Jersey City Asks Residents For Help Getting Rid Of Spotted Lanternflies


October 8, 2019 at 9:55 am

JERSEY CITY (CBSNewYork) ? Residents of Jersey City are being asked to help get rid of a plant and tree-killing insect invading Jersey City.

Several residents have reported seeing Spotted Lanternflies.

The insect is native to Asia and was first spotted in the U.S. in Pennsylvania.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture says it lays eggs on crops and plants and eventually kills them.

The bugs can lay egg masses with up to 50 eggs each.

Officials fear the Spotted Lanternfly can destroy Jersey City?s urban forest.


https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/10/0 ... -city-spotted-lanternfly/

Jersey City Residents Say Chaotic Bike Lanes Send Cyclists The Wrong Way In Front Of A School, Church

September 26, 2019 at 7:11 pm

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) ? Jersey City officials say the new bike lanes were meant to improve safety ? but residents say the change has actually created a dangerous problem right near a school.

CBS2 cameras caught one biker after another going the wrong way on Bergen Avenue; in the newly painted bright green bike lane.


Bike lanes in Jersey City causing confusion near schools and churches. (Credit: CBS2)

The arrow on that lane however, shows it shifts from two-way access down to one-way.

Bikers are supposed to cross the street to continue on, but Terence Matthews ? associate principal of Hudson Catholic High School ? says this is just one of the many problems with the new bike lanes.

?You changed the bus stop by the school, now you?re running a bike lane through a bus stop,? Matthews explained.

CBS2 witnessed a passenger get off without looking both ways, walking right into the bike path, a danger especially if bikers are coming from the wrong direction.


Jersey City bus passengers must now cross bike lanes just to get to the curb. (Credit: CBS2)

Priests at St. Aedan?s say the bike lanes cause major issues especially during special events. There is no access now for funerals or weddings to pull up out front.

Others are frustrated that vehicular traffic which was reduced from four lanes down to two and three lanes.


Jersey City?s new bike lanes have now cut off the curb leading to St. Aedan?s church ? not allowing access for funeral and wedding parties. (Credit: CBS2)

?It?s causing a lot of cars? causing a lot of accidents in the Journal Square area, so I think it was a waste of money,? Vilissa Jordan said.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop claims the reduction in lanes was a strategic safety move.

?There was a lot of crashes there, there were fatalities in that area, it was very unsafe street, so a road diet isn?t a terrible thing,? Fulop argued.

Matthews says the school was given a just few days notice about the new traffic pattern and wishes the city sought neighborhood input.

?The reality is we had 60 public meetings, 60. Not something that happened overnight,? Fulop said.

That said, the mayor says nothing is final. Parking issues and more can be adjusted, but the bike lanes will remain as part of a citywide initiative.

The mayor says new traffic patterns are part of a greater push to encourage residents to take public transportation or give biking a try to help reduce congestion.


https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/09/2 ... ity-bike-lanes-wrong-way/

Jersey City launching new bus service; mayor says NJ Transit falling short

By RYAN HUTCHINS 09/19/2019 05:02 AM EDT

JERSEY CITY ? New Jersey?s second-largest city is launching its own heavily-subsidized bus system, an effort it says will ameliorate a lack of options in far-flung neighborhoods while filling gaps left by NJ Transit, which has struggled to keep up with the city?s rapidly growing population.

The new service, set to be announced Thursday morning at press conference with Mayor Steven Fulop, will be run in partnership with Via, a transportation company that operates in numerous cities across the country, but may be best known locally for running an on-demand van network that shuttles riders between uptown and downtown Manhattan locations.

In Jersey City, the company will receive $2 million annually from the city ? at least to start ? to establish a network of 14 vehicles that will pick up riders along dynamic routes, moving residents from neighborhoods like Greenville and the Heights to transit hubs or popular downtown locations.

No other city in the state operates such a service.

Fulop said in an interview that has been left dissatisfied by NJ Transit, which has faced years of commuter discontent with both its bus and rail services but has promised a turnaround under Gov. Phil Murphy.

The mayor, a Democrat, said the agency has made some adjustments ? like adding more bus trips on some key routes ? but isn?t reacting quickly enough to the changing city, which is now seen as an alternative to many popular New York neighborhoods.

?I think that we?re frustrated and a lot of people in this state are frustrated. I think we have two choices: Choice one is we continue to complain and bitch to NJ Transit that they?re not fulfilling their obligations,? Fulop said. ?Or option two is we try to find our own solutions while continuing to do that.?

The new service is expected to run 150,000 rider trips per month, carrying several passengers at a time who are all headed in the same direction. Trips will cost $2 each way, with a discounted $1 fare available for low-income residents.

Residents who request a trip using Via?s phone app will be directed to a nearby ?virtual? bus stop within a few blocks of their location and taken to another stop not far from their destination. The idea is increased access to key shopping and business districts, government facilities as well as PATH, ferry and light rail stations.

The service won?t work everywhere in the city. Those requesting a pickup in a busy downtown location and headed to another downtown location will be rejected.

?I think it?s going to be transformational for the city,? Fulop said.

Via, which will buy the vehicles on behalf of the city, runs similar services for other local governments and transit agencies. The company says it has more than 80 current or pending ?deployments of its technology? around the world, and most are through direct partnership like the one with Jersey City.

Those locations include Los Angeles, where it operates first- and last-mile transit for LA Metro. It also operates services Seattle, West Sacramento, Calif., and Arlington, Texas, where the local government has replaced fixed bus routes with the Via service after seeing an increase in ridership.

?Via?s technology is specifically designed to provide efficient shared rides that seamlessly complement and integrate into existing public transit infrastructure,? Alex Lavoie, Via?s U.S. general manager, said in a statement. ?Together with the Jersey City community and Mayor Fulop, our aim is to build a sustainable service that is priced affordably, provides equitable access to all and incorporates electric vehicles from the start.?

Jersey City, whose population is about 265,000, has far more mass transit options than most communities in New Jersey. That includes NJ Transit buses, the agency?s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and the Port Authority?s PATH train, a subway that connects Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City to Manhattan. There are also numerous, privately-operated ?jitney? buses that make stops along several fixed routes.

Fulop says it isn?t enough, and he thinks NJ Transit has been slow to respond to local transportation needs. He says some buses are constantly crowded, despite recent changes, and notes the agency still hasn?t built a light rail stop in a neighborhood that sits between Hoboken and the roads that lead to the Holland Tunnel.

?New Jersey Transit is terrible,? Fulop said. ?We?re going to push them to do what they?re required to do. But it?s really hard to work with them.?

NJ Transit says it?s trying to do better.

In the Heights, a neighborhood in the northern part of the city that overlooks Hoboken, the agency?s No. 119 bus route has struggled to keep up as more and more riders use it to reach the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. NJ Transit says it has increased service on the route by 117 percent between 2013 and 2019. In June, it added 12 trips to the route.

The agency also made changes to the No. 86 bus route, identifying ?efficiencies in the current route? that have allowed one-seat rides for residents trying to reach a popular senior center.

?Despite significant budget challenges over the last decade, we?ve worked closely with the administration to enhance bus service in response to growing demand,? Nancy Snyder, a spokesperson for NJ Transit, said in a statement. ?We will continue to work closely with the administration, as we do with stakeholders across New Jersey, to maximize the availability of public transportation in Jersey City and cities throughout the state.?

https://www.politico.com/states/new-je ... sit-falling-short-1198003

Jersey City library renamed in honor of its longtime director


JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- They renamed the main library in Jersey City in honor of its longtime director Monday.

Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced the renaming of the Jersey City Free Public Library's Main Library building in honor of Priscilla Gardner.

The honor comes as Gardner steps down from her post. She is retiring after 50 years of service.

"It is fitting that the main library be named in honor of Priscilla and all of her hard work," said Fulop in a statement. "The Jersey City Free Public Library is a valuable resource in our community, and Priscilla created a community that opened doors for people who may not otherwise have had access to books and other educational resources. The impact she has made on our City will last a lifetime."

Gardner began her career as a junior library assistant in 1969. She became the library's first African American director in 2002. She spent 30 years working at Miller Branch Library, serving as branch head there from 1987-1999.

"While I am beyond grateful the mayor has chosen to recognize me, I simply worked to serve as the best Library Director for our community and never imagined being recognized in this way," Gardner said. "I am excited to start this new chapter in my life, but am also thankful for the change we have been able to create in Jersey City. It is my hope that the work I started lives on, and the Jersey City community continues to have endless access to free resources through the Jersey City Free Public Library."

Gardner established the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation in 2004 to raise funds for capital improvements to the Library and to support Library services and programs.

Under her leadership, the foundation made critical contributions to the library, expanding the resources offered to Jersey City residents.

video:
https://abc7ny.com/society/jersey-city ... ongtime-director/5543342/

7 On Your Side helps keep New Jersey hot dog shop on a roll after check fraud

By Nina Pineda

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- Stealing and forging checks is nothing new, but is it getting easier to do because of mobile phone banking?

Check fraud costs consumers and banks $900 million per year. One local business was out thousands until reaching out to 7 On Your Side and Nina Pineda to help keep their hot dog shop on a roll.

Boulevard Drinks always covets top dog honors, and it has served customers in New Jersey since the Great Depression for 82 years.

Now because someone swiped a check out of the mail, the owners are in the red and struggling to keep their frank shop from folding up.

The trouble for the hot dog hangout started last June when the owners sent out an insurance check for $531 and dropped it in the mailbox on the corner.

But just two days after putting it in the mail, the check showed up -- it had been bleached and forged but was cashed, not by the insurance company, but by a criminal.

Effie Bardis was shocked.

"I said who wrote a check for $6,300," Bardis said.

Now written out to "Angelo," the devious criminal changed the amount from $531 to more than$6,300. And he deposited it by taking a photo of the altered check which the bank cashed.

"Taking a $6,300 hit by somebody who fraudulently took it is just too much," said Victor Victoratos, Effie's brother who had written the check and mailed it.

That's a lot of dogs to dish out. They still sell for just $2.25 and the family worries they'll have to close

So 7 On Your side went to bat for Boulevard Drinks, asking both banks to buck up for the mom and pop business. Within two days, the stolen money was returned to the account

"Thank you 7 On Your Side, you're amazing, what I could not do in five weeks, you did in less than week," Victoratos said.

Reps for both the banks said they were happy to work together to expedite a favorable resolution.

The big takeaway is: The first step to stopping check fraud is to monitor your bank account each week in order to catch any fraud. Remember, you have just 60 days to report fraud to your bank.

Next, sign up for automatic payments where bills will be paid from your bank account each month -- automatically.

And use online bill pay so you pay bills through your bank's website and never use a paper check again.

https://abc7ny.com/finance/7-on-your-s ... fter-check-fraud/5521046/

Worried About Bike Theft? At Journal Square, You Can Park in a Pod

By Caren Lissner - September 4, 2019

The Port Authority finalized an agreement this summer with a Brooklyn-based company to provide 20 secure bicycle parking spots inside a ?pod? in front of the Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City.

The Oonee company, which already maintains several pods in New York City, set up their Journal Square pod in August.

Users can reserve a space by keycard or app and leave their bike inside one of twenty spots in the shelter.

Users must pay a subscription fee of a few dollars per month, some of which goes to the Port Authority. The Port Authority is not paying for the service.

?Offering these kinds of biking options is part of the Port Authority?s commitment to a better, easier commute and a cleaner environment,? said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O?Toole, in a July press release announcing the agreement.

The agency also cited the May rollout of a shared bike/pedestrian path at the Bayonne Bridge.

The Journal Square Transportation Center has PATH trains that run to New York City, Hoboken, and Newark, as well as buses traveling throughout Essex and Bergen counties, reaching Newark, Hackensack, and Bogota.

Ooneepod was created after founder Shabazz Stuart ?had his third bicycle stolen in a five-year period,? according to the company website. ?He realized that secure parking for bicycles was critical for convenient and reliable mobility in cities.?

https://jerseydigs.com/ooneepod-secure ... urnal-square-jersey-city/


Celebrate the opening of Jersey City's first secure cycle parking hub at Journal Square

About this Event

Join us on Wednesday, September 4 as we gather to celebrate the launch of Jersey City's first public bike parking pod in partnership with the Port Authority of NY & NJ, which owns and operates the PATH system.

We will start gathering at 3:00 p.m. and the program will commence promptly at 3:30 p.m. with remarks from Oonee?s founders and the Director of PATH.

Stick around for refreshments, music, and socializing as we form community around building the next generation of urban bike parking public space infrastructure.

Arrive by the program start time to enter a free raffle to win a $50 Starbucks gift card.

See you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oonee-lau ... quare-tickets-70283559017

5 teenagers arrested on assault charges after shots fired in Downtown Jersey City, official says


By John Heinis - August 13, 2019

Five teenagers were arrested on assault charges after shots were fired in Downtown Jersey City early Sunday evening, an official said.

On Sunday at approximately 5:48 p.m., the Jersey City Police Department responded to a call for shots fired near Coles Street, city spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione told HCV.

Upon further investigation, police quickly identified, located, and apprehended five male juveniles: two-15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, and one 17-year-old, she added.

Each defendant was charged with aggravated assault with extreme indifference and no injuries were reported as a result of the incident, Wallace-Scalcione stated.

No further information was immediately available.

https://hudsoncountyview.com/5-teenage ... ersey-city-official-says/

PATH service briefly suspended during evening rush hour due to contractor screw-up


By CLAYTON GUSE| NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | JUN 27, 2019 | 5:38 PM

New Jersey commuters were left scrambling Thursday evening when the Port Authority suspended all PATH trains after a signals foul up.

The problem began shortly after 4 p.m. when a Jersey City contract worker shut off the water to a PATH substation, according to an agency spokesperson.

Posted 6/30/19 8:13 AM DST

As a result, the water was not cooling the compressor in the substation, which caused the track?s signals and switches to stop functioning. PATH officials immediately brought all of the system?s trains into the nearest station to offload passengers.

NJ Transit and NY Waterway cross-honored PATH tickets until 6:30 p.m. while the problem was being addressed.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/n ... 5j6zybcbceia5q-story.html

https://twitter.com/PATHTrain/status/1144679140425179136

https://gothamist.com/2019/06/27/all_p ... s_suspended_due_to_ai.php

Posted 6/30/19 8:13 AM DST

PATH will spend $1B to ease overcrowding, delays that mess up your commute

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That $80 million plan will extend the Grove Street station platform past walls on the Marin Street entrance. Exchange Place station can handle 10-car trains, but the plan will add exits and crossovers between the two platforms.
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Read more here:
https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/06/pat ... mess-up-your-commute.html

PATH Trains to Become Larger, More Frequent as Rider Increase Looms

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The Harrison station and the rest of the PATH system between Newark and Manhattan are hamstrung by the Grove Street station in downtown Jersey City, which currently can handle trains with only eight cars. The other stations can accommodate 10.
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Faced with the seemingly intractable problem of fitting the proverbial two pounds of fertilizer into a one-pound bag, the Port Authority announced several improvements Thursday that should, if not solve the problem, at least make a dent in it.
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Read more here:
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/ ... ease-Looms-511587282.html

Port Authority announces plan to increase PATH capacity, reduce delays

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday unveiled its "PATH Improvement Plan," which the agency says will dramatically increase capacity while also reducing delays.

The plan includes a conversion of the Newark to World Trade Center line from eight-car trains to nine-car trains running every three minutes during the peak of rush hour periods.

In addition, the plan outlines a detailed, six-point delay reduction initiative to be implemented over the next 30 months, a new fare payment system to be introduced by 2022, and a set of customer service initiatives.

The capacity increases rely on more than $1 billion in capital investment:
--The ongoing $750 million investment in a new signal system that enables PATH to run more trains per hour
-- The prior commitment of $215.7 million for 72 new rail cars that will be delivered beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2022
--A new capital commitment of $80 million for station modifications to enable nine-car trains on the Newark to WTC line.

PATH will commit an additional $50 million to delay reduction and customer service initiatives.

"The PATH Improvement Plan is a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to fixing the biggest problems facing PATH," Port Authority Chairman Kevin O'Toole said. "By adding cars and trains, hitting back at the root cause of delays, and focusing on the customer experience, PATH will make monumental changes that affect the lives of the nearly 300,000 customers who rely on PATH each day."


PATH has already begun work to add two more rush hour train sets on the Newark-World Trade Center and Journal Square-33rd Street lines, optimizing between-train headways of 3 to 4 minutes on the busiest lines at the busiest times of day. The shift will increase capacity by 10 percent on these lines by September 2019.

By 2022, PATH anticipates an additional 20 percent increase in capacity on the Journal Square-33rd Street, Hoboken-World Trade Center, and Hoboken-World Trade Center lines and a 40 percent increase in Newark-World Trade Center capacity thanks to an innovative plan to accommodate nine-cars on all Newark-World Trade Center line trains and a new signal system that will enable trains to run more frequently.

In 2017, PATH invested $215.7 million in 72 new train cars to add to the existing fleet of 350 cars; the first of the new cars will be put in service beginning in 2021. To accommodate longer trains, PATH has proposed significant improvements at the Grove Street Station, with a planned investment of $80 million to tear down existing walls and extend the existing platform. Station modifications are also planned for Exchange Place Station to open additional corridors for emergency exits.

The initiative to reduce delays will address six key causes: 1) track conditions; 2) switch failures; 3) car equipment failures 4) signal equipment issues; 5) sick passengers, and 6) unattended bags.

PATH is also committed to improving riders' experience at each part of their journey by implementing a new fare payment system integrated with the MTA's new OMNY system, improving in-station, on-train and online alerts and announcements to provide more information in a timely and transparent way, and addressing platform crowding.


http://www.panynj.gov/path/pdf/PATH_Implementation_Plan.pdf


https://abc7ny.com/traffic/path-announ ... ty-reduce-delays/5355269/

6/20/19 5:10 PM DST

Excavation Begins For 25 Columbus Drive In Jersey City

BY: MICHAEL YOUNG 7:30 AM ON JUNE 2, 2019

The first stages of excavation at 25 Columbus Drive are apparent as the asphalt from the former parking lot is now being ripped up. This will become the future site of a new mixed-use complex that will rise 626 feet tall and 57 floors high. Handel Architects is designing the proposed structure, while L+M Development Partners is the developer of the downtown Jersey City project. A total of 750 rental apartments, a 35,000-square-foot privately-funded public school for levels pre-K through first grade, four storefronts covering 16,485 square feet of retail space, and a public plaza will soon be built.


https://newyorkyimby.com/2019/06/excav ... drive-in-jersey-city.html

Body found in street in Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- A body was found on the street in Jersey City Friday.

Jersey City police responded to Warren Street between 1st and 2nd streets around 5 a.m.

The person was pronounced dead at the scene.

A tent was set up right in the middle of the street while police performed their investigation.

The Jersey City Light Rail is unaffected by the investigation.

https://abc7ny.com/body-found-in-street-in-jersey-city/5315310/

Friday 5/24/19 8:44 AM

It looks like it is GMT.

5/7/19 11:25 PM EDT = GMT 03:25 AM. But it would be 5/8/19 in Greenwich.

Fatality.

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5/5/19 12:15 AM

@PATHTrain

JSQ-33 via HOB operating on uptown side with delays. Trains by passing 9th, due to fatality. NJT cross honoring HOB, NWK & NYPS.

https://twitter.com/PATHTrain/status/1124890236205461504

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(It started 3 hours ago)

@PATHTrain

JSQ-33 via HOB line operating with a delay because of a medical emergency at 9 St.

https://twitter.com/PATHTrain/status/1124848959875309568

Terrence T. McDonald
@terrencemcd
1:11 PM - 2 May 2019

Jersey City Whole Foods news from Mack-Cali's new quarterly report: 47Ksf store and 47Ksf northeast HQ in Downtown Jersey City

https://twitter.com/terrencemcd/status/1123998428713947143

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releas ... 19-results-300842312.html

2019 Plastic Bags Ban

?It Looks Real?: Students Hope 3D Crosswalk Encourages Drivers To Stop

April 23, 2019 at 6:18 pm

MEDFORD (CBS) ? It?s a crosswalk that makes you stop and think, with the emphasis on the ?stop.? The 3D crosswalk at a Medford school appears to rise up off the street. It?s a safety idea hatched by two elementary students.

The multi-dimensional message is simple: slow down. ?I love it. It looks amazing. Exactly how I pictured it and more,? says 10-year-old Isa, a 4th grader at the Brooks Elementary School in Medford.

She?s talking about an amazing illusion, painted on the driveway of her school. It appears to pop right up at you.

?When you?re walking across you can tell it?s painted, but what we hope is, when you?re driving down, you?ll see it as 3D, three dimensional. So it looks real,? she says.

And that will encourage drivers leaving the school to stop.

The unique crosswalk is the brainchild of Isa and her friend, Eric. They wanted to do something when Eric?s brother had a close call with a car. ?We were thinking of a way we could do something to help make the street safer,? Isa says.

The kids are part of the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR) in Medford, an organization that encourages young people to get involved in the community.

?I think it?s great. It certainly would make me stop,? says Mike Coates, a Brooks teacher and advisor for the CCSR. He says the kids worked with the city?s bureaucracy to make the project happen. ?It?s a great example of them sticking to an idea and going through all the steps and talking, in this case, to all the adults and all the powers that be,? Coates says.

It took a year before the project got the green light. ?Books don?t teach you this. Civic engagement is something that you see happen. You see success, and then you try to emulate it and do more,? says Medford Mayor Stephanie Burke.

The actual painting was done by local artist Nate Swain. The city plans to add 3D crosswalks to the other three elementary schools in Medford by this summer.


https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/04/23 ... brooks-elementary-school/

https://www.boredpanda.com/3d-pedestri ... anic&utm_campaign=organic

N.J. hospital under scrutiny for its finances is getting a weekly check-up by the state to ensure it meets ?the needs of the community.?

Posted Apr 11, 2019

By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The state Health Department meets every week with Bayonne Medical Center officials ?to get updates on their financial health and their ability to meet the needs of the community,? Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said Thursday.

The regular meetings began after the State Commission of Investigation released a report March 20 revealing the owners of Bayonne?s for-profit parent company, CarePoint Health, had extracted $157 million in management fees from 2013 through 2016, hospital and health department officials confirmed.

The report found the owners were paid through limited liability companies that do not appear to employ anyone, causing the commission to question whether any services were rendered to merit the payments.

The commission urged the state Health Department to monitor the CarePoint?s holdings ? Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, and Hoboken University Medical Center ? more carefully.

During the Health Department?s annual hearing before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Thursday, the health commissioner assured Sen. Sandra Cunningham, D-Hudson, "We are monitoring the situation very closely.?

Cunningham asked Elnahal whether he knew ?what is going on with patients," whether any of CarePoint?s hospitals were up for sale, and whether there had been any layoffs.

?We are meeting with Bayonne weekly at this point to get updates on their financial health and their ability to meet the needs of the community," Elnahal replied. ?We are close in touch.?

Elnahal did not elaborate at the hearing, and neither did his spokeswoman afterwards.

CarePoint spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the meetings "were initiated as much by CarePoint as the Department of Health, in an effort to assist with fostering even greater transparency.?

Morrill also said here have not been any recent layoffs or changes in the level of services offered at Bayonne,a 278-bed hospital. None of the hospitals is up for sale, she said.

Following the release of the SCI report, CarePoint noted how it had saved thousands of jobs by buying the hospitals out of bankruptcy. The company has paid over $22 million in local property taxes, contributed more than $2 million to local non-profits and community organizations and spent $37 million in infrastructure improvements at the hospitals, the company said.

The health department?s scrutiny was welcomed by Health Professionals and Allied Employees, the union representing CarePoint workers.

?Over the last couple of weeks CarePoint has been in the process of making physical repairs and upgrades, which address concerns raised by HPAE members,? HPAE Public Policy Director Bridget Devane said.

?The union is pleased to hear the Commissioner is responding to the investigative report, and we urge lawmakers revisit the hospital financial transparency law that was conditionally vetoed by Governor Christie,? Devane added. ?If the law had been signed for profit hospitals would have been required to be more transparent to the patients and communities they serve.?

Christie partly vetoed a bill in 2012 that would have required for-profit hospitals to disclose what is now confidential financial information.

?Any change where the state interjects itself into private business raises important issues that should be responsibly and cautiously evaluated,? Christie?s veto statement said.

Last month, however, North Jersey lawmakers said they would consider introducing legislation to tighten the state?s oversight over hospitals? finances.

Jersey Journal Staff Writer Michaelangelo Conte contributed to this report.

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/04/nj-h ... eds-of-the-community.html

Hudson County lawmakers want to look into $157M CarePoint payments

Updated Mar 27, 2019; Posted Mar 27, 2019\

By Michaelangelo Conte | The Jersey Journal

Hudson County lawmakers say they will examine how the owners of CarePoint Health extracted $157 million from their hospitals over a four-year period and will consider legislation to tighten oversight by the state Department of Health.

Last week, the state Commission of Investigation released a report highlighting how three men, who through layers of limited liability companies own Bayonne Medical Center, Christ Hospital in Jersey City, and Hoboken University Medical Center, collected millions of dollars in ?management? fees between 2013 and 2016.

But the SCI report noted the owners? management companies do not appear to employ anyone, and that CarePoint pays another company with hundreds of employees to actually manage the hospitals. The SCI report questions whether any services were rendered to merit the money.

On Tuesday, state Commissioner of Health Dr. Shereef M. Elnahal said payments for no services rendered is not normal operating procedure for hospitals.

?Any management organization has to deliver commensurate service to charge a fee,? Elnahal said. ?If they haven?t, that?s an issue. We have to look at appropriate policy means that would allow for enforcement under those circumstances and the administration is happy to work with the legislature to do that.?

State Assemblyman, Nicholas Chiaravalloti, who represents Bayonne and part of Jersey City, said ?This should not occur."

?After reading the SCI report, it is clear that although these actions are legal, they are also an egregious breach of public trust,? Chiaravalloti said, regarding the fees paid to the owners of the for-profit hospitals.

?The SCI recommendations are a good start, but I am not sure they go far enough. The DOH needs to provide better oversight and the legislature needs to hold all operators in healthcare to a higher standard.?


State Assembly members Raj Mukherji and Annette Chaparro, who represent the 33rd District, and state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham said they are gathering information on the matters raised in the SCI report and are weighing whether legislation is warranted.

?We are very concerned about this,? said Cunningham, who represents the 31st District, adding that her main priority is that the hospitals continue to provide healthcare services.

The SCI report also notes that the owners ? Vivek Garipalli, James Lawler and Jeffrey Mandler ? rescued the hospitals which may have been shuttered.

In a statement, CarePoint spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the SCI report noted that the hospitals continue to provide healthcare services to the community after being ?rescued? by the current owners. She said the report confirms the hospitals acted in good faith regarding state rules and regulations on transparency.

Morrill said CarePoint saved thousands of jobs, it has paid over $22 million in local property taxes, has contributed more than $2 million to local non-profits and community organizations and spent $37 million in infrastructure improvements at the hospitals.

?CarePoint?s singular commitment has been to deliver outstanding, patient-centered care for Hudson County which we have been successful at for over a decade,? Morrill, adding that CarePoint support the SCI?s recommendation for greater transparency in financial reporting to the DOH.


CarePoint has not answered questions about the $157 million. In sworn testimony, Mandler called the fees payment for the three men?s ?sweat equity?? while Garipalli called them ?incentive payments?? to be made only if the hospitals were successful.

?Although these three individuals have provided services to the three CarePoint Health hospitals, the extent of the services leading to more than $157 million in management fees and allocations for a four-year period is unclear,? the report states.

The New Jersey Hospital Association President Cathy Bennett noted that hospitals are a critical part the state?s social fabric and economy, serving 15 million people annually, providing 150,000 jobs, $565 million in charity care services, $2.9 billion in community programming and $23.6 billion in economic benefits..

?As such, they are subject to numerous transparency requirements,? Bennett said. ?Hospitals are entrusted with delivering quality, accessible and high-value care to all the residents of our state, and with that responsibility comes oversight and accountability.?

The DOH responded to the SCI report?s recommendation for its increased financial oversight of and the payouts to the hospital owners saying it cannot conduct proper financial oversight of hospitals unless hospital financial reporting is done accurately and in a manner that reflects ?true costs and services.?


Regarding the layers of LLCs through which the CarePoint hospitals are owned, the DOH said it is working on an electronic licensing system to keep track of hospital management structure, as well as additional hospital transparency regulations.

https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/03/heal ... m-carepoint-payments.html

Green Book will be showing in the Atrium (210 Hudson St) tomorrow, April 5th at 7:30PM for free. Popcorn & drinks can be purchased.

https://twitter.com/epasid_jc/status/1113943095937204225

There's a picture at Nextdoor.com. Don't know if you have to register to see it.


Mail Thief - 6th & 7th Street
Mail stolen from neighbors on 7th Street and dumped into mailboxes on 6th Street. As caught on our camera, this character went into each of the mailboxes in our row - repeatedly swiping mail. Have you seen him? . I have reported this information to the police.


https://nextdoor.com/post/107174606?init_source=copy_link_share

Does anyone else see that the timestamp of your postings are all wrong? They are like 20 hours behind.

The time is 21:10 Wed 04/03/19.

First female head of PATH system says she will improve rider experience


Posted: Mar 27, 2019 9:29 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 27, 2019 9:29 PM EDT


JERSEY CITY -
A new head of the Port Authority?s PATH train system has been named, and for the first time that person is a woman.

Former PATH deputy director Clarelle DeGraffe was named director and general manager of the PATH system earlier this week. DeGraffe is a civil engineer by trade and has worked for the Port Authority for nearly 30 years.

She says that she has a lot planned to improve on the train system ? which connects New Jersey with New York City.

?We care. We hear you. We are as concerned as you are and we are putting our best foot forward and we are trying,? DeGraffe says.

She says that she will make passengers her top priority. She says that she is aware of the complaints from riders and reads all of the tweets and comments about overcrowding, delays and construction-related cancellations. DeGraffe says that in the end, this will all pay off.

?Delivering our capital projects, which is also going to feed into reliability,? she says.

DeGraffe says that reliability will be her top focus, along with communication. She points to the new countdown clock system and frequent alerts, which deliver information to passengers. She says that there is also a plan in place to better educate customers by giving them the knowledge to help them better navigate and plan their own commutes.

?What new information do we have that we can be transparent enough to give to our customers, making them more informed so they can create options of their own?? she says.

DeGraffe says that she will also address complaints about overcrowding on the PATH trains and says that new cars have been ordered. These new cars are expected to arrive by 2022. She says that until then PATH will work to improve ?headway,? which is the amount of time between trains.


http://newjersey.news12.com/story/402 ... -improve-rider-experience

New food hall opens in Jersey City?s waterfront district
POSTED 7:29 AM, MARCH 27, 2019, BY JILL NICOLINI

JERSEY CITY, N.J. ? Haborside, the Jersey City waterfront district, opened its first-ever food hall-style concept District Kitchen at the ground level of 210 Hudson St. on Monday.

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation spearheaded the development, bringing 13 new culinary experiences to the Harborside Atrium.

The 230-seat public space will also feature a rentable event space to be programmed with special events like live music, comedy shows, and children story time.

District Kitchen will be open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information about Harborside Jersey City and District Kitchen, please visit harborsidejc.com and districtkitchenjc.com or follow along on social media at @HarborsideJC and @DistrictKitchenJC.


https://pix11.com/2019/03/27/new-food- ... itys-waterfront-district/

HCCC to open food pantries for students, members of college community

Updated Mar 23, 6:30 PM; Posted Mar 23, 6:29 PM

By Adrienne Romero | The Jersey Journal

JERSEY CITY ? A local community college is expanding its reach to help those in need put food on their tables.

?This food pantry is a labor of love,? Hudson County Community College President Chris Reber said in a statement. ?We are working to dispel any stigma by making the pantry as friendly, welcoming and discreet as possible.?

HCCC is set to open two food pantries on its campuses in the coming weeks.


A Journal Square campus food pantry will open at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Room J002 of the J-Building, at 2 Enos Place, Reber announced. The pantry -- which was renovated and stocked with funding from the HCCC Foundation -- will have nonperishable food items for students and members of the college community.

The second pantry will open on the HCCC North Hudson Campus ? 4800 Kennedy Blvd. in Union City ? on April 9 at 1:30 p.m.

?It is devastating to know that any member of the HCCC community may be struggling with a lack of food,? Associate Dean of Student Affairs David Clark said in a statement.

The Government Accountability Office reports that up to 50 percent of the nation?s community college students experience food insecurity, which is not having access to nutritious, affordable food. A higher percentage of students from low-income homes are enrolling in college and the number of students whose households face poverty has increased, the report shows.

Members of the community are invited to help.

Donations of nonperishable food items, personal care products and household paper goods will be accepted at 2 Enos Place, Room J002, on the Journal Square Campus and at the Enrollment Services Center on the North Hudson campus.


The HCCC Foundation is also accepting monetary donations.

Checks made payable to ?HCCC Foundation? with the notation "Food Pantry? on the memo line, may be sent to: Hudson County Community College Foundation, 70 Sip Ave. ? Fourth Floor, Jersey City, NJ 07306.

Monetary donations may also be made online by clicking the ?Donate? button on the bottom of the page at www.hccc.edu/foundation.

?We hope that this food pantry will ease and eliminate any hunger and food insecurity that may exist among the campus population,? Clark said.


https://www.nj.com/hudson/2019/03/hccc ... pantry-for-community.html

Enfes sells gozlemes, a flat bread with fillings.

https://www.facebook.com/enfesNYC/

There isn't much new here except for tables and chairs. Most of the vendors have been here already. The food trucks outside and on Grand Street are much more interesting.


Ani Ramen, Left Bank Burger Coming to Harborside?s District Kitchen
Harborside's revamped food hall includes 13 new and local food vendors.
https://www.jerseycityupfront.com/ani- ... orsides-district-kitchen/

The Hoboken shelter is looking for plastic utensils.

https://hobokenshelter.org/items-needed/

Caught On Video: Mechanics Take NJ Man?s Mustang Out For Wild Joy Ride


JERSEY CITY (CBSNewYork) ? A man took his car in for repairs, and then mechanics took it out for a joy ride.

The men were supposed to be making repairs, but the owner of the car caught them red-handed on the road.

How do we know?

Dash cam video from the car shows the high-speed ride, without the owner.

It?s like the scene in the 1986 movie ?Ferris Bueller?s Day Off,? only this is real life.

?It was upsetting. I was hot headed for three days, to be honest,? said car owner Suhail Sood of Union City.

The problem, says Sood, 30, is that the 2016 Mustang GT was supposed to be in the garage at Stevens Jersey City Ford being repaired. Instead some employees at the dealership took it for that joy ride for at least 15 minutes, never knowing Sood installed a dash cam and they were being recorded.

?The got the wrong guy test driving this car,? one of the unwelcome drivers said.

?There?s a dash cam. It?s flashing lights. It?s beeping, making noises, and these guys are not even bothered.?

Sood says it happened last week, and that while he was at the dealership waiting for his car to be repaired employees told him they had to take the car out for a ?test drive.? After Sood took the car home, he checked his dash cam and saw what happened: The car being gunned at a high rate of speed, and the driver even stopping to pick up a friend to join in.

Angry, Sood says he confronted the dealership and told them about the incident and the video, CBS2?s Scott Rapoport reported.

They demanded he prove it.

Sood posted the video on Facebook, after he says he was promised a refund, but never received it.

The dealership, which refused to speak on camera, says it has a refund check for $379 waiting for him and apologizes for the joy ride. The two sides say they disagree on the amount of compensation Sood should receive, but say they?re attempting to reach a compromise and come to a mutual agreement.

The three employees have been fired over the incident.


https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/01/31/mustang-joy-ride/