I am begining to learn why New Jersey's reputation for corruption is well-earned.

It's beyond me why Jersey doesn't have a law preventing someone from holding two public offices. I don't see how Epps can perform both jobs simultaneously. As a result, both the students of Jersey City and his legislative constituents suffer.

It's also beyond me why there isn't a law preventing the king of charitable "giving" by Epps to a supervisor who will vote on Epps' salary increase. Durbin's statement that he will judge Epps objectively is ridiculous. It's like relying on Bush's statements that we should "trust" that he won't abuse his continually expanding executive powers.

There must be a system of checks and balances.

I have 2 folding bikes and they're liberating, I laugh at the Parking Authority. One is a Dahon the other is a Brit bike called the Brompton with an English saddle. The Dahon (metro cruiser) is more mainstream and affordable, I use it to run major errands, commute to work, load it up with stuff, and when hills are in the way, it's also good when you have to lock it up outside. The Brompton (light commuting & errands) is good for flat ground, the train, and when bringing it inside matters. Another brand is Bike Friday (distant traveller) it will replicate the road bike, that you don't fold till you're ready to go home from a trip away from home. I would advise you to try all bikes according to the application, it's like shoes you don't know till you try it out. N.Y.C. & Philly have a folding bike fest every yeay in the spring. Go to www.foldingbikesociety.com, surf the web for further research or e-mail as me as well rapidron1@msn.com

We are replacing our windows in HP in November. We are also using Pella; the whole process was started in summer of 2005.It seems like it takes quite some time to get approval. I am enclosing contact info for the Pella rep that we went through; oerhaps he can help you.

Frank Buscarnera
Installed Sales Consultant
Pella Windows & Doors
O 718-477-2270
M 917-626-1461

hello

just bought a home in hamilton park and looking to replace all the street facing windows. have seen a couple of posts related to windows and the historic preservation rules, etc. but havent found what i was looking which may be my search limitations.

apologies if this is a dupe post. my questions are as follows:

1. what are the rules regarding window replacements? i am currently looking into wood frame windows with a black finish - my current windows are black finish so bascially looking to replace them with energy efficient and properly functioning windows. double hung windows from pella with lattice grids that are removable.
2. i had heard that you need to get a permit - what is the process? assuming that my contractor knows abt the process, but this is for my information

Any advice/ideas/tips is appreciated

thanks
SN

Sale of building a no-go as council seeks more $
Monday, October 02, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The Jersey City Council put the brakes this week on the sale of a Heights building for $550,000 less than what the city paid for it 18 years ago.

The three-story structure at 325 Palisade Ave. fetched $1.85 million at an auction sale held last month. But the city paid $2.4 million for the property in 1988.

According to Business Administrator Brian O'Reilly, the city was prepared to take a bath on the sale because the building is a wreck, needing among other repairs, a new roof and heating and air-conditioning systems.

At Wednesday's council meeting, Ward D Councilman Bill Gaughan convinced the administration to withdraw a resolution accepting the winning bid.

Gaughan wants to redo the property's "area in need of redevelopment plan" to allow more floors to be added. With that change, he's confident the building would attract more dough at a future auction.

"It (the building) needs a new roof anyway," Gaughan said last Friday. "Why not allow someone to take off the roof and add a couple of floors?"

But adding floors would "change the historic character" of the property, Planning Director Bob Cotter said.

Epps check to school board member raises eyebrows
Monday, October 02, 2006
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City Superintendent of Schools and Assemblyman Charles T. Epps Jr. cut a check from his assembly campaign war chest to school board member Jeff Dublin, raising the eyebrows of state and local officials, who called the donation "inappropriate."

One of Dublin's duties as a school board member is to evaluate Epps's performance as schools chief. The evaluation is among those sent to the state Department of Education and is used to help determine how much of a raise Epps will get.

"There is nothing in the statute that prevents this type of contribution. However, given Mr. Epps's role as superintendent, the contribution seems inappropriate," said Jon Zlock, a spokesman for the Department of Education.

Jersey City School Board Chairman William DeRosa called it "bad judgment on (Epps's) part."

"It's sort of dicey doing things like that," he added. "I would not have accepted the donation."

Epps, through his spokeswoman, declined to comment.

Dublin, who is also a Hudson County freeholder, said that although the donation may have the appearance of a conflict of interest, he remains objective about Epps and has taken him to task on a host of issues.

"Me and Charlie's families go way back, but when I am doing school business, I take that seriously," said Dublin. "I have agreed with (Epps) on a lot of things and disagreed on a lot things, regardless of the donation."

Epps's most recent campaign filing shows a $750 check made out to "Friends of Jeff Dublin" on May 23. Dublin has not filed a campaign report since January and has yet to record the receipt of the payment.

The Friends of Jeff Dublin is a fund created for Dublin's freeholder campaigns. He was elected to a three-year term last November.

School board members confirmed that Dublin has often been critical of Epps, especially because Dublin has children in the district.

But they also said that the donation presents problems.

"It certainly could have the appearance of compromising their position, not that it necessarily did, and for that reason, I would not accept something like that," said school board member Anthony Cucci, a former Jersey City mayor.

==========================
Here is another article today
=====================
EVALUATING EPPS
Board members question superintendent's role as a state assemblyman
Monday, October 02, 2006
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Since becoming an assemblyman, Jersey City Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr. has lost credibility and control of the school district and should step down from his elected office, according to some evaluations written by members of the school board.

"The district needs a full-time superintendent. I am asking Dr. Epps to step down as an assemblyman," wrote one school board member.

Because Jersey City is a state take over district, each board member must complete an anonymous written evaluation, which includes a grading system and comments. The board chairman, William DeRosa, then combines all the evaluations and sends them to the state Department of Education as a single report.

This year's evaluations, which were reviewed by The Jersey Journal, were the first since Epps' election as an assemblyman last year.

A number of board members said they believe Epps cannot handle both jobs and that his elected position has once again brought politics into the school district, a problem that contributed to the state take over more than 20 years ago.

"Dr. Epps' ability to lead has eroded greatly," one board member wrote. "His absence from the district and late starts in his office have diminished his credibility. His integrity becomes questionable when he is focused on things beyond the scope of the district."

Another comment read: "The superintendent was called to several meetings by political leaders in which his representation as an assemblyman or superintendent was unclear."

Others commended Epps on his performance as chief of schools, describing him as an organized and effective leader who has brought a number of quality programs to the district.

"The superintendent is a confident leader. He has devised a district vision and established goals," wrote one member.

Epps, through his spokeswoman, declined to comment.

The evaluations help the state education commissioner decide whether Epps should be given a raise. Acting Commissioner Lucille E. Davy is expected to complete the review process in two weeks. She declined to comment on the evaluations.

Epps earns $220,000 a year as superintendent - plus a $1,000-per-month housing allowance - and is due a pay hike of between $9,400 and $37,700, depending on the review. He earns $49,000 as an assemblyman.

School board members judged Epps in an array of categories, from leadership to community relations. They were asked to give grades of "commendable," "meets expectations," "needs improvement" and "unsatisfactory."

The majority of grades were either commendable or meets expectations, but there were also a number of poor grades, which school board members said represents a sharp departure from previous evaluations.

"I remember the last evaluation, done two years ago, and he was in good shape then," said school board member Suzanne Mack. "The only thing that really changed is he took the second job. He didn't all of sudden become less qualified, but he took a nose dive."

Sky's the limit in Jersey City
Monday, October 02, 2006
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City is quickly becoming Vertical City.

Already home to the state's four tallest buildings, by decade's end it could have the 10 tallest, further transforming nearly everything Downtown east of Grove Street into Manhattan-style high-rises, supported by an extensive public transportation system.

The city's Planning Board is expected to consider a 775-foot residential tower, dubbed the Metropolitan, on land just south of the Newport Mall, at the site the Pep Boys Automotive store.

If completed, the $200 million Metropolitan would become the state's second tallest building, after the 781-foot Goldman Sachs building on Hudson Street. The tower is one of several that may be built in the 18-acre shopping area currently anchored by a Shop-Rite supermarket and a BJ's Wholesale Club.

The Shop-Rite is expected to stay, perhaps absorbed by one of the future buildings, officials said.

It was just months ago that Donald Trump made his splash on the Gold Coast, announcing plans for Trump Plaza Jersey City, boasting that its two towers would be the tallest residential buildings in the state.

But with the announcement of the Metropolitan, Trump can no longer make that claim.

Jersey City has the four tallest buildings and another, Harborside Plaza 5, that is tied with Borgota in Atlantic City as the fifth. A number of projects slated for construction during the next several years will move into the state's top 10 list.

They include 111 First St., Trump Towers, the Metropolitan and 77 Hudson St.

"It is really a reflection of the pressure put on Jersey City to become vertical," said Bob Antonicello, the executive director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

"The market is so great, the incentive is so great. Now, it becomes under-utilization of the land and there is no better example of that than the Pep Boys. Just to have retail there is under-under-utilization."

Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, whose ward includes all of those skyscrapers, offered a mixed reaction.

"From an aesthetic point of view, it's a wonderful thing. We are going to have a wonderful skyline," he said. "From an infrastructure standpoint, we never planned for this much density. It's a possibility that we are growing faster than we expected.

"But that's a good thing," he added.

I heard them going down Jersey ave sunday night around 8:45.

I wanna see the horsies!

Bring on the dancing horses
Wherever they may roam

The Pimp, The Clown, and now The Horses. Woot!

just spotted them, 10:20pm sunday night, 10th street outside hamilton park ale house.

For what it's worth, the corporate world is all over the map on this. Large financial firms police web usage with a vengence for regulatory compliance reasons - e.g. you can't generally access any site that has email capacity. Many other firms don't care as long as you do your work.

I think the key difference is that the 2,800 (gasp) JC employees are paid by the taxes that are taken involuntarily from everyone who lives here and therefore should be able to answer in terms of how they spend their time. By contrast, no one makes you deal with a private company and how their employees spend their time is between them and their employer.

Quote:

This was an issue in Melbourne and seems to be a problem worldwide.

What is annoying is that Police have also been abusing this offence that if identified, should highlighted on their personel file for fraudulent behavior.

http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/article/Put_that_anywhere/4800.html

I like the council only carpark on the empty lot on York near Grove - with parking such a 'drama' here, you would hope that all parking areas are available to all.

However Council owned vehicles should have a private contained area for security only.

New 30-story Goldman Sachs tower approved
Planning Board hears concerns over office building

Ricardo Kaulessar
Hudson Reporter staff writer 09/29/2006

ADVOCATING FOR 50 HUDSON ? Goldman Sachs executive Timor Galen speaks on 50 Hudson St at a Jersey City Planning Board meeting on Sept. 19.
The Jersey City Planning Board at its meeting on Sept. 19 approved a 30-story office tower by the financial firm Goldman Sachs of 50 Hudson St.

They also approved a public plaza between that new building and Goldman Sachs' existing 30 Hudson St. building.

The new building will be approximately 500 feet high, with 918,956 square feet including 21,380 sq. ft. of retail.

Originally, the building was planned for only 185 feet, but changes to the Colgate Redevelopment Plan, in which the proposed 50 Hudson St. building sits, were approved at the Planning Board's Aug. 16 meeting.

Residents concerned about communication

However, the Planning Board's approval, while unanimous, was anything but overwhelming. They heard a number of residents also aired their concerns over Goldman Sachs not meeting enough with the community.

Gerry Bakirtjy, president of the Historic Paulus Hook Association (HPHA), a Downtown Jersey City neighborhood group, said while the HPHA supported past Goldman Sachs projects, the association could not support this one.

Bakirtjy said the residents had concerns about the type of outdoor lighting to be used for the proposed plaza, how security will be handled at the proposed plaza, and noise from generators at the building.

Other residents called for changes to the electrical and mechanical systems in the building to cut down on noise.

Dorcey Winant, another Paulus Hook resident, requested that the Planning Board put off voting for the project until a future meeting for the community to study the plans for the project further.

Goldman Sachs executive Timor Galen said in the meeting that he would work with the residents to tend to most of the issues, but felt the changes to the electrical and mechanical systems would be difficult.

Galen said the project would be on a five-year schedule because of the "complexity" of the project.

The Planning Board called for Goldman Sachs to meet with the community when they are ready to construct the building's electrical and mechanical aspects.

The board also called for other conditions to be met by Goldman Sachs before construction is completed, such as providing samples of the materials to be used for construction. They also told Goldman Sachs to come back before the Planning Board before construction officially starts to review their site plan.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

quote: "And I don't care if Goldman's attorney threw you a bone....they already knew they had the case won."

From what I know of the case, New Gold Equities did NOT win the case on any merits of their arguments. They won because our councilmen caved and refused to fix a minor procedural error.

The warehouse district, and its potential to be another DUMBO or SOMA (San Francisco warehouse district, like SOHO) was one of the reasons I bought a house in JC.
I've been inside 111 First St. and it could be an amazing place to live with gorgeous loft style apts.

Goldman could have made gobs of money staying within the development guidelines of the area. And the city would have created a nostalgic oasis from the antiseptic highrise nowhere land that is Newport. Picture First St. as a pedestrian-only cobblestone square with outdoor seating everywhere, brick warehouses re-purposed to cafes, restaurants, galleries, stores, and bars on the ground level, and offices and loft apts in the upper floors. One needs only the tiniest amount of imagination to see what we have lost. But I guess some people can't see past a few more bucks in their pocket.

One of ugliest parts of the city is easily the highrise towers of apts that line Montgomery Ave. around Grove St. PATH, surrounded by wastelands of parking lots.

I too would love to see a new bldg by Koolhaas. Just not at the expense of 111 First St. Put it somewhere else.

- miles

Count me in!

I too am sick and tired of the same handful of people trying to dictate the agenda month after month. We need to remove these people and their agenda -

The same handful of "Sockpuppets for Developers", the Mayor, Corporate Counsel and City Council members who advance the agenda of developers, city contractors and the like by selling off city assets, mismanage the city budget, fail to enforce laws, circumvent the public process, and abuse redevelopment law with plans like the one for the PJP site.


You are right and the Hackensack River Edge Redevelopment plan if fully realized appears to provide a NET LOSS of jobs and only a NET increase in taxes of about $400k at best. The redevelopment plan, an end run around the city zoning process has provisions to take land and close businesses.

I'm in, set up the meeting and announce via jclist.




Quote:

Sounds like a typical Saturday nite party on my block.

Mary Capers, 46, Darrell's mother, was charged with riot and failure to disperse; her daughter, Shaquana Capers, 22, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer; another son, Stanley Capers, 31, was charged with resisting arrest and eluding police officers, Donaghue said.

THIS IS THE PROBLEM. worthless f**kin parents. Sorry i have to live amoungst these people, and i'm fed up. They let their kids run wild. i'm gonna start carrying a billy club myself.

Quote:

Employee payroll taxes!!!! How does that help Jersey City? Payroll taxes are comprised of a variety federal and state taxes, not county or city taxes. Jersey City would get just as much benefit from the payroll taxes of the supposed 300 jobs if this warehouse was employing people in Cape May!

As for generating support jobs, what jobs would those be? Truck drivers more often than not sleep in their rigs so as to avoid the cost of hotels, and the workers likely won't be earning enough there to afford to buy meals at local establishments on a routine basis. The only support jobs that are likely are those you might find around a seedy truck stop, which is exactly what this is going to end up being. I don't think I need to mention what those are but I sincerely doubt that the people working those jobs report their income or are the kind of people I want buying property or renting nearby.

I agree with only one thing you have said in this entire discussion, the PJP landfill site is not suitable for residential development. I don't think that anyone has ever disputed that. However, it is suitable for park land, ball fields, and other recreational activities. Having a warehouse built there will severely hinder the redevelopment of this whole area. Where as people generally enjoy living near a park, they do not want to live near a high cube warehouse, which is why the residents of this area have opposed it so strongly. You don't see Mayor Healy proposing to fill in the reservoir and put the High Cube Warehouse there do you? Even he doesn't want it in his back yard.

Quote:

Sort of like the anonymous cowards who do nothing but post on JClist and lie about other people's activities.

Quote:

You did not "disagree" with the conclusions of Mr. James. You called him a "hired gun," directly impugning the man's integrity and claiming that he only wrote what he did not based on his independent assessment, but because he was receiving money. Never mind that the district was considered eligible by SHPO as far back as 1991. Never mind that the array of professionals and citizens on HPC unanimously agreed that the district should be designated. Never mind that the city council unanimously supported the designation.

As for abusing JClist? You are the one who is anonymously using the forum to make personal attacks and repeatedly display your ignorance.. Don't worry dear, I doubt that anyone will actually care enough about your childish missives to bring a libel lawsuit against you. But I'm sure that it would give you an inflated sense of self-importance.

It's hilarious, you have attacked just about every individual and organization that has been working to make Jersey City a better place to live for its citizens, and claim that they have "done nothing." Are you at all aware of the work that Pro-Arts has done in organizing the artist's community? Are you at all aware of the work done by neighborhood associations across the city that have prevented city officials and developers from trampling over the welfare of these communities? These are people that have taken root in Jersey City, and actually made something of areas that used to be considered decrepit and uninhabitable.

Meanwhile, your "contributions" seem to be nothing more than hiding behind a pseudonym and making personal attacks on JClist. Talk about hypocrisy.

But it appears you have another anonymous troll that you can now commisserate with. Perhaps you can form one of your own citizen's groups. "Sockpuppets for Developers" or something like that.

Sounds like a riot!

Hard to imagine 200 neighbors turning on 40 cops!

==================
Here is page 2 of the article
=================

To prevent the gang from re-establishing itself, police have been clamping down on quality-of-life offenses, said Donaghue.

When the two officers asked the man for identification, he refused, and shoved one of the officers, Donaghue said.

Police eventually wrestled him into handcuffs, and a search of the man, later identified as 30-year-old Darrell Capers of Jersey City, turned up 20 vials of suspected cocaine, Donaghue said.

By this time a crowd had gathered and someone threw a bottle at the officers and the call for back-up was made, according to police.

Five police officers were treated and released from Jersey City Medical Center that night as a result of the incident, Donaghue said.

Capers was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, Donaghue said.

Mary Capers, 46, Darrell's mother, was charged with riot and failure to disperse; her daughter, Shaquana Capers, 22, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer; another son, Stanley Capers, 31, was charged with resisting arrest and eluding police officers, Donaghue said.

Jerome Sherman, 29, of Jersey City, also was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and eluding police.

Quote:

Nah, the city will just settle for 2.4 million, just like they did in the Michael Anglin case (i.e. 15 year old car thief jumps on a cop holding a gun which then goes off killing the kid).

Quote:

Maybe, but that would be for a jury to determine.

yeah, i was just walking along like a good citizen and these cops appeared and beat me up for no reason....


bullsh*t!

I always thought his name was George!?

Downtown grows up and patience pays off
Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Ask Hansen Chiang about the transformation of Downtown Jersey City and the local businessman quickly produces a wide smile. Then he reaches deep in his desk drawer to show just how profound the change has been for him personally.

In an aged manila folder, Chiang keeps several reminders of what his life was like more than 20 years ago, when he opened a liquor store on Washington Street among the smattering of homes, rail yards, factories and industrial warehouses.

The old photos of the store - now called Liberty Wine and Deli - show the wear and tear of urban blight and depict shelves stocked with rows of liquor, including cheap, pocket-sized bottles.

"On every corner there was a bar for the factory workers getting off one of three shifts, and I used to have to give credit to customers on food stamps because some people didn't have the money," Chiang said.

"I was robbed a few times, one time at gunpoint. I was hit from behind with a lead pipe and sent to the emergency room," Chiang recalled.

Today, thanks to the influx of new residents with disposable income, he has expanded his business and eliminated hard liquor sales altogether - replacing it with wine from countries all over the world.

Chiang is a first generation Chinese immigrant, and his American dream story is emblematic of the progress of this once blue-collar neighborhood that now sits in the shadows of the skyscrapers that have come to dominate the Jersey City waterfront.

Chiang's story shows that the Downtown boom has spawned economic opportunities for more than just developers, multinational corporations and the city - common targets of residents' anger.

It has created life-changing opportunities for many others with a lot more to lose.

"When I bought here, I always thought this place had potential, but it took a while for it to take off," he said. "It was financially risky those early years, so I guess I was just 10 years too early, but my patience paid off."

Chiang's fortunes forever changed in 1994, when the much-anticipated Portside Tower was completed and the neighborhood's transformation began to take off.

The city now expects more than 15,000 new residential units to be built within the next decade, bringing more consumers to his doors and helping secure stability for years to come.

The hard-working Chiang devoted 12-hour days, six days a week, to his business during those lean years. He spent nights away from his family, sleeping alone in a single bed above the shop - which he now calls home.

Today, thanks to the new residents' appetite for wine, he works just weekdays and leans on five employees to help him run the shop. The dilapidated storefront in the photo is now fitted with classy mahogany and he bought the dry cleaners next door and expanded his business.

But most important to Chiang is what the transformation of the neighborhood has meant to his family.

"I was able to put my two girls through college, and Jersey City has been real good to me, and I am real thankful," said Chiang.

JARRETT RENSHAW can be reached at jrenshaw@jjournal.com

Cleanup costs could doom PSEG plant
Friday, September 29, 2006
BY TOM JOHNSON
Star-Ledger Staff

PSEG Power may have to shut down its coal-fired power plant in Hudson County by the end of the year, backing out of an agreement with government authorities to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to curb pollution from what is one of New Jersey's dirtiest power plants.

The decision to close the plant will hinge on whether the company, a subsidiary of Newark-based Public Service Enterprise Group, can renegotiates a consent decree with state and federal environmental agencies about the future of the generating station.

The closure of the 608-megawatt unit, located on the Hackensack River in Jersey City, about three miles upstream of Newark Bay, could cause problems in meeting power demands in the region and might push electricity prices higher for consumers, according to experts.

The dispute leaves regulatory officials weighing the importance of reducing pollution against the need to ensure there is enough power to keep lights on at times of peak demand.

"Anytime you take 600 megawatts off line in the Northeast, it's going to have an impact on reliability," said David Brown, a vice president of NUS Consulting, an energy consulting firm in Park Ridge. "It also will have an impact on pricing, because there will now be less power up for bid and there is going to be a scramble to replace it."

In a settlement that was widely hailed at the time, PSEG Power agreed in January 2002 to spend up to $337 million to cut pollution from its Hudson and Mercer power plants, both of which are coal-fired. While work has proceeded at the Mercer facility, the company decided not to move ahead with the Hudson modification because the cost of the project has doubled, according to Neil Brown, a spokesman for PSEG Power.

There were a number of other factors, Brown said, including changing conditions in energy markets, the cost of capital, and the potential impact on the company's credit ratings.

A decision to shutter the plant would be welcomed by environmentalists, who have long pressed the state to shut down coal-fired power plants because they are a major source of mercury emissions.

"There's no such thing as a clean coal plant," said Jeff Tittell, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club of New Jersey. "They're better off shutting it down."

However, the PJM Interconnection, which oversees the regional power transmission system, has concerns that closure of the plant will adversely affect the reliability of the power grid.

PJM declined to comment specifically on the Hudson plant, but Paula DuPont-Kidd, a spokeswoman, said it routinely examines planned plant retirements within the region.

"We have indicated that any additional plant retirement in New Jersey could substantially affect system reliability," she said.

In negotiations with state and federal agencies, PSEG Power has proposed an alternative plan that would achieve similar environmental benefits as those stipulated in the original consent decree, but though other means.

"It reflects the environmental integrity of the original agreement while providing more time to go forward with the retrofitting or retirement of the plant," Brown said. "We're hopeful we will reach an agreement to reach those goals."

Edward Choromoski, administrator of air compliance and enforcement for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency is negotiating with the company about whether to amend the agreement, but declined to say how the talks were proceeding.

Within the next week, PSEG Power is likely to send a notice to PJM that it has not reached an agreement on the plant, notifying the power grid operator the plant may not be available next year, Brown said.

Tom Johnson may be reached at tjohnson@starledger.com or (973) 392-5972.

'SCENE WAS CHAOTIC'
Cop brutality claims after a drug arrest
Friday, September 29, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A routine quality-of-life summons last week on Lexington Avenue in Jersey City turned into an all-out melee involving 40 officers and 200 local residents, resulting in six arrests, five officers being hospitalized and three Internal Affairs complaints.

"The scene was chaotic," Police Chief Tom Comey said yesterday, describing what he saw last Thursday night when he arrived on the scene as part of a citywide call for assistance.

"We're gathering all the information. Everything is being analyzed," said Comey, adding his chief-of-staff, Capt. Hugh Donaghue, is in charge of investigating the incident.

"I want to restore the community's faith in the police," Comey said.

That may prove difficult when it comes to a group of about 20 Lexington Avenue residents who came to Wednesday night's City Council meeting to complain about what they said was unwarranted rough treatment at the hands of police.

Isaac Thomas said he walking with his 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old nephew when a police officer rushing to the scene grabbed him and pummeled him with a nightstick. He said doctors at Greenville Hospital told him he has cracked ribs.

Police said Thomas was arrested after punching a cop.

Robert Nickens said he was struck twice in the left leg by an officer wielding a nightstick - for no reason.

Other residents complained of similar injuries.

According to police officials, the incident began at 7:18 p.m. on Lexington Avenue near Bergen Avenue when police saw a man drinking alcohol in front of a building they say is the headquarters of the Lex Mob - a violent gang that has lost most of its leadership to jail, authorities said.

GANG-BUSTERS
Cops arrest nine in raids, warrants out for 2 others
Friday, September 29, 2006
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Raids stemming from the investigation into the slaying of a mom caught in the crossfire when rival drug gangs opened up on each other outside a Jersey City nightclub have resulted in numerous arrests - though no one is yet charged in her death, authorities said.

However, the investigation into the shooting of Adia Reid, 26, of Monticello Avenue, has led to the dismantling of one of the two drug gangs involved, authorities said.

So far, cops have arrested nine people and seized three guns, 100 grams of cocaine and $8,000 in suspected drug proceeds.

Two other people, including the gang's accused ringleader, are still at large, cops said.

Warrants for Damielle Tondee, 23, Garfield Avenue, and Ivan Ibn Pitman, 27, of Elizabeth, were issued following raids Tuesday at five different locations in Jersey City, authorities said.

Tondee is accused of being the leader of the drug distribution network and is wanted on other drug charges, including employing juveniles, Hudson County First Assistant Prosecutor Guy Gregory. Pitman is wanted for conspiracy to distribute drugs, Gregory said.

On Tuesday, raids on Garfield Avenue, Clerk Street, Vreeland Terrace, Van Cleef Street and Bayview Avenue resulted in the arrests of Latoya Simmons, 23, Morris Tondee, 20, Marcell Brown, 18, Lionel Nash, 18, Eric P. Bonds, 20, Porsche Speaks, 22, Leslie Speaks, 49, Marquis Speaks, 19, and a juvenile, Gregory said.

All were charged with drug crimes. The Speaks family members also face weapons charges as police found the three guns in their Bayview Avenue home, Gregory said. Police are running ballistics tests on the guns to determine if they were used in the shootout outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive club that killed Reid and injured two other people, reports said.

According to police, Reid and a girlfriend were trying to get into the former Rendezvous club - now known as the Penthouse - when the shooting started. At least 25 shots were fired, police said. Reid is survived by her 8-year-old daughter, Elise Madison.

The arrests are the result of an investigation by Jersey City police and the Prosecutor's Office. Anyone with information about the shooting or who knows the whereabouts of Tondee or Pitman is asked to call the Prosecutor's Office at (201) 915-1345.