Healy and Fulop, most poll respondents (116 people) said they would vote for the mayor, with 94 respondents saying they would vote for Councilman Fulop. Ninety people polled said they were undecided.

The less-detailed poll conducted from Oct. 5 through 8 by Hamilton Campaigns concluded, according to a memo supplied to the HCDO, that Healy ?is viewed positively in every ward of the city? with 61 percent of people polled saying they have a ?favorable view of the mayor.? Thirty-one percent of people polled said they had an ?unfavorable? view of Healy.

The HCDO poll tries to paint Fulop as an unknown entity who likely voters ?cannot rate.? Of the 600 people surveyed, 47 percent had a ?favorable? view of Fulop. But 36 percent of those polled said they didn?t know enough about Fulop to rate him.

Hamilton Campaigns surveyed 600 people and has a margin of error of four percent.

Hamilton also concluded that, ?Healy is viewed most favorably in Wards A and C, and among African Americans, Asians, and white men. Among African Americans, his favorability is 67 percent favorable [and] 27 percent unfavorable ? among the highest of any group in the city.?

If you can?t make it here?

Fulop campaign insiders, however, question these results and points to the recent Ward F special election as proof of their skepticism.

Coleman is likely to run on Fulop?s slate next year. She beat Councilwoman Massey in nearly every district in Ward F, the ward with the highest number of African American residents.

?If Healy can?t beat Fulop there, he can?t beat him anyplace in the city,? said one Fulop supporter.

?This really is a sign of desperation on their part,? said Fulop campaign spokesman Bruno Tedeshi. ?We know some of the questions asked in the [Hamilton Campaigns] poll because we know some of the people who received the call, and the questions were framed in such a way that they were designed to elicit negative responses about Fulop. I think you really have to question why these internal polls are being released at all and why they are being released at this time.?

Tedeshi said that polls conducted by the Fulop campaign found that more than a quarter of people surveyed believed that drugs, crime, or gangs were the city?s biggest problems and that two thirds of those surveyed gave Healy a negative job approval rating.

http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_s ... ndary_stories_left_column

Thirty Acres Brings Momofuku-Style Fare to Jersey: Review

By Ryan Sutton - Nov 21, 2012
Bloomberg

Is Jersey City the new Brooklyn, a place to savor creative food for a few dollars less?

That?s the question one might ask when gazing out the giant windows of Thirty Acres, a restaurant that requires patrons to cross not the East River but the Hudson, to a place whose tree- lined and townhouse-studded streets evoke Carroll Gardens.

If only the F-train to Brooklyn were as quick as the PATH.

At Thirty Acres sweet, raw scallops are dressed in jalapeno puree. The sting on the tongue is followed by soothing cilantro. Trout roe pop, releasing their oily salts. Crunchy pumpkin seeds add a hint of sweetness. This dish wouldn?t be out of place at Per Se. Cost: $12.

Or try corned beef slicked with maple syrup, an occasional special that wouldn?t be out of place at your favorite diner.

This highbrow-lowbrow tightrope act is the brilliant work of ex-Momofuku Noodle Bar chef Kevin Pemoulie and his wife, Alex. They opened Thirty Acres nearly a year ago with the help of Kickstarter funds. They hoped to raise $10,000; they ended up with over $18,000.

The bad news is that Thirty Acres lost $15,000 to $20,000 in ingredients and income to Sandy-related power outages.

Hickory Quail

So just as we frequent the beleaguered restaurants of lower Manhattan in the wake of the hurricane, we can do the same for Jersey. Thirty Acres is hardly hardship duty. Order the $16 quail. Pemoulie smokes the bird over hickory, imparting a gentle sweetness. Then he ups the ante with a swath of tart cranberry sauce and a small mound of walnut bread pudding.

It?s one of just 17 items on the menu; such are the constraints of a small, 40-seat restaurant. There are no reservations for small parties, no sound absorbing linens, no formal bread service. The upside is that the menu isn?t littered with fancy pizzas, fish tacos or large-format items coyly priced ?for two.?

No steaks, either. Pemoulie sears gargantuan, beef-like blocks of duck breast ($27), as filling as beef with a hint of game and a roundhouse kick of cumin.

Instead of risotto, we get spelt ($17), a quinoa-like grain that acts as a springboard for pancetta and sea urchin.

Brown Bag

Pemoulie loves intense flavors. He jolts the palate with the gentle pain of heat throughout your meal. Oysters (never too cold, never messily shucked), are paired with a dollop of beet cocktail sauce. Your nose begins to run. Cod collar ($12) is a fatty, sticky slice of fish that soaks up salty soy and more jalepeno.

Braised chuck flap, meltingly tender, is finished with a generous shaving of sinus-clearing fresh horseradish ($27).

And cavatelli ($14) are jazzed with so many chilies you might think you?re in a Sichuan restaurant. You?re reaching for a tissue but the fire never overwhelms the dish?s bitter broccoli and fragrant mint.

The chef also knows how to use neutral ingredients to heighten flavors. Cod steamed in cabbage is a subtle vehicle for Polish sausage. Arctic char ($26) is pretty much just that, a slab of medium rare fish with no bells or whistles. Balance is respected.

Well, most of the time. Baked clams are just a pile of dry breadcrumbs atop the bivalves ($13). And neither brioche nor cranberries can balance the off-putting tang of chicken liver pate.

A liquor license can run as much as $150,000 in this town (Pemoulie hopes to acquire one in the new year), so for now, bring your own.

Finish with a cup of strong coffee, dig into tart apple crisp and stare at the quiet streets. Welcome to the sixth borough.

Rating: **1/2

The Bloomberg Questions

Price: All dishes $27 or less.

Sound Level: Shouty, sometimes over 80 when full.

Date Place: Canoodling happens at the bar.

Special Feature: Check Thirty Acres?s tumblr for specials.

Inside Tip: Avoid too-sweet sweet potato tortellini.

Back on My Own Dime: You bet.

Thirty Acres is at 500 Jersey Ave., Jersey City. Information: +1-201-435-3100 or http://thirtyacres.tumblr.com

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11 ... are-to-jersey-review.html

'Disaster' conditions at Liberty State Park in Jersey City will cost millions to fix

By Anthony J. Machcinski/The Jersey Journal
on November 17, 2012 at 3:03 AM

Hurricane Sandy left Liberty State Park, the Downtown Jersey City attraction that draws over 5 million visitors a year, looking like ?a disaster movie,? officials said yesterday during a tour of the park.

The park, which has been closed since Sandy hit on Oct. 29, suffered extensive flooding and wind damage, and repairs could take up to nine months and cost up to $5 million.

Trees that dotted the popular tourist destination were felled from high winds. Liberty Walk, a popular attraction for runners looking for the best views of the New York City skyline, was destroyed, with rocks from the sea wall scattered across the trail.

?This is like something out of a disaster movie,? said Mark Texel, of the state Department of Environmental Protection, as he walked on the path.

One of the hardest hit areas of the park was the CRRNJ Terminal, built in 1889. Texel said floodwaters got as high as 6 feet inside the terminal and remained that deep for more than seven hours.

?The terminal won?t be open for a while,? said Rich Boornazian, also of the DEP, adding that all the terminal?s interior electrical systems were destroyed.

Liberty State Park Deputy Superintendent Jon Luk added, ?My first reaction was shock. We mobilized to prepare before the storm, but we couldn?t have done anything prior to prevent this.?

Empty Sky the memorial commemorating the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 was not damaged during the storm.

While there is widespread damage throughout the park, Texel expects it to fully recover, with some areas opening as soon as Thanksgiving weekend.

?We?re very proud of all the efforts our workers put in,? Texel said. ?This park is a priority and we?re going to do everything we can to get it back to normal as fast as possible.?

Returning to normal will not be a quick or cheap process. Park officials expect restoration costs to reach as high as $5 million and take as long as nine months to complete.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... onditions_at_liberty.html

First Irene, then Sandy: Jersey City recovers, again

By David Ariosto, CNN
Wed November 14, 2012

Jersey City, New Jersey (CNN) -- When Hurricane Irene roared ashore last year, Jeff Spangler was hit hard.

The slow-moving storm whipped up a powerful tidal surge that breached sea walls protecting Jersey City, a bedroom Manhattan community, and flooded Spangler's home to the tune of thousands of dollars in damage and months of home repair.

This year, it happened again.

Superstorm Sandy and its rare mix of converging weather set records as it barreled into the Northeast on October 29 -- but its local effects may not have seemed so rare to Spangler and others who had survived Irene.

Experts warn of impending superstorm era

Just like in 2011, floodwater poured into the low-lying neighborhoods of Jersey City, knocking out power and filling Spangler's basement.

Now, the father of three says he's considering cutting his losses and moving out.

"The more this flooding happens ... the lower property values will sink," Spangler said. "I'll end up being underwater, literally."

Like many of his neighbors, Spangler rents out his building's first floor to help to pay his mortgage. Now, his tenants are gone, having left in Sandy's brutal aftermath.

"Not only are we dealing with repairs, now we're dealing with the loss of rental income and carrying the full mortgage until we can clean up the area," he said.

When Sandy unleashed its deadly torrent of wind and water, Spangler and his family rode it out inside their home as river wash leaked through his first floor and raised anxieties about how much higher it would get.

A swollen Hudson River had expanded into his backyard. When it finally receded, the flood left an auburn-colored watermark on his basketball hoop backboard.

The hoop was about 7 feet tall.

Afterward, the dials on his electrical boxes filled with bubbling pockets of a brownish liquid that seemed to foreshadow the string of electrical problems that would follow across the region.

Not forgetting the lack of electricity after of Irene, Spangler had prepared for Sandy, purchasing a generator just days before it hit. After the storm, he ran electrical cables across the street to his neighbors' homes, padlocking the generator to his wrought iron stoop out of fear of looting.

"I'm sure there were people watching and waiting for me not to be near that generator," he said.

At the height of the crisis, Spangler said, police and fire officials told him to hide the machine at night because it would take them hours to respond to an incident in his neighborhood.

" 'We're just overstretched,' " he quoted authorities as saying. That triggered shades of vigilante justice across his neighborhood, though Jersey City police could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the claim.

"I have neighbors across the street who have firearms who told me, 'Don't worry about it,' " he said. " 'Just call us (if there's a problem) and we'll be right outside with a gun.' "

Preparing for lesser disasters

Sandy triggered massive flooding across the Northeast, yet the effect of the floods may have been especially foul in Jersey City. That's because the city maintains a combined sewer and rain drainage system, meaning floodwater also spewed from pipes, swirled into basements and probably contained raw sewage, according to accounts from local residents and city officials.

"This happened with Irene too," Jersey City mayoral spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said. The sewage "couldn't flow out because the water was at its highest capacity. ... So when the water came into (people's basements), it wasn't just water."

But any sewage overflow that occurred was considered minimal, according to the head of Jersey City's Municipal Utilities Authority.

"Did it occur on an extensive basis? Absolutely not," Dan Becht said.

After paying a remediation company to sanitize his basement, Spangler disagreed. He and his neighbors point to the city's antiquated sewer system as a primary culprit.

"I had to get this whole area disinfected," he said, standing in his basement illuminated by floodlights.

Last year, Jersey City's drainage system was the focus of a lawsuit from the Environmental Protection Agency, which said the city failed "to properly operate and maintain its combined sewer system."

The city settled the suit in July of last year and pledged to invest more than $52 million in infrastructure repairs and upgrades.

And yet those incremental updates may actually miss the bigger point, as many say that little done at the municipal level could have blunted the power Sandy unleashed on the region.

The more pressing issue may be how to decipher ways to best protect the city from lesser, more frequent storms, while enlisting federal support for the kind of long-term infrastructure needs that lie ahead.

"Sandy was to some extent unavoidable," Spangler said. "But Irene was a flood that never should have happened."

To rebuild or not

The gas shortages and massive power outages that plagued New Jersey after Sandy and a nor'easter that struck a week later are now starting to dissipate. The state lifted gas rationing orders Monday, and only about 4,000 customers across the state were still without power as of Wednesday. At the height of the storms, more than 3 million customers in New Jersey were without power.

Yet restoring power to many of those still in the dark requires inspectors to go door-to-door to check individual electrical panels, to avoid triggering further damage, such as electrical fires.

Still, the cost of rebuilding is in the billions. And Tad Drouet, 45, said he expects the damage to his Jersey City home after Sandy to be much higher than it was after Irene.

"Last year, our tab for fixing everything was about $15,000," he said. "This year, it'll be twice that."

Others, like Spangler, say they are again shelling out for those home appliances and other items that they expected to buy only once or twice.

"I just spent money again on a washer-dryer," he said. "I bought one last year too. These are the things you buy and expect to last 10 years."

Looming over many of these twice-battered storm victims is a basic question: "How much is enough?"

And yet despite the chorus of post-Sandy voices that warn of a recurring rash of inclement weather in the region, others say market forces will still probably absorb the risks tied to waterfront property and prevent a downward price spiral in real estate.

"There might be temporary blips on the radar," said Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats, a New York-based real estate firm that specializes in rentals and home sales. "But if history teaches us anything, people always rebuild and they always come back."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/14/us/new-jersey-irene-sandy/index.html