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Wow, how do you come to that conclusion? Dig a little deeper.

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What's so ironic about it their ad is on top of every refreshed page or each time you sign on to jclist. It just goes to show you that without jclist's ad campaign or customer support these local businesses would loose their foundation.

How ironic that the Buy Rite banner ad is at the top of the page! Over 1,500 beers!

Steve Lipski ? a year later

Former JC councilman talks about sobriety, does not rule out political future

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer

A YEAR LATER, A YEAR SOBER - Former Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski spoke recently to the Jersey City Reporter about what he has gone through since his arrest for an incident in a Washington D.C. nightclub a year ago.
slideshow

First of two parts.

Steve Lipski sat in a booth last week at the Brownstone Restaurant in downtown Jersey City a relaxed man.

The former city councilman was in a very different place a year ago, when he was going through one of the darkest periods in both his personal and professional lives.

On Nov. 7, 2008, he was arrested for simple assault for allegedly urinating from a balcony during a Grateful Dead tribute concert at Washington D.C.?s ?Nightclub 9:30.? Lipski later admitted that he had had several drinks before the concert and some during.
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?I feel I am in a very good place.? ? Steve Lipski
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Lipski went to court and entered a not guilty plea. A few days later, at a council caucus meeting, Lipski apologized to the public, acknowledging that he is a recovering alcoholic. Then he received his sentence of one year?s probation in a Washington D.C. courtroom on Jan. 13, and paid a $50 fine and did community service.

Eventually, he decided not to run for a third term as Ward C Councilman after he was asked by Mayor Jerramiah Healy to not be part of his election ticket. His seat is now filled by Nidia Lopez.

Since then, Lipski has continued running the CREATE Charter High School on Lembeck Avenue in Jersey City as well the new CREATE middle school located on Canal Street in downtown Jersey City (occupying the old Learning Community Charter School space). He is also vice-president of the Board of Directors for Partners in Prevention, the anti-drug and alcohol resource center based in Jersey City, and he serves on several other boards.

But most importantly, he has been sober since the day after his arrest, having gone in for counseling and treatment.

?I haven?t touched a drink in over a year, and I am getting the help I need,? Lipski said. ?I feel I am in a very good place.?

A new life, a new day

Lipski engages in one of his favorite meals, a tuna melt and a Coke, while talking about changing his regimen. He goes to a gym, has been eating healthier, and sees a naturopath. The changes also include the way he approaches each new day.

?Every day I wake up I say my prayers and read positive affirmations,? Lipski said. ?I no longer have negative thoughts.?

What has also uplifted him is his marriage to his wife Yraida, as they will be celebrating 16 years together on New Year?s Eve. He said his wife didn?t look to leave him after his arrest. He said she was ?disappointed? yet supportive. Lipski said it was their strong religious beliefs that also kept them bonded.

Support of friends, both in and out of the political realm, also helped Lipski resist the temptation of alcohol. This was especially helpful to him during the time after the arrest when there were calls from some people to step down from his council post.

?What I find is, most people are extremely supportive, that they are truly empathetic,? Lipski said. ?Most people looked at what I had done as being disgusting, but they see that I am getting help, that I am working to run two schools and being responsible as possible.?

Lipski said he had to examine what he had been doing to his body for years, going back to his childhood, including the impact of alcohol upon his brain?s temporal lobe.

He lost his father at the age of 12 in a hit-and-run accident, and says that traumatic incident started him on his drinking problem. He said looking back on his youth has enabled him as an educator to do more for his school and the students.

?Let me just say when one door opens, another one closes,? Lipski said. ?Running the school, it really challenged me in terms of being the leader and how would I take this as a leadership moment. But after the arrest, I came back and shared with students and staff, which was painful.?

And Lipski saw other doors opening as some were beginning to close.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.

No alcohol or food like at last nights party for I forgot who up in the heights?

Lipski hosting anti-alcohol meeting for teens tonight
by Charles Hack
Thursday April 30, 2009, 10:00 AM

Shortly after Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski was accused of relieving himself on fellow patrons at a Washington, D.C., nightclub in November, he confessed to battling an alcohol addiction for several years.

Having pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor charge in a Virginia court in January, Lipski, who directs the CREATE charter school in Jersey City, is now warning young people about the dangers of booze.

He is scheduled to host and speak at a town hall-style meeting tonight at CREATE, 164 Lembeck Ave., from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meeting is organized by the Hudson County Childhood Drinking Coalition, a state-funded group that combats underage drinking.

"A lot of people say 'Don't drink or just say no,' but there are tons and tons of messages that glamorize drinking without any consideration to those who have an addiction," Lipski said, noting he was first exposed to alcohol by his family when he was 8 years old.

For the incident in Washington, Lipski received six months to a year probation pending drug and alcohol counseling.

"I would not have blacked out and got arrested for something I never imagined myself doing if it had not been for excessive drinking," Lipski said about the episode. "People may think the guy's not perfect but he is making progress. By hearing my story it might discourage young people from ever starting."

Lipski said in January he would not seek re-election to his Ward C Journal Square council seat because he wanted to focus on "his recovery and health."

Lipski said he is breathing better and has lost weight since being sober for more than 170 days. He expects to complete probation and community service by the end of June.

Tonight's program will include a skit on drinking and driving performed by teen peer leaders from Horizon Health Care COPE, discussion groups, and booths from different groups dedicated to fighting teen addition, organizers said.

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Or, the Journal is a favorite among alcoholics?

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Where's the remorse for the people he peed on?

The 930 Club is a great place to see a show, I saw many there when I lived in DC.

In any case, I hope people don't forget about this come election time in a few months. This man is disgusting in more ways than one. How convenient he kept that incident in Pennsylvania out of the press. Let's not forget about him hiring his wife to work at the charter school, firing the manager that suggested he use the competitive bid process for contracts at the school, or the school purchasing furniture that ended up at his house.

Also his failing to file state-required ELEC reports for four years in a row. He really thinks he's above the law.

I feel bad for his councilmember aide that had to field hundreds of angry phone calls from constituents though. She doesn't deserve the aggravation.

What I've also noticed is that there are quite a few letters in the Jersey City Journal and other papers supporting Steve, and few against him, despite all the scorn he's getting in the various online forums. Coincidence? I think not. I'd like to know who is working at the Jersey City Journal, and if they are friends with Lipski.

On a side note, the 9:30 club is still a good place to see a show. Shame it got caught up in this thing - one of the best places in DC to see a show/concert.

If he was that drunk he would have pissed his pants not pulled out his 'mini-me' and pissed on people.
I'm not buying this story and he has lost all credibility, however I do have empathy for his family.

It's not a "misuse;" it's an ABUSE.

Get yourself into a program, Steve.

It is an excuse. Blame anything but personal responsibility, seems to be pretty normal for a Hudson county politician.

?It?s not an excuse; it?s a misuse of alcohol?
Lipski doesn?t recall urination but was told, ?You did it?

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Hudson Reporter

COUNCILMAN RECALLS INCIDENT ? Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski spoke to the Jersey City Reporter last week about the Nov. 7 incident in which he was accused of urinating in public at a Washington, D.C. club.

Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski recently agreed to a plea deal to settle the assault case against him based on his behavior on Nov. 7 at a Washington, D.C. club.
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?It?s not a copout; it?s a blackout.? ? Steve Lipski
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Now the 45-year-old Lipski is putting out a plea for understanding of his long-time battle with alcoholism.

?Some people have said that I?ve used alcohol as a copout,? Lipski said. ?It?s not a copout; it?s a blackout. It?s not an excuse; it?s a misuse of alcohol.?

In an interview last week, Lipski went into detail about the incident for the first time, and its impact on his personal and professional life. Lipski is the president of the CREATE charter school, and has represented the Journal Square area as a councilman since 2001.

Lipski was arrested on Nov. 7 for simple assault for allegedly urinating from a balcony during a Grateful Dead tribute concert at Washington D.C.?s ?Nightclub 9:30.? Lipski is a known fan of the band.

The day after the incident, Lipski went to court and entered a not guilty plea. A few days later, at a November city council caucus meeting, Lipski apologized to the public, acknowledging that he is a recovering alcoholic.

He received his sentence in a Washington D.C. courtroom on Jan. 13: one year?s probation. His probation could be reduced to six months based on good behavior, performing community service, and seeking counseling for alcoholism. He also paid a $50 fine.

His sentence was based on entering what is known as an ?Alford plea,? in which the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists that could convince a judge or jury to reach a guilty verdict. Lipski said he was facing six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if he did not agree to the plea.

Lipski had also been arrested for drunk driving in 2006 in Pennsylvania.

A long, strange trip

Songs about the road, traveling, or letting one?s self go are common themes in many of the songs of the Grateful Dead, who Steve Lipski has idolized since he was a teen in the 1970s.

Their song ?Truckin? comes to mind, with its signature line: ?What a long, strange trip it?s been.?

That sums up what happened to Lipski on Nov. 7, when he drove down from Jersey City to Washington D.C. with a childhood friend and a different friend. They planned to meet a third childhood friend coming in from Virginia. The four expected to take in an evening performance at the ?Nightclub 9:30? on V Street, enjoying the tunes the Grateful Dead cover band known as the Dark Star Orchestra.

But not before he went over to a bar across the street from the club, where he broke a 23-month sober period in his life by downing three Tanqueray-and-tonics.

?I had my first one and I didn?t get lightheaded, I didn?t get unbalanced, so I said to myself, ?I can handle this,? ? Lipski said.

He then went into the nightclub before Dark Star started their performance. He recalled telling a waitress, ?Don?t be shy, keep the booze flowing.? That meant a couple more Tanqueray and tonics. Lipski said he was feeling lightheaded but relaxed, standing on a balcony overlooking the stage.

The next thing he knew?

He said he started dancing to the music as the opening band for Dark Star played. That would be the last moment he would remember, Lipski said.

His next conscious moment would be waking up in the back of a police car.

Lipski said he blacked out in the interim, and it was up to his childhood friend standing next to him to fill in the blanks.

?My one childhood friend from Virginia says to me, ?You did it,? ? Lipski said. That was when Lipski realized that he may have urinated off the balcony.

Lipski received further verification of his act when he visited the website for Dark Star Orchestra and read a posting from another person who was in the club that night, who expressed disbelief that Lipski ?peed? on him. The next day, he got ahold of a police report detailing what happened in the club.

As to how Lipski ended up in the police car, his friend told Lipski that he was told by one of the club?s bouncers to leave after a brief argument. When Lipski and his friend left the club, they were met by police, who arrested Lipski, but not his friend.

?I was disgusted?

Lipski found himself in a holding room at D.C.?s 3rd District police station, then in a nearby hospital for an overnight stay after he complained of being ill.

The next day, he sat in a cell with about 200 people waiting to see a judge after being processed and fingerprinted. Keeping him company was a homeless man charged with smoking marijuana in a federal building, and another man charged with drug trafficking. There was one bathroom for everyone.

?I was disgusted that I was going through this ordeal, [the police] had taken my shoelaces, they had taken all my possessions,? Lipski said, ?and I had wounded a night out for my friends coming down to D.C. They missed seeing Dark Star as a result of my selfish behavior.?

Lipski also worried whether his friends would be in any trouble, and how to break the news to his wife.

Once in the courtroom, Lipski and his attorney listened to an initial offer by a prosecutor of a 90-day suspended sentence, with five days in a cell.

?I said, ?unacceptable?,? Lipski said. ?I am not a felon and I can?t go to jail. This experience was just punishing itself, and this was before the press hit.?

The prosecutor and Lipski?s attorney looked at his record, saw there were no prior arrests (the one in Pennsylvania had been expunged), and noted his work as a teacher, councilman, and other work in the community. There came a proposal of one year?s probation and a fine.

He had to wait another two months before entering a plea and the case was put to rest. One of the persons who filed a complaint wanted a harsher sentence.

But the next two months would be as harsh and challenging for Lipski as any sentence handed down.

He could very well Shit himself.

What is Lipski gonna do now that the Grateful Dead are touring again? If he goes to one of the shows it may be too much for him to bear. It could be Night of the Johnstown Flood x100!

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Supposedly the trustees of the school held a meeting and were going to wait and see how things turned out from a legal standpoint, the whole innocent until proven guilty philosophy. But he has essentially pled guilty and no one at the school seems to care. Now it's just the attitude of, people make mistakes, let's give him another chance. But I think the parents or trustees forcing him to resign would be difficult anyway, he did start the place after all. Still, it's a crying shame that he is making a handsome six-figure salary at the school at taxpayer expense and the school is listed as not making adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind act standards. When you have somebody with alcohol problems running the place, I guess you really can't expect much anyway.

Urine Trouble.

European, I'm a poopin'.

He should be breath-tested daily, before he sets foot onto any school as part of his rehab - safety 1st for kids!

I'm surprised parents haven't demanded his resignation.

Ha -- no PISSING contest.




Agree that he should be held accountable for this. I also think he needs to check himself into a rehab program to get a better handle on his disease.

Candy, Jeff or Ken on Intervention could have a field day.

This is a story that must not die. But at least he owned up to what he did and is not going to dispute the charges. Of course it is possible (let me emphasize the word "possible", I don't know for sure) he had a good attorney who negotiated the charges down somewhat. He certainly seems to have gotten off easy.

From the New Jersey Journal, January 15, 2009:

Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge accusing him of urinating from the balcony of a Washington, D.C., club onto concertgoers below in November.

Lipski, who called the Journal after leaving Virginia, said he was fined $50 and will be on probation for six months to a year, pending his attendance at alcohol and drug counseling sessions. He must also perform community service, which he said can be done in New Jersey.


Lipski said he pleaded no contest because he had blacked out from the end of the first act of the Grateful Dead tribute concert until he was put in a police car. He said his memory came back only after he was taken to a hospital.

Lipski, whose council term ends June 30, said he hasn't decided whether he will seek re-election. He said the plea won't affect his job as director of CREATE Charter School, which he founded, in Jersey City.

Lipski has said he is an alcoholic who was sober for two years before getting drunk at the concert.

Check back with Hudson County Now for updates.

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You might want to lose the part about the Parking Authority on that resume.

This is very exciting! And most likely he won't pull his penis out in an all-ages show and pee on our kids. Yey!

We have a viable candidate to replace our defunct and possibly corrupt Ward C rep hack. We deserve better!

Jimmy King. Let's start the campaign!

It is time for change baby!

Ward C Candidate Jimmy King. Standard Bearer of the Jimmy King Civic Association, which has over 300 members.

Jimmy has been a member of the Journal Square section of Jersey City for over forty-five years. His resume encompasses vast experience in the public sector, formerly having served as Executive Director of the Jersey City Parking Authority, Hudson County Undersheriff and Director of Public Resources for Hudson County.

Jimmy?s proudest accomplishment rests in his serving as the Standard Bearer of the Jimmy King Civic Association, which has over three hundred members. This organization works to achieve a higher quality of life for the residents of Journal Square.

In 1943 Pollock got his big break when he meet Peggy Guggenheim, but at her party, Pollock got drunk and urinated in her fireplace...

But in the postwar New York art world - that made him a genius!

Could this actor from the 20's and 30's be a distant relative of Lipski ?

From wikipedia: Actor Lee Tracy

" His flourishing film career was temporarily disrupted in 1934 while on location in Mexico filming Viva Villa!, featuring Wallace Beery as Pancho Villa, when he stood on his balcony and urinated on a military parade that was passing below in Mexico City. He was fired from the film and replaced by Stuart Erwin."

These politicians of Jersey City are an embarrassment, in this order:

Jeremiah Healy, Willie Flood, Kabili Tayiri and Steve Lipski.

The sad thing is, I believe that most of our local politicians (including the ones mentioned above) are intelligent people with good intentions. If they could just keep their ethics in check they could do so much for this great city with so much potential.

I am tired of reading about Jersey City in the local news for the wrong reasons. Let's not forget about Steve Lipski's other antics with the state electoral commission, and the "loan to himself", $175,081.00 reasons Steve Lipski should be in jail and have his charter school revoked!


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This subpoena business brings to mind Councilman Steve Lipski's relationship with Hyman and his love for numbers.

On Thursday, Lipski said he knew nothing about the federal prosecutor's request. He said all that business happened before he decided to run for mayor in 2004 in a special election in November.

Hyman played a role in Lipski's run for the city's top spot. The problem is that Lipski's state ELEC reports on his campaign finances, where Hyman is mentioned, is tough to understand, confusing.

He filed the financial reports in January 2008. Lipski said he was reminded of his legal obligation at a City Council caucus when Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop told him he was tired of waiting to see his reports.

Lipski tried to explain their contents.

I ask: "Well, what about this $75,873 which is listed under outstanding obligation column and is categorized as a refund due of excessive contribution? The creditor is listed as Steven Hyman."

Lipski said he had to pay his political media consultant Sheinkopt Ltd. of New York, which supposedly came up with that cute ad attacking then-mayoral candidate Louis Manzo using hooded KKK figures.

"I had to pay him in advance," said Lipski of the consultant.

He said he had a running tab with an outfit called Platinum Design, owned by Hyman's wife Vickie, which Lipski said provided him with literature for mailers.

"Well, Hyman paid Sheinkopt and Sheinkopt paid it back to us, and because Vickie was closing down her business and wanted to close the books, we paid her," he said, confusing me further.

Presumably, this is why Sheinkopt Ltd. is listed under refunded disbursements as having paid back that same $75,873 to Lipski.

Let's forget all that. What about this $43,000 loan that you made to yourself on Nov. 4, 2004?

"Tell me about it," said Lipski. "I'm still paying that back."

Ba-da-boom!

I hope Willie retires soon. She is an embarassment.

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Oh, but if you hang out in the parking lot out back where they have the reserved spaces for councilmembers, you can confront them there, with cameras if you like, I know Arnold Diaz from Fox 5 did to Willie Flood, but it doesn't mean they'll answer your questions, as indicated by Willie Flood's complete lack of response to Arnold Diaz's questions.

Lipski and Flood have another thing in common - Both leave by the 'back door' to avoid questions - either by the public or media........must be a 101 course in manageing a personal crisis

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I see. Anyone know what came of that meeting? Does the Create Charter Board of Trustees have its own opinion about the issue or are they just another toothless,
rubber-stamping entity that holds little if any real power over the school?