We tried Sava's for the first time on Saturday 2.16.08.


Heading north on Grove St. Newark Ave can be seen in the distance.



Sava's is sandwiched between DJ Garden and PostNet - no sign yet.



Specials of the day






Upon entering, to the left...



To the right...


Sava is not shy about expressing her opinions



Kielbasa bliss



Lunch Specials



The steam table. Meals are also prepared fresh to order. The chicken soup and cold borsht are popular.



Meat loaf, kielbasa/kraut and rice



Polish soul food: home made pierogies , meat loaf and stuffed cabbage






Jams, pickles, kasha, mushrooms, chocolate bars and much more...



Eastern Europeans love their mushrooms



Fresh bread



The dairy case



Smakowita!?



Desert






To view larger image using Firefox:
Right click image, view image

bump!


Lots of intersting items on the agenda tonight!
*Crime Report-get the scoop on crime in the area
*Village Association Re-Forming
*Update on the Embankment
*Special guest Downtown Councilman Fulop to Present BetterJC Referendum - pay to play reform
*Discussion of off leash activity in Hamilton Park

TONIGHT 2.6.08 7:45 PM The Cordero School
0n Erie between 9th St and Pavonia Avenue

Have you had enough of the speculation on what happened? Attend the HPNA meeting TONIGHT Feb 6. I expect that the community will be briefed on this incident.

First item on the agenda, 7:45PM sharp at the Cordero School:
http://www.hamiltonpark.org/PDFS/2008-02-HPNA-newsletter.pdf

YOU?RE INVITED TO OUR NEXT HPNA COMMUNITY MEETING:
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2008 7:45 PM The Cordero School
0n Erie between 9th St and Pavonia Avenue

Meeting Agenda
7:45 - 8:00 Crime Report
Police Officer Dina Reilly from the East District Police Department will come to discuss our neighborhood safety concerns. The Jersey City Police Department has a new website, www.njjcpd.orgthat provides extensive Department Information as well as Preventive Tips. You can reach the East District via their new email address policeeast@jcnj.org . Please note the nonemergency police number: (201) 547-5477.
8:00 ? 8:10 Village Association Re-Forming
Rob Crow and Jim Ayers will introduce themselves and their progress in restarting the Village Neighborhood Association in the area formerly known as the Italian Village (located south and west of the Hamilton Park neighborhood). Know someone in the area? Help spread the word for this fledgling neighborhood association.
8:10 ? 8:30 Councilman Fulop to Present BetterJC Referendum
Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop will be presenting information on the referendum he is sponsoring associated with pay-to-play reform. Bring any and all questions. Details can be found online at www.betterjc.org.
8:30 ? 8:45 Embankment Preservation Coalition
Jenny Meyer of the 6th Street Embankment Preservation Coalition (EPC) will update the community on recent developments related to the Embankment. If you haven't heard of the developer's latest proposal, which includes building high rise buildings on top of select embankment blocks, come check out the scale-model renderings produced by the EPC. Read more online at www.embankment.org .
8:45 ? 8:55 DogJC Representative to Discuss Off-leash Activity in HP.
A representative from DogJC would like to explore community supported remedies for the continual and dangerous off leash dog problem we are still experiencing in HP. DogJC is a JCwide online community group dedicated to making the city canine-safe and friendly. Join the group online at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/DogJC .
8:55 ? 9:00 Community Updates
9:00 ? 9:30 Neighborhood social time, chat with presenters

Current and archived HPNA newsletters are available at:
http://www.hamiltonpark.org/newsletter.html

On the Planning Board agenda for TONIGHT - 110 First Street:

Planning Board, scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. in the 14th Floor Conference Room at 30 Montgomery St., Jersey City, New Jersey.

12. Case: P07-157 Preliminary Major Site Plan
Applicant: Athena Bldg Urban Renewal , LLC
Attorney: Angela M. Gurrera
Review Planner: Maryann Bucci-Carter
Address: 110 First Street
Block: 109 Lot: W.A
Zone: Powerhouse Arts Redevelopment Plan
Description: Construction of a 452 dwelling unit residential high rise containing 343 parking spaces and 13, 970sf. of retail

(NOT Toll Brothers, but next door)

'Obama Girl': Who are you voting for?
Various officials and residents looking at presidential choices for Super Tuesday
Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer
01/27/2008

Jersey City has over 240,000 residents, but in this predominantly Democratic city, most residents are split between two presidential candidates: U.S. senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

If you're Amber Lee Ettinger, there's a good chance Obama is your guy.

The Pennsylvania native, who now lives in Jersey City, gained notoriety last year as "Obama Girl," appearing in a sultry YouTube video "I Got a Crush ... on Obama" in which the actress/model Ettinger crooned seductively about Obama.

When contacted last week, the Jersey City resident was coy about whether or not she'll vote for Obama, which was understandable considering the controversy surrounding the 3-minute video and her stating in past interviews that the video was done not in support of him, but for fun. She preferred to answer in terms of herself versus her other persona.

"Obama Girl is all about Obama, so of course she will be supporting him," Ettinger said. "Amber Lee Ettinger likes to keep her decision secret. That is why it's called a secret ballot, right?"

Super Tuesday
But that doesn't mean that other candidates aren't accruing followings.

New Jersey (and particularly Hudson County) is an important state in the ongoing presidential race. Both Democrats and Republicans are looking forward to New Jersey's results in the upcoming presidential primary on Feb. 5, also known as Super Tuesday.

Among the officials in the Obama camp is Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who early in 2007 came out backing the Illinois senator. He is one of the key officials in the state who has been steadfast in his endorsement, along with state Sen. Sandra Cunningham and Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

In the Clinton contingent is City Councilman Steven Fulop, who came out early for her and was one of the people behind her first appearance in Jersey City in August for her presidential fundraiser at the Newport Financial Center in July.

A survey done last week by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut found that Clinton is the leading contender for 49 percent of likely Democratic voters in New Jersey, compared with 32 percent for Obama. On the Republican side, the survey finds Arizona Sen. John McCain having 29 percent over former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's 26 percent.

Turnout will increase this time
Since New Jersey's primary was moved up from February to June, it will have more of an impact on which candidates stay in the race.

Last time around, in June, 2004, it wasn't as important. At the time of the 2004 state Presidential Primary, there were 43,965 registered Democratic voters in Jersey City, but only approximately a third cast a ballot. Democratic candidate John Kerry got the lion's share, with 10,321 votes.

Meanwhile, there were 7,329 registered Republican voters in Jersey City. Only 1,037, or 14 percent, casting ballots. Then-candidate George W. Bush got 913 of those votes.

In June, the primary was only two months away from the Democratic and Republican Conventions, where frontrunners Bush and Kerry were crowned by their respective parties.

This year's primary, moved up four months, has the makings of being far more competitive. Besides Clinton and Obama, the Democrats also have North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who is seen as someone who can get votes from those disillusioned with Clinton and Obama in Jersey City as well as the rest of Hudson County.

For Republicans, Giuliani once held a formidable lead in New Jersey and enjoyed a great deal of popularity and admiration from his two terms as New York City mayor.

But now, the wheels have fallen off his campaign, and he has to slug it out with John McCain, enjoying resurgence in recent months in his financially-challenged run for the White House. And Giuliani may even lose votes to former Massachusetts Gov. Willard Mitt Romney.

Residents discuss Republicans
Dan Falcon resides in Jersey City's Newport area. While he has gained his own local fame as the webmaster of the popular Internet bulletin board, JC List, Falcon has also stood out for his unabashed endorsement of Republican candidate Ron Paul on the Web site.

Paul is the Texas Congressman who has a small but devoted following nationwide for his stance on ending the federal income tax and Federal Reserve System, the nation's central banking system. Falcon has even put a Ron Paul window sticker on his car.

Falcon spent nearly 30 minutes listing the various reasons why Paul should be president, even though he is polling with low numbers in New Jersey.

"The reason I like Ron Paul is when I listen to him speak, I learn something," Paul said. "And he has the only solution to fix our economy to bring home all soldiers we have on military bases around the world and save the trillion dollars he said we are spending on them."

Also endorsing a Republican is lifelong resident Guy Catrillo, an employee in the city's Planning Division.

Catrillo, a registered Republican since 1972, has set his sights on Giuliani for Super Tuesday.

"When he first became mayor in 1993, I thought he was a phony, but then I saw his heart was in trying to make change in New York City," Catrillo said. "I think Giuliani scares a lot of conservative Republicans with his moderate stances."

When asked if he has any thoughts of voting for another candidate on Feb. 5, Catrillo summed up his steadfast support with the following analogy: "When the Catholic Church had its problems, I didn't become a Presbyterian."

?The Hudson Reporter 2008

Vote for Clinton in Feb. 5 primary
Monday, January 28, 2008

H udson County is a stronghold for the Democratic Party, and this newspaper considers it important that voters in the county and state make the right choice on Feb. 5 in New Jersey's Democratic presidential primary.

The Jersey Journal believes U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is the best selection from an impressive field of Democratic hopefuls.

While the party has a unique opportunity to make history by giving this nation either its first woman or first black president, for this endorsement The Journal concentrated on the qualifications needed to solve the country's problems.

There are subtle differences among the candidates, but the message is similar. They demand that everyone share in the nation's wealth and prosperity, call for moral leadership in the world, seek to improve education opportunities, want health care for everyone, promise to solve the nation's energy problems and pledge to end the war in Iraq.

Realistically, this primary race has come down to two front-runners, Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Clinton of New York.

In his visit to Jersey City earlier this month, Obama proved that he can be an effective speaker and that he has a magnetic personality. He has energized young voters and offered hope to older voters who see him as someone who speaks to them and is not about partisan politics.

Obama sparked our imagination and he would make a fine president - in time. Unfortunately, beyond the rhetoric, his inexperience is hard to ignore. Now is the time for the nation to have confidence that it will have seasoned leadership.

Clinton's speech at a North Bergen rally on Wednesday drove home the need to bring the United States out of the shadow of distrust it has been under since going to war in the Middle East.

She exposed her idealistic nature when she promised that one of the first things she will do when she becomes president is to sign into law the expanded version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that was vetoed by President Bush. Also upon taking office, she promised to start bringing troops home from Iraq in 60 days. As for the economy, she pledged that her administration will create 5 million new jobs. "Jobs that will not be sent to a foreign country," she said.

Clinton has the qualifications to navigate through the Washington power riptide that has drowned many a president's agenda. Her work ethic and knowledge of the issues make her an ideal candidate for president.

? 2008 The Jersey Journal

From fighters to friends, Vick's pit bulls learn new life
CNN 1.27.08
(AP) -- His back resting comfortably against her chest, Hector nestles his massive canine head into Leslie Nuccio's shoulder, high-fiving pit bull paws against human hands.

The big dog -- 52 pounds -- is social, people-focused, happy now, it seems, wearing a rhinestone collar in his new home in sunny California.

But as Hector sits up, deep scars stand out on his chest, and his eyes are imploring.

Hector ought to be dead, Nuccio knows -- killed in a staged fight, executed for not winning or euthanized by those who see pit bulls seized in busts as "kennel trash," unsuited to any kind of normal life.

Instead, Hector is learning how to be a pet.

After the hell of a fighting ring, he has reached a heaven of sorts: saved by a series of unlikely breaks, transported thousands of miles, along with other dogs rescued with him, and now nurtured by Nuccio, her roommate, Danielle White, and their three other dogs.

The animals barrel around the house, with 4-year-old Hector leading the puppy-like antics -- stealth underwear grabs from the laundry basket, dashes across the living room, food heists from the coffee table -- until it's "love time" and he decelerates and engulfs the women in a hug. VideoWatch why the dogs can shift from fighting rings to family circles ?

"I wish he could let us know what happened to him," says Nuccio, the big tan dog's foster mother.

But what she does know is this: Hector has come a long way since he was trapped in the horrors of Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels.

The bust

Authorities descending last year on 1915 Moonlight Road in Surry County, Virginia, found the venue where Vick, the former NFL quarterback, and others staged pit bull fights in covered sheds, tested the animals' fighting prowess and destroyed and disposed of dogs that weren't good fighters.

Vick is serving a 23-month federal sentence after admitting he bankrolled the dogfighting operation and helped kill at least six dogs. Three co-defendants also pleaded guilty and were sentenced. The four now face state animal cruelty charges.

Oscar Allen, who sold a champion pit bull to Vick's dogfighting operation, was sentenced Friday on a federal dogfighting charge.

Officers who carried out the raid found dogs, some injured and scarred, chained to buried car axles. Forensic experts discovered remains of dogs that had been shot, electrocuted, drowned, hanged or slammed to the ground for lacking a desire to fight.

Hector and more than 50 other American Pit Bull Terriers or pit bull mixes were gathered up. So were "parting sticks" used to open fighting dogs' mouths, treadmills to condition them and a "rape stand" used to restrain female dogs that did not submit willingly to breeding.

The dogs, held as evidence in the criminal prosecutions, were taken to six different pounds and shelters in Virginia.

Hector was bunked in the Hanover pound in a cage below a dog named Uba who was smaller and showing anxiety.

Uba flattened on all fours when Tim Racer, an evaluator on a team assembled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, arrived at his cage.

"Are you going to kill me now?" was the message another evaluator, Donna Reynolds, read in Uba's eyes.

The black-and-white dog tried to wriggle away once out of the cage, but he came around after a while. He wagged his tail when the team showed him a 4-foot doll, to test his response to children. He spun around and got into a play position when they brought out a dog.

"This is the big secret. Most of them were dog-tolerant to dog-social. It was completely opposite of what we were led to believe," Reynolds said.

How much to trust the capacity of fighting dogs to have a new life as pets or working dogs is an issue that has divided animal advocates. Some believe they should be put down as a precaution, while others say they must be evaluated individually. One dog seized at Bad Newz was euthanized as too aggressive, but the others have had different fates.

Nearly half have been sent to a Utah sanctuary, Best Friends Animal Society, where handlers will work with them. None showed human aggression and many have potential for adoption someday. Others, evaluated as being immediate candidates for foster care and eventual adoption, went to several other groups.

Chance for a new life

Among the latter was Hector.

A team of animal welfare experts got things rolling last July when federal authorities sought ownership of the seized dogs. The result, they say, was groundbreaking.

The Oakland, California-based pit bull rescue and education group Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls, or BAD RAP, which had done similar rescues from busts in California, asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gill for permission to evaluate and rescue as many of the dogs as possible, with the hope of eventually placing them in adoptive homes.

"Much to our amazement, he said yes," said Reynolds, who heads BAD RAP. "This doesn't happen. People don't say yes to pit bulls."

Gill declined to comment, but those familiar with the Vick case said the Justice Department hoped early on to find a way to give the dogs a second chance. As part of his plea deal, Vick agreed to pay for the dogs' care.

The court even appointed a guardian and special master, Valparaiso University animal law expert Rebecca Huss, who oversaw the dogs' disposition and recommended which rescue groups would accept them.

One result of the unusual process, said ASPCA's Stephen Zawistowski, is that shelters that always euthanized such dogs are now saying "you've given us permission to care" about giving them a second chance.

Each dog was evaluated as an individual. Huss recalled the good-natured-but-quiet Rose, whose overbreeding had led to mammary tumors. In the end, needing surgery but unable to tolerate anesthesia, Rose was mercifully put down, just days after being transferred to a foster home.

"The good thing was she didn't die in the shelter," Huss said. "She had a little time in the sun, not enough, but a little time in the sun."

Huss received reports from an ASPCA-led evaluation team and from volunteers who observed and worked with the dogs where they were being held as evidence in shelters and pounds.

Nicole Rattay, a volunteer from BAD RAP, spent six weeks visiting the Vick dogs in shelters every day, e-mailing and phoning her observations to Huss.

"Some dogs were ready to learn 'sit' and obedience," she said. "Some needed more time to accept touch and feel comfortable in their surrounding. Sometimes I would just sit in their kennels." For some, bits of roasted chicken became a "motivator," she said.

She mentioned Handsome Dan, who bridled at touching at first but gradually grew more comfortable, though not enough for foster home placement, at least not yet. He ended up going to Best Friends.

"I hope that he can overcome what was done to him," said Rattay.

Hector's journey

BAD RAP won government approval in mid-October to transport a group of dogs to California foster homes to get them out of confinement.

Hector and a dozen others were about to make the cross-country trip in a rented 33-foot recreational vehicle.

But first, they had to get ready.

Four BAD RAP members -- Racer, Reynolds, Rattay and Steve Smith -- cruised a Richmond, Virginia, Wal-Mart, loading up with doggy sleeping mats, crates, bowls and chew sticks. The next day, they split up in twos to pick up, bathe and exercise the 13 pit bulls from four shelters. Then they loaded them up.

Rattay walked through the RV, cooing and checking her cargo to the thump-thump-thump of happy tails against dog crates. One dog circled his bed. Another stretched and yawned. A third slathered her outstretched hand with kisses.

"Oh my goodness," she cooed to them. "It's nice to see you again. Hi buddy, hi."

At first, the caretakers put cardboard between the crates to offer the dogs privacy and calm. "But they were happier when they could see their neighbor," Rattay said.

She and Smith took turns driving and napping on the 2?-day trip (Racer and Reynolds flew home to prepare for the dogs' arrival).

The dogs drifted to sleep in their crates -- atop the RV table, benches, queen bed and couch, and an area above the cab -- but jumped right up each time the RV stopped for a break at a highway rest area.

Assembly-line style, the couple walked, watered and fed each of the 13 dogs, causing some gawks from other drivers who'd stopped, but never any questions from the dogs.

"They did fabulous," Rattay said. "They understood the program right away and got in and out of their crates."

Mostly things went fine for Hector and his fellow passengers in the rolling kennel, though one incident briefly worried Smith and Rattay.

It hadn't occurred to them to map a route that avoided places with ordinances banning pit bulls. A groundskeeper at an Arkansas rest stop warned them that "further down the road, they will take that dog from you unless you have proper paperwork."

"We finished it up and got moving," Rattay said.

At 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, Rattay pulled the RV in front of Racer and Reynolds' house.

It had been a long trip, and soon after the two couples unloaded and walked the dogs, both drivers and animals fell asleep in the living room waiting for foster families to arrive.

Smith snored a little, Rattay remembered, and a dog gave a low grumble.

Hector's settling into his new life, getting further and further from his past.

Weekly "canine good citizen" classes are correcting his social ineptitude. And he's taking cues on good manners from patient Pandora, a female pit bull mix who's queen of the household's dogs. Once Hector graduates, he'll take classes to become a certified therapy dog, helping at nursing homes and the like.

For now, he's learning the simple pleasures of a blanket at bedtime, a peanut butter-filled chew toy, even classical music.

"I put on Yo-Yo Ma one day and he cocked his head, laid down and listened to the cello next to the speaker," Nuccio said. "He's turning out to be a man of high class and culture."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayofl ... 7/vick.dogs.ap/index.html

Quote:

You started the thread by stating that you were being blackmailed by your LL. Now looks like it is YOU that are contemplating blackmail. Much of the blame is yours. You should have communicated with your LL that you were not going to renew. Even if it was not required, it was the right thing to do.

Less artist housing, but theater/gallery likely

Toll Brothers gets closer to developing three towers, demolishing cobblestone street
Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer

THE PLANNING BOARD ? At its Wednesday meeting, the Jersey City Planning Board approved amendments to the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan. This will help Toll Bros. build three towers. Some area artists were unhappy with the changes.
The Jersey City Planning Board at their meeting on Wednesday voted to recommend amendments to the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan, changing the restrictions on height and density of buildings to make it easier for national developer Toll Brothers to develop three proposed towers the way they want to.

But some area artists are not very happy about the changes.

Those changes mean that Toll Bros. can build less housing for artists, as well as destroy two historic warehouses and a cobblestone street, although Toll Bros. plans to keep the cobblestones for a future plaza.

But Toll Brothers also plans to build a 550-seat theater and gallery in addition to the towers.

The three towers are expected to be 30, 35, and 40 stories high, totaling 950 units. Toll Brothers hopes to also demolish most of the former Manischewitz plant on Marin Boulevard and Bay Street, except for the fa?ade.
Other implications

Advertisement

The entire project is currently named Provost Square. It will have a 24,000-square-foot plaza on what is currently Provost Street that would also take away one of the city's last remaining cobblestone streets.

Toll Bros. is now allowed to market 10 percent of housing to working families, instead of artists, for the first 180 days after the units are built.

There is one more hurdle to clear before these changes are approved. The plan needs a go-ahead from the City Council. But if the vote by the Planning Board is any indication, the council is likely to approve the amendments.

Not part of it

What also helped was the testimony of Robert Cotter, director of the city's Planning Department, who spoke in positive terms of the Toll Bros. Plan. He also said he believes the area to be developed is not actually in the Powerhouse Arts District (PAD), which has specific zoning.

The Powerhouse Arts District (PAD) in Downtown Jersey City is an 11-block area that stretches east to west from Marin Boulevard to Washington Boulevard, and from north to south from Second Street to Bay Street.

In 2004, the district was officially designated for redevelopment by the city, and is supposed to include 10 percent affordable housing, particularly for artists.

The district's crown jewel is its namesake - the old Hudson and Manhattan Powerhouse building on Washington Blvd., which once provided electricity for the massive Hudson Manhattan railroad (the precursor to the PATH system). City officials have considered turning it into a shopping and entertainment complex, as was done with the old Baltimore Power Station on Baltimore's inner harbor.

The district is full of majestic warehouse structures that once served as homes to suppliers and manufacturers such as the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P).

Residents very concerned

Cotter said at the meeting that the Toll Bros. project will bring more people into the area and help create a vital theater and arts district.

The meeting was the continuation of a Nov. 27 Planning Board meeting, where over five hours of public testimony was given by advocates and critics of the Toll Bros. project.

Wednesday's meeting was just to hear Planning Department staff give their assessment of the amendments being considered, before a vote.

Residents of the PAD, who are part of the Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association (PADNA) have gone before city officials since they formed in 2006. They have tried to make sure the district is developed according its redevelopment plan. This means following guidelines for height and mass, conversion of the warehouses, 10 percent affordable housing (particularly for artists), and 1 percent construction costs dedicated to the arts.

PADNA have been concerned about high-rise development encroaching upon their district.

They were first perturbed by the 550-feet tower planned for 111 First St., a building that used to contain working artists. That building was located in the PAD until 2006, when it was placed in its own special zone in order to settle legal matters between the developer, New Gold Equities, and the city.

Now, PADNA finds itself on the losing end of another development battle.

Jill Edelman, current president of PADNA, commented last week on the Planning Board decision.

"Everyone needs to keep this in mind," she said. "What Toll Bros. was seeking was a doubling of density. And a doubling of density is a doubling of profits. For the commissioners to grant them this approval is to grant them a large financial gift."

Several artists' districts foundered

At the Planning Board meeting, Cotter described the history of the Powerhouse Arts District from its origins in the 1990s. At that time, longtime arts advocate and resident Charles Kessler and local historian Rick James came to him with the idea of an arts district.

Both Kessler and James were in the audience on Wednesday, and both could only look on in disappointment.

Cotter then described how over the next 10 years, the city's master plan was changed to make way for the WALDO (Work and Live District Overlay), a precursor for the Powerhouse Arts District, which would attract more artists to an area already being settled by those engaged with the arts by requiring all those settling in the WALDO to be artists.

That district was short-lived due to resistance by property owners.

This controversy led to the Powerhouse Arts District, which would allow for a mix of artists and non-artists.

But now, Toll does not have to deal entirely with that zoning either. Cotter said that a part of Toll Bros.' project is actually outside of the district, specifically the Manischewitz site.

Cotter said the block of the Manischewitz site is not included in the PAD, but instead is in a larger "land-use district" that only includes Newport and Exchange Place "This block is actually planned to be similar in densities and intensities as the Newport area and Colgate Exchange area where the 800-foot Goldman Sachs building sits," Cotter said. "This was a bit of a surprise to me when I saw it."

Cotter later praised the Toll Bros. plan, and soon, members of the Planning Board agreed.

http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFrie ... id=523586&newsid=19214355

[img]http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19214355&BRD=1291&PAG=461&dept_id=523586&rfi=6[/img]

from padnajc.org
PADNA vs. Toll issue was held over from the last Planning Board meeting on 11/27 until Wednesday, January 16th. This special session of the planning board will be held

Wednesday, January 16th
Middle School #4
111 Bright Street, Auditorium
5:30 p.m. sharp

A DECISION WILL BE MADE AT THIS MEETING! It is again imperative that you all come, bring your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues. We filled the Council Chambers at the Courthouse, let's fill the auditorium at Middle School #4 and show the Planning Board and the City Council our support of the PAD Plan.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public meetings and other civic events are listed at the CIVICJC Community Calendar: http://civicjc.org/modules/piCal/

Elections will take place at this meeting, so please attend!
http://www.hamiltonpark.org/PDFS/2008-01-HPNA-newsletter.pdf


YOU'RE INVITED TO OUR NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING:
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 2, 2007 ? 7:45 PM
The Cordero School
0n Erie between 9th St and Pavonia Avenue
Meeting Agenda
7:45 - 8:00 Crime Report
Police Officer Dina Reilly from the East District Police Department will come to discuss
our neighborhood safety concerns. The Jersey City Police Department has a new website,
www.njjcpd.org that provides extensive Department Information as well as Preventive
Tips. Please note the non-emergency police number: (201) 547-5477.
8:00 ? 8:15 Route 139 Rehabilitation Project Update
The Route 139 Rehabilitation Project is moving into its next stage, which will affect
eastbound traffic. A representative from the project's Community Relations will fill us in
on details, including all planned traffic routing changes.
8:15 ? 8:30 Elections for 2008 HPNA Board
The January meeting is when we have our annual elections. All current HPNA members
are invited to come out and vote for the 2008 HPNA Board.
8:30 ? 9:00 Community Updates, Plans for 2008
We'll have updates on the planned 2008 Hamilton Park Renovation (it's finally here!), as
well as a calendar of 2008 events for the Hamilton Park Community. It's time to set our
agenda as to HPNA goals this year. Be part of the planning ? we'll be talking farmer's
market, community welcome kits, website and blog, library archiving and dedication
ceremony, holiday parties, and more. Bring your ideas, your enthusiasm, and your
availability as we're always looking for volunteers to help strengthen the neighborhood
association.
9:00 - 9:30 Neighborhood social time, chat with presenters
Upcoming Events in and around Hamilton Park
Sunday, Jan 6th, 4pm ? St. Michaels Epiphany Concert
St. Michaels Singers presents the annual Epiphany Concert, with special guests the St.
Marys Singers. Located at St. Michael Church, Parish of the Resurrection at 252 9th
Street.
Tuesday, Feb 5th ? VOTE! New Jersey Presidential Primaries
Mark your calendars as Tuesday, Feb. 5th is the day for residents of NJ to vote in the
2008 presidential primaries. Not registered yet? You can register to vote up to 21 days
before the election. Just visit http://www.nj.gov/oag/elections/voter-registrationapplication.
htm .
If you aren't going to be in town, request an absentee ballot up to 7 days before the
election by visiting http://www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/elections or by visiting the
County Clerk's office at 583 Newark Ave before 3pm on Monday, February 4th

Quote:

Seems like the City got the signs for free. Who paid for the installation? Were the appropriate procedures followed?
Who is going to pay for the upkeep of the signs (graffiti removal)? Of course some if not all of the signs will have to be moved.

This photo is NOT hosted on JCLIST.COM, since it does not comply with the photo hosting policy of this site.

Sign at 8th and Jersey - just west of the park entrance:

Quote:

I doubt they mentioned the placement of the signs to HPNA. We NEVER would have agreed to the placement of the signs in the path of pedestrians in a heavily trafficked sidewalk. Notice that it is directly across from the trash receptacle (the black object in the left of the frame) - so pedestrians are squeezed even more!

(click to enlarge)

There are a few good things about the signs.
1. Next time a lost traveler asks for directions to Hoboken or the Holland tunnel I can point to the sign instead of having give directions.
2.Over time the community will use the sign as a bulletin board to post gate sales, lost cat notices, offers to buy ugly houses, etc. Of course this will negate benefit # 1.

Who will maintain the signs? The signs could be a tempting target for graffiti artist. Those signs covered with tags would look pretty nasty.

Did the placement of the signs in the Historic Districts go before the Historic Preservation Commission? Were all of the proper approvals granted by the city?

The signs are OK - the placement, at least in HP is poor.

Quote:


From proceeds of his weed sales?

Quote:

It makes my blood boil that taxpayers are providing a salary for this guy.

BTW, Philip Matsikoudis is on the JC Planning Board and is the brother of Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis.

The police must have speculated that there was an arms cache in your apartment, and the hand grenades, even if deactived, were just the tip of the iceberg. In a perfect world they would have politely asked to have a look around before evacuating the 'hood. Sorry to hear about the hassle, but there is a lesson to be learned here.

Quote:

Dinner?!


http://www.rabbit.org/

Back on the Planning Board agenda TONIGHT Oct 2:

Four applications to demolish the 6th Street Embankment to make room for 64 two-family houses appears on TONIGHT'S agenda.

Please plan on attending this meeting scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Jersey City, New Jersey.


Quote:

I was responding to Br6dR.

Dog runs must not be considered to be a "public place"
Last time I checked you can't have a picnic in a dog run.

Quote:

? 90-16. Use of leash in public places.

No person who owns, keeps or harbors any dog shall suffer or permit it to be upon the public streets or in any of the public places of the city unless such dog is accompanied by a responsible person and is securely confined and controlled by one adequate leash not more than six feet long.

Allowing off-leash activity in City parks will require a change to city ordinances, since under the current municipal code all dogs must be on leash in city parks. I doubt that changing Jersey City municipal code would be the one of the primary objectives of Ava's group. I suggest that you discuss this with Ava.

Quote:

I am posting this on behalf of Ava. She is on the agenda to speak at the October HPNA meeting.
----------------------------------------------------------

RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERS OF
HAMILTON PARK UNITE

Aggressive dogs + Apathetic Dog Owners = Angry Community

Are you one of the many responsible dog owners in the Hamilton Park area who is tired of being blamed for the irresponsible actions of a few?

Join me in forming the Responsible Dog Owners Association of Hamilton Park. Let?s work together to build a strong community of responsible dog owners.

The goals of our dog-focused Association will be to:

*Promote responsible, caring dog ownership and better behaved dogs in Hamilton Park and the surrounding community through education, training, recreation, and enjoyment.

*Create guidelines for acceptable dog/owner behavior in Hamilton Park and the surrounding community.

*Develop an association web site and online network of local dog owners.

*Advocate and lobby representatives on behalf of dogs and dog owners in the Hamilton Park community.

*Build and maintain good relationships with related organizations and the community-at-large.

*Sponsor dog-related forums, activities, and events.

If you share these goals, and are as crazy about your dogs as I am about mine, let?s make this happen. Please provide your name, your dog?s name, your address and email information on the sign-up sheet located in Walt?s Liquor Store on the corner of 8th Street and Jersey Avenue and I?ll follow-up.

Let?s get this association up and running!!!

Ava Thorin

---------------------------------------------
Tips For Being A Good Dog Owner

Carry a leash
*Pick up and dispose of dog waste
*Do not leave dogs unattended
*Leash or muzzle aggressive dogs
*Control excessive noise
*Prevent digging and destructive behavior
*License your dog
*Always carry a bag, a spare and a share
*Let your dog off-leash only in safe areas
*Never let your dog get more than 20 feet away from you.

Quote:

Also give Mayor Healy credit for letting us know about what is going on in Bradley Beach. Under the Cunningham and Schundler administrations I had no idea that Bradley Beach existed.

From: http://www.physorg.com/news109734117.html

Ambitious plans for big Wi-Fi networks to provide free or low-cost wireless Internet access are being abandoned or scaled back by US cities as the economics of the deals turn out to be more challenging than expected.

San Francisco and Chicago in recent weeks abruptly halted plans to set up municipal Wi-Fi networks while Internet giant Earthlink, a partner for a number of cities, has begun a reorganization that will limit new projects.

Wi-Fi, one of the most popular standards for wireless Internet access, had been seen as a means of connecting more people at a relatively low cost, and city leaders across the United States had been rushing to use the technology for "digital inclusion" programs for low-income residents.

But cities and companies are finding the economics more difficult, with many expensive access points needed and relatively small numbers of subscribers signing on.

"I think it's a troubled market," said Daryl Schoolar, senior analyst at the research firm In-Stat.

"Some thought a lot of people would rush out with laptops and would use it. But Wi-Fi doesn't really penetrate buildings well. And people use Wi-fi mainly in hotels, airports and cafes."

Although some privately operated Wi-Fi deployments in these high-density locations have become popular, analysts say the notion of a large municipal network blanketing cities is questionable.

MuniWireless, a website tracking municipal projects, counts over 400 cities in planning or development of Wi-Fi networks. But analysts say only a small percentage of these are operating, and many are primarily for police or public-safety access.

"The problem is finding a business model that really works," said Stan Schatt, analyst with ABI Research.

"Originally the municipalities came into this by saying they would offer Wi-Fi and get a free ride for their internal networks, and it turns out it doesn't work that way."

In San Francisco, Google was preparing to back a citywide Wi-Fi program with Earthlink that would be free for users who agree to view online ads, with paying customers getting an ad-free version. But the city was unable to come to terms with Earthlink before the firm pulled out and announced a massive reorganization on August 28.

Chicago officials announced August 31 they would "re-evaluate" their plan after two potential partners failed to come up with a suitable plan because a network required "extraordinary financial support" from the city.

"In Chicago and in many other cities, a municipal Wi-Fi network was initially envisioned as a way to provide cheaper, high-speed access to consumers," said Hardik Bhatt, the city's chief information officer.

"But given the rapid pace of changing technology, in just two short years, the marketplace has altered significantly."

Ahead of the other major cities, Philadelphia meanwhile is rolling out its Wi-Fi network, having covered more than half of the city's 350 square kilometers (135 square miles).

The nonprofit Wireless Philadelphia organization has provided some 300 low-income residents with laptops and wireless "bundles" at a price of around 10 dollars per month. Free access is provided in many parks, and customers can sign up for citywide access for about 20 dollars monthly.

"Philadelphia remains the showcase city for municipal wireless networks," said Wireless Philadelphia chief executive Greg Goldman, who indicated partner Earthlink's reorganization would not affect the project.

Earthlink said it would keep its commitment to that city but would not take on any new projects using the "old business model."

"We will not devote any new capital to the old municipal Wi-Fi model that has us taking all the risk by fronting all the capital, then paying to buy our customers one by one," Rolla Huff, EarthLink president and chief executive, told a conference call with analysts. "That model is simply unworkable."

"EarthLink's reorganization may be the reality check that the municipal broadband market needs," says analyst Joe Panettieri, writing on MuniWireless.

"Too many municipalities continue to focus on large, ambitious public wireless projects that have no clear path to profitability."

Yet analysts say that despite the problems of municipal Wi-Fi programs, wireless Internet access is growing and more networks will be coming in some form.

Other technologies are promising including WIMAX, which has a longer range for each access point. Spint Nextel and Clearwire are planning big WIMAX rollouts in the United States and other countries, analysts say.

"There are many versions of this wireless technology, some will work and some won't, and we're in the early innings," said Jeff Kagan, an independent telecom industry analyst.

But Kagan said the idea of cities providing Internet access appears doubtful.

"This is a technology that is changing so quickly that you have to allow the industry to handle it on a competitive basis to keep the prices low and innovation high," Kagan said.

"When government gets involved in these projects, no matter what government, it just trips over itself."

? 2007 AFP

The "triange" on is city owned land. Since the land is not suitable for construction of a skyscraper, it presents a very rare opportunity to preserve a bit of open space - build a park - in the PAD area. There are at least two other locations that could house the transformers, so the triangle is not the only option.

The PAD folks should not let this opportunity slip away.

I'll pass on the rabbit pate.

Quote:

On Saturday Night 9/15 at 9PM I observed two kids tagging in Hamilton Park. Here's a description - two white males age about 12 to 14. One 5' tall wearing a gray hoodie an the other 5'6" with a black hoodie and carrying a messenger pack - probably filled with markers/spray paint.

We reported it to the non-emergency # 201-547-5477, but by then they were long gone.

Report it to the Anti-Graffiti Task Force at (201)432-4645 ext. 634. even if it is on private property.

See: http://www.jciaonline.org/graffiti.php

It is important to get rid of the graffiti asap.


Quote: