Hudson residents say: Build smaller
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

While developers are having little trouble filling their high-rise condominium projects - sometimes selling out even before a shovel hits the ground - residents are clamoring for something smaller.

A majority of Hudson County residents want more single-and two-family homes built in the region, and fewer of the condos and luxury homes that are currently driving the real estate market, according to a Jersey Journal/New Jersey City University poll.

Less than 8 percent of the respondents said they want more condos built in their neighborhoods, while a whopping 60 percent of the respondents said they want more one-or two-family homes.

A little more than 13 percent want luxury homes; just under 4 percent want stores; 4 percent want apartments and 2 percent want offices.

The backlash against condos and luxury homes isn't just a "not-in-my-backyard" phenomenon: The results were almost identical when respondents were asked what they'd like to see built elsewhere in Hudson County.

So many residents preferring small-scale development over huge projects might pose serious problems for local politicians, according to the poll's supervisors, Bruce Chadwick of the English Department and Fran Moran of the political science department.

So, it's not surprising that a majority of residents - 58 percent - believe government officials have a different opinion than they do when it comes to a development wish list.

Less than 17 percent of the respondents felt government officials shared their opinion and 26 percent said they didn't know either way.

The current and future development landscape in Jersey City, the county's largest city, shows the disconnect between government officials and residents.

There are currently more than 90 projects that are either proposed or under way in Jersey City, according to the city's Division of Planning. The overwhelming majority of the projects are high-density, condo developments that will produce more than 9,000 total units when complete.

Joe Seneca, professor of economics and politics at Rutgers University's Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, says the pressure of high real estate properties is sending the market sky-high - literally and figuratively.

"In a hot real estate market like Hudson County, land becomes so valuable that density becomes highly lucrative and developers build upward to take advantage," Seneca said, leading to ever-taller buildings - and fewer of the small one-and two-family homes that residents evidently prefer.

Seneca added that while condos are often out of the price range of the average buyer, they can also help stabilize the market.

"Much of this is dictated by the law of supply and demand," Seneca said. "The condos add to the supply of the market and reduce the demand, and can lower prices overall."

Some people don't run to the cops or take any cabbie's crap.


---------------------------------------------------------


After the cab driver said he couldn't break a $100 bill, a young woman decided instead of paying him, she'd pull a gun on him and slash his seat with a knife, Jersey City police said.

The driver for the Journal Square Cab Company picked up a woman in Journal Square shortly before 6 a.m. yesterday, according to police reports.

He drove her to Wilkinson and Bergen avenues, police said, and the woman tried to pay with a $100 bill.

He told her he didn't have change to break the bill. A few minutes later, he said he heard the click of a gun behind him.

The woman yelled she wasn't going to pay him, slashed the seat, then left, police said. No money was taken, and the driver was not hurt.

I remember when Kraftwerk sent robots to tour for themselves! haha
http://jan.moesen.nu/media/photos/2004/03/kraftwerk-in-de-ab/


Hey I know everyone has done this but I was just looking at houses for sale between $10,000 and $90,000 nationwide on ebay pretty interesting.
http://realestate.search.ebay.com/ws/ ... &sacat=12605&sofindtype=1

And for live music...



Quote:

I hope they aren't named H.A.L.

OUT OF CONTROL?
Home price surge worries longtime residents
Monday, April 03, 2006
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Hudson County home prices are soaring - and while that might be good news for those who are selling, it's a cause for concern for residents who don't want to cash out, according to a new poll by The Jersey Journal/New Jersey City University.

Nearly two-thirds of residents surveyed in the poll said they probably couldn't afford to buy a home in the neighborhood they live in now; less than 30 percent were confident they could.

In addition, more than 70 percent of the respondents think real estate prices in their neighborhood are "too high." Just 5 percent say the prices are too low, and 14 percent say they're "about right."

Since 2003, the average sale price of a home in Hudson County has soared by 25 percent - from $287,000 to $408,000, according to the Liberty Board of Realtors. The number of homes sold annually during the same period has also increased by 25 percent, from 4,600 to 6,100 last year.

Those kinds of numbers have residents concerned about their ability to continue living here.

In a March 2003 poll, 44 percent of the respondents said they have lived in the county for at least 20 years, and 64 percent said they expected to live in the county for at least another five years.

However, in the most recent poll, nearly 48 percent of the people said that the rising cost of living in the county may force them to leave.

"It's a remarkable turnaround in such a short time," wrote the supervisors of the poll, Bruce Chadwick of the English department and Fran Moran of the political science department, in an analysis of the results.

"While residents have told us they enjoy living in Hudson and generally like being here, we see some concern over whether or not the cost of living, particularly the cost of housing and the spill-over effect it has on the cost of economic goods, may make it difficult for them to stay," Chadwick and Moran wrote.

Of the respondents, 52 percent said they were renters and 40 percent said they own their homes.

The county-wide poll had a plurality of respondents - 42 percent - who said they were from Jersey City and made more than $30,000 annually.

Joe Hottendorf, executive vice president of the Liberty Board of Realtors, said there's always anxiety about rising costs in Hudson County, but with a little research, people's fears are eased.

"I often sit people down and show them how they can afford the house, but it takes a little sacrifice, like entertaining at home instead of going out," Hottendorf said.

'DEALING' WITH MOM
Cops say she, son and his two pals sold drugs
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
By CARLY BALDWIN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A Jersey City mother helped her 16-year-old son and two of his friends run a large-scale drug operation out of her Montgomery Gardens apartment, according to city spokesman Stan H. Eason.

The 49-year-old woman was arrested Friday night along with her son and his two friends, ages 15 and 17, after police discovered drugs, guns and large amounts of drug-sale money in the first-floor apartment, reports said. One of the son's friends is a ranking member of the "Bloods" street gang, said Eason.

ersey City police officers from the Gang Squad burst into the apartment at 7:20 p.m. after receiving numerous reports of illegal activity inside, Eason said.

The mother was in the living room and the three teens were in a rear bedroom, said Eason. Cops ordered the teens to show their hands, but the boys refused and began to run around the room, said Eason, adding that one boy tried to hide in a closet.

After the four were handcuffed, police searched them and the apartment, reports said. The woman's son was carrying a concealed fully loaded .22 caliber handgun, police said.

On top of the bedroom dresser, police found four clear plastic bags of suspected cocaine and one of suspected heroin, marked "Playground Legend," according to reports.

After searching the bedroom closet, police found a second fully loaded handgun in a plastic bag, reports said. Also inside the bag were 28 vials of suspected cocaine and 49 bags of heroin, labeled "Jet Blue," police said.

One of the teens, a 17-year-old Grant Avenue resident, was searched and police found $394 in suspected drug money in his pants pocket, reports said.

Drug paraphernalia was also found in the kitchen closet, police said.

The boys were taken to the Juvenile Bureau and the 49-year-old was taken to the Street Crimes Unit, police said.

"Police believe that she was a willing participant in the scheme," said Eason.

Jersey City Ratchets Up Police Efforts Against Crime
By JONATHAN MILLER
Published: March 29, 2006

JERSEY CITY, March 28 ? After a spike in crime and mounting concern from residents, the police here say they are now turning a page in their efforts to fight crime and plan to carry out a fresh strategy to deal with it.
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Our blog takes a look at the race for mayor in New Jersey's largest city, and the colorful characters and moments that drive the campaign.

Those plans, announced this week, include a retooled computer tracking system for crimes, increased foot and bicycle patrols and more surveillance cameras throughout the city. On Monday, officials held a community meeting to announce the changes.

"You know the problems we've been having in the last several months," the police director, Samuel Jefferson, told about 300 people in the Public School No. 4 auditorium. "Let's pray together."

Those problems include 39 murders in 2005, up from 23 in 2004; more gang activity and drug dealing; and a recent string of high-profile muggings and armed robberies in the city's gentrifying downtown, which prompted the Guardian Angels to begin patrols there.

While the city's downtown has gone upscale in the past few years, with new office towers, luxury high-rises, cafes and young professionals, the recent increase in crime and the media attention it received blindsided leaders here.

"We thought it was time to give to citizens an idea of the work and accomplishments of the Jersey City Police Department in the past 18 months," Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said of the public meeting on Monday.

The planned changes, according to officials, include a beefed-up CompStat program , a computer tracking system instituted in New York City in the 1990's to better understand crime patterns. Officials said versions of the program had been used previously in Jersey City but had not been effective.

"The average cop on the beat will have more information, post-CompStat, than he had before," said Lt. Thomas Comey, the police chief of staff, who said the system would give the police "real-time data" on criminal activity in the city.

"One day at a time, one block at a time, we will turn this city around," he said.

Officials commended the gang and narcotics divisions that had made thousands of arrests in the past year and a gun buyback program that has netted nearly 900 firearms.

The department's new Web site: njjcpd.org, was started on Monday. Forty-six new recruits are scheduled to join the department in April.

"We see our efforts turning the corner in 2006, " said the police chief, Robert Troy. "We see absolute success."

Officials also urged residents to report crimes and stay in contact with their police precincts. "The days of police doing it on our own are long since gone," Lieutenant Comey said.

While some residents said they were happy with the proposals, many others left the meeting skeptical and disappointed that they were not allowed to ask questions or voice complaints to the mayor and chief.

When asked what she thought of the meeting, Leila Haddad, the owner of Sweet Priscilla, a downtown coffee shop, scoffed. "Fluff," she said. "A feel-good P.R. piece."

She said she had noticed an increase in crime in the neighborhood over the past year or so, was fearful of being held up and said she was disappointed that there had not been a question-and-answer session.

A spokesman for the city, Stan Eason, said the meeting had not allowed questions for a reason. "If we opened it up, we knew we'd be there to 1 in the morning," he said, but added that officials planned to hold four question-and-answer sessions in the coming weeks .

Nilsa Rodriguez, a lifelong resident of the city and the owner of Subia's Cafe, said she had also grown concerned with recent holdups at businesses and said she had seen a decrease in police presence.

"You see no outreach at all," she said.

Officials say they are working to correct that. Their initiatives are now lumped together under a new slogan for the Police Department ? "Courtesy, Accountability, Respect and Excellence," or C.A.R.E.

Lieutenant Comey told the audience, "We want you to hold us accountable for what we do."

Mr. Healy predicted that the new efforts would significantly reduce crime within the next six months.

"We're doing the best we can," he said. "We know we need to do more."

Schools learn who wins, loses in Corzine budget
Friday, March 24, 2006
BY JOHN MOONEY
Star-Ledger Staff

Two days after Gov. Jon Corzine warned that state funding for schools would be frozen again next year, aid figures unveiled yesterday contained a few surprises, with some individual districts seeing big drops or increases.

Two in three districts would see nominal changes or none at all for a fifth straight year. But while past funding freezes have been largely across the board, this time some fast-growing districts would get a boost, while schools with declining enrollments would see cuts.

And the needy districts that fall under the state Supreme Court's Abbott vs. Burke court order, which were expecting increases, found out their overall aid will be nearly flat.

On top of that, eight of those districts were told to expect steep cuts under a new Corzine administration strategy to require local taxpayers to bear a larger share of Abbott school costs. Newark would lose more than $8 million, and Jersey City would see a reduction of $6 million.

The proposed aid figures released yesterday by the state Department of Education also include cuts for some suburban districts, including a more than $1 million reduction in Woodbridge and $515,000 in Montclair.

"This is a very difficult budget year, and the governor has said he will not permit a continuation of past practice that allowed New Jersey to spend year after year more money than it takes in," said acting Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.

But a few districts, urban and suburban, won unexpected increases.

Perth Amboy is among those Abbott districts the state wants to raise more through local taxes. But because of its rising enrollment, it would receive an overall aid increase of $2 million, officials said.

In one of the state's wealthier districts, the Chathams schools could get nearly $200,000 more, also due to rising enrollments.

"That was a complete shock," said Superintendent Jim O'Neill. "We never get more aid, only less."

PICK 6
By Dakota Smith - New York Post
March 25, 2006 -- FROM AFFORDABLE TO ULTRA-LUXE, WE GIVE YOU THE NEW HOTNESS
The blitz of new development in the city continues, with developers adding even more outlandish perks to buildings - Austrian pine trees, anyone? - or heading to up-and-coming neighborhoods.

Our guide to the latest crop of buildings includes pads that are distinctive either for location, price or amenities.

Happy home hunting in 2006.

WALDO LOFTS Jersey City

The expansion of Jersey City's Powerhouse Arts Center continues with the opening of Waldo Lofts, a conversion of a 12-story brick warehouse building at 159 Second St. The building's 82 units range from 700-square-feet studios to 2,400-square-feet duplex penthouses with spiral staircases; 10-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows give units a loft-like feel. Our favorite perk: washer/ dryers in every unit.

Prices at Waldo Lofts range from $390,000 to $1.5 million, not counting a handful of units being sold at below market price for artists who meet income qualifications. The sales office opened last month.

www.waldolofts.co

101 WARREN TriBeCa

Buyers at 101 Warren, a 228-unit luxury residence opening in TriBeCa, can choose from five different residential designs: loft-style, townhouse, sky home, rooftop home and duplex penthouse. All apartments will have 10- to 12-foot ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

The building will also house a fifth-floor elevated atrium - a forest of 101 imported Austrian pines trees. Additionally, the complex - which is being marketed as the Time Warner Center for the downtown set - will be attached to 170,000 square feet of retail space, with a Whole Foods already planned for the building.

Prices range from $1.2 million for a 923-square-foot one-bedroom to $13 million for a 4,145-square-foot penthouse. The sales office opened earlier this month. www.101warren.com

999 Bushwick

Yup, Bushwick is the new Harlem. Or the new Red Hook. Whatever - it's cheap! The first of five new developments planned for this 'hood, 999 - a six-story, 18-unit building at 999 Willoughby St. - will offer units priced from $289,000 for a 690-square-foot one-bedroom to $500,000 for a 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom with a 500-square-foot terrace. The prices are about $100 less a square foot than similar new units in East Williamsburg, according to Corcoran Group vice president Tom Le. Amenities include indoor parking and a gym. Sales begin in November.

www.corcoran.com

SKY HOUSE Madison Square

Want to live in the clouds? Purchase the 2,817-square-foot penthouse on the top floor of the Sky House, a 55-story condo building opening at 11 E. 29th St., near Madison Square Park. One of the tallest new buildings to open for sales this year, the 139-unit Sky House will offer just three units per floor, giving buyers memorable views of both the East and Hudson Rivers.

Prices are expected to start at $1,250 a square foot, according to David Perry, director of sales at the Clarrett Group, developer of the Sky House. Concierge service, gym, and a playroom are among the building's amenities. The sales office opens in April.

www.skyhouse condo.com

101 WEST END AVE. Upper West Side

Targeting the upscale stroller set, 10 West End Ave., a 33-story, 173-unit condominium located between West 59th and West 60th streets, opens for sales in May. More than half of the units in the development, being billed as a family-friendly building with a children's activity center, are two-, three- and four-bedrooms.

All residences have floor-to-ceiling windows (some as high as 11 feet), ensuring buyers views of either the Hudson River or Midtown.

Designer Nick Dine's interior finishes include Siberian marble countertops and walnut cabinetry in the bathrooms, and granite countertops with white-oak and etched-glass cabinets in the stainless-steel kitchens. Lucky residents at 10 West End Ave. also get valet parking, as well as concierge service, a playroom and a gym, complete with a glass-enclosed 50-foot pool.

Prices are expected to start at $750,000 for a 750-square-foot one-bedroom and top out at $4.5 million for a 2,600-square-foot four-bedroom. www.10wea.com

THE CALEDONIA Meatpacking District

Indulgent services can certainly be found at the Caledonia, a 190-unit building opening at 450 W. 17th St. Set at the tip of the glam Meatpacking District (steps from Del Posto and Morimoto) and near the new High Line Park, the Caledonia will offer an Equinox gym and spa, indoor parking, a library, a meditation garden, a sun deck and outdoor terrace, a pet spa and a children's playroom.

Interior finishes by designer Clodagh (pictured) include bamboo wood flooring throughout the units, while bathrooms come with quartzite slab countertops and stone-tile flooring. The lobby will have a cascading water feature and a bamboo garden.

Prices, as well as unit sizes, are still being determined for the Caledonia, a development from the Related Companies (whose properties include the Time Warner Center and who recently purchased Equinox). The building opens for sales in April.

www.thecaledonia.com

3 cops' suits against chief could cost city $2M-plus
Friday, March 24, 2006
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Lawsuits accusing Jersey City's top cop of abusing his power could cost the city upwards of $2 million.

Officer Marisa Johnston and Detective Mark Razzoli both stated in notices they have filed with the city that they are seeking at least $1 million each in damages.

Sgt. Valerie Montone, a third officer suing Chief Robert Troy and a host of others, refused to provide a specific amount in her tort claim notice, instead leaving the amount of damages to be determined by a jury at trial should she win her case.

Though all three officers have filed separate lawsuits, they all claim their job conditions suffered after they publicly supported Assemblyman Lou Manzo, D-Jersey City, in his run against Mayor Jerramiah Healy in the 2004 special election.

Montone, whose controversial police tenure includes a previous lawsuit against the city that ended in a six-figure settlement, also names Healy in her complaint.

Among other things, Montone claims Healy and Troy punished her for allegedly handing out naked photos of the mayor at Healy's daughter's wedding - she denies doing so.

Wednesday, the City Council unanimously approved a $50,000 contract with attorney Domenick Carmagnola to defend Troy and other municipal employees.

Carmagnola will be paid $125 per hour, with the total amount not to exceed $50,000, according to the resolution that authorized the contract. Carmagnola also will be reimbursed for a number of expenses.

Councilman Steven Fulop, who asked for Troy's resignation earlier this year, said despite his concerns about the Police Department, he supported the hiring of an outside attorney.

"I still have my problems with the running of the Police Department, but he's an employee of the city and it's our responsibility to support him," said Fulop.

DIRTY WORK
Ex-JCIA inspector admits shaking down trash hauler
Saturday, March 25, 2006
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

NEWARK - A former Jersey City Incinerator Authority worker pleaded guilty yesterday to extorting money from a contractor and running an illegal gambling operation.

Russell Fallacara, 38, of Keansburg, admitted in federal court yesterday that he demanded a $100,000 payment from Nacirema Carting and Demolition of Bayonne, which had a contract with Jersey City.

Wearing a white sweater and light slacks, Fallacara calmly answered the judge's questions yesterday as he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. He faces 27 to 30 months in prison when he is sentenced July 13.

The June 2002 contract was for cleanup work ordered by the Jersey City Environmental Task Force at a property on Lafayette Street.

Fallacara admitted using his position as a JCIA inspector to close down Nacirema job sites around Jersey City when company officials balked at paying him. Company officials paid at least a portion of the $100,000, according to federal prosecutors.

Fallacara also admitted directing, financing, supervising, and owning all or part of an illegal sports bookmaking operation that operated in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania from as early as 1997 through August 2005.

Fallacara was charged with 15 others in an FBI probe that netted Lawrence Dentico, 81, of Seaside Park, one of a handful of men accused of running the Genovese crime family since Vincent "the Chin" Gigante was convicted of extortion in 1997. The racketeering probe focused on betting rings operating out of Hoboken and Jersey City.

Yesterday morning, Joseph "Billy Nap" Napolitano, 34, of Belleville, also pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy based on the charge of operating an illegal gambling operation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Schwartz said.

Many of the original 16 defendants have pleaded guilty and U.S. District Court Judge William Martini ruled that three of the defendants facing less serious charges should be tried separately.

That means John Dennis, 48, and Michael Crincoli, 46, both of Jersey City, as well as John Grecco, 62, of Rutherford, and Joseph "Big Joe" Scarbrough, 66, of West Orange, are the only four remaining in the racketeering prosecution, Schwartz said. Schwartz said she expects additional guilty pleas before the trial starts on April 17.

The FBI's case is apparently based on more than 300 recorded conversations made by Peter Caporino as he operated his own gambling business and interacted with those charged. If all those charged take pleas and there is no trial, the recordings will not be entered as evidence for the prosecution and may never become public.

Jersey City getting an infusion of cash - and North Bergen sewage
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
By EARL MORGAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

NORTH BERGEN - In a multimillion-dollar deal announced yesterday, North Bergen will tie into Jersey City's sewage system, eliminating the need for North Bergen to build a $40 million sewerage treatment plant.

Jersey City will receive an initial $8 million as part of the deal, as well as additional fees for allowing the sewage to flow through its system, North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco said at a news conference yesterday at Township Hall.

North Bergen's effluent will ultimately be piped to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority facility in Newark.

North Bergen was under a mandate from the state Department of Environmental Protection to substantially upgrade its sewage treatment operation. The DEP must approve the agreement before it goes into effect on June 30.

Sacco, who is also a state senator, said the township will need to borrow $20 million from the DEP infrastructure fund to finance the project. North Bergen will also get a $3 million grant from the DEP.

"Since we're getting the funds through the infrastructure fund we will only have to pay interest on half of the money," Sacco said.

The project will include converting the North Bergen sewerage treatment plant on West Side Avenue to a facility for pumping sewage into the Jersey City connection. North Bergen will also pay for repairs and upgrades on the Jersey City sewage connection the township will use.

The conversion of the treatment plant will save North Bergen about $1 million a year, township officials said. Further savings will be realized from a reduction in the staff operating the plant.

Sacco said the administration is hoping to phase out some of the staff through attrition and to find positions for others in other agencies.

Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director Dan Becht and board president Eileen Gaughan, who attended yesterday's news conference, lauded the agreement.

Becht said the JCMUA will use some of the money to pay an unexpected $2.5 million hike in fees from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority.

Alternate JCMUA Commissioner Janet Gaita, however, voiced her opposition to the agreement.

"I don't think this is a good deal for the JCMUA and the taxpayers of Jersey City," Gaita said. "I believe we could have, and should have, gotten more lucrative terms than $8 million since North Bergen was faced with the choice of connecting to Bergen County's sewage system for a lot more money or building a plant that would cost $40 million."

Anyone read the news about JC taking North Bergen's sewage? Any thoughts?

I would cut and paste it but my computer is acting up.

Why are you telling everyone about your deal if you are trying to buy it?

Not worried others might jump in?

Quote:

Steve,

There are some really crazy people in Newport -- a hand full who are really active on their Newport message board -- are really nuts! Don't let them get to you. They always think there is some big plot against them. They must have a great rental deal or something -- I don't know, but it's that big fish little pond kind of thing for these active people -- only a few ever post and they seem to talk to themselves, then they get worked up and try to get other Newport tenants all worried about whatever their NEW issue is. I don't really know if your parking idea is good or not, but don't worry about their crazy personal attacks.

Quote:

I don't know about parking spaces but I do know that Newark Avenue needs to be paved. It is a mess, especially past Monmouth towards the turnpike.

Hey W,

I think jc_insominac didn't start this thread Pisces1979 did.

Quote:

I like Healy -- why is it mostly one time writers who want him recalled? Just curious but if he did leave the thankless job of Mayor and decide to go back to being a judge would that make Willie Flood Mayor?

I like indymedia a lot but it is odd to file a police report at 3 am on Saturday. Were they out drinking or partying? And where did they take the cab from -- seems that three 25 year old men could tell a cabbie no -- No dice -- not paying extra.

I don't have enough info but seems this story is one sided.

How about making a parking lot for downtowners with stickers on Jersey with a four hour limit in the interim. That will stop some from driving all the way over but will keep it a walk way.

Another thought -- what about a one way in road then it splits the difference and keeps the bottleneck from happening every fourth of july when people try to walk back after the fireworks.

Or make it a two way but have it closed during rush hours.

Sure you are "NEW" today but somehow feel the need to post all these posts - I think you are one of the well known jerks who keeps changing names.

Time will tell -- wish I could block you!

Hey GeorgeWBush being a duck are you worried about Cheney shooting you?

Or do you feel safe since he is a bad shot -- at least when drunk.

PUTZ

Quote:

Former Jersey City prosecutor indicted
Monday, February 06, 2006
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City's former chief municipal prosecutor was indicted last week on multiple charges related to an alleged confrontation with a woman who said he struck her with a gun during a jealous rage, then tried to arrest her boyfriend.

The indictment, handed up Tuesday, charges Abad Perez with three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of official misconduct and one count of false swearing, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Peter Stoma said.

"Apparently the grand jury found probable cause to believe that Mr. Perez abused his authority as a municipal prosecutor and retired Jersey City police officer," Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.

Perez has denied the allegations, denied being romantically involved with the woman, Abigail Gonzalez, 30, and chalked up her actions to her being a deadbeat tenant who refused to be evicted.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy suspended Perez without pay Sept. 27, 2005, a day after The Jersey Journal published an article about the Sept. 2 incident.

The city is still investigating the complaint against Perez, but it is expected to be wrapped up soon, city attorney Bill Matsikoudis said last week.

"There will then be a hearing before a hearing officer who will make a recommendation to the City Council regarding Mr. Perez's fate as a city employee," Matsikoudis said.

The incident occurred at Gonzalez's home in a Culver Avenue building owned by Perez. Gonzalez and her boyfriend, Yuri Rodriguez, 39, of Florida, were there at the time.

Gonzalez said she formerly had a sexual relationship with Perez, but broke it off. She said she then changed the locks on the home because he kept letting himself in and demanding sex.

On Sept. 2, Gonzalez said, Perez came to the house and began installing his own new locks. She said she tried to stop him and he attacked her, smacking her across the face with a gun. He then pointed a gun at Rodriguez and called 911, Gonzalez said.

Perez told police a different version: He said he was driving past the house and saw the doors open. He went inside to investigate, and Gonzalez told him she'd lost her keys, so he had to install new locks as the landlord. He denied ever having a relationship with her.

Perez said Rodriguez attacked him while he was working on the locks, so he called police.

A retired police officer, Perez reportedly told the 911 operator that an "off-duty officer needs assistance."

When cops arrived, Perez told them Gonzalez had an outstanding warrant for her arrest. According to the police report, she then slapped Perez across the face, and cops arrested her on a charge of simple assault.

Perez then tried to arrest Rodriguez, but Rodriguez was released from the South District precinct when the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office told police that Perez didn't have the power to arrest anyone.

Perez was appointed chief prosecutor one month before the incident.

Don't drive!

I drove my friend and...

Go out of Newark if you can -- saving a few bucks isn't worth it.

Cops order take out for two thieves
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
By CARLY BALDWIN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A savvy Chinese food delivery man in Jersey City fooled two would-be thieves who he claimed had robbed him several times before, police said.

Angel Hernandez, 20, of Williams Avenue, and a 16-year-old accomplice, were arrested outside of Hernandez's home Friday night after the delivery man tipped off the cops and an officer was waiting there to arrest them, according to reports.

The set-up occurred after the delivery man called the police and told them he feared he was about to be robbed, police said.

Hernandez called in an order at about 7 p.m. and the restaurant recognized his number, police said. Employees of the restaurant, China Garden on West Side Avenue, told police that orders from that number had resulted in robberies several times in the past, reports said.

According to reports, police set up surveillance outside Hernandez's home and an officer saw the two men approach the delivery man as he got out of his car. Both were wearing black ski masks and black gloves and held their hands in their pockets, police said.

The delivery man ran from the men and the two suspects were chased by cops and eventually arrested in an alleyway, police said. Cops found a five-inch folding knife in Hernandez's pocket, police said.

Hernandez and the 16-year old boy were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, robbery, criminal trespassing and resisting arrest.

I think overall crime is going down downtown -- since last year. Fulop could put the last year 2005 on his map also -- then we all could know one way or the other.
--------------------------------------------

Sliwa's Jersey City visit postponed
Monday, February 13, 2006
By CRAIG GARRETSON

Yesterday was a day for snow angels, not Guardian Angels.

Curtis Sliwa and other members of the volunteer crime-fighting organization were due to come to Jersey City yesterday to speak to Downtown business owners and residents about plans to patrol the area, but the snow left Sliwa grounded in Florida, said Mike Principe, a member of the organization.

Principe, a Downtown resident, said Sliwa will likely come to Jersey City tomorrow, weather permitting.

Sliwa told The Jersey Journal last week that Downtown patrols would begin after he met with residents and business owners.

Sliwa, who founded the Guardian Angels in 1979, told The Jersey Journal he'd been considering a new chapter for Jersey City, but took action now because of two attacks on women last week in Downtown.

One of the women attacked was Sonia Vega, the wife of City Council President Mariano Vega; the other was Dixon Deli owner Mirna Moreira, whose husband, Mario, is a former Guardian Angel. Both women were robbed and assaulted, but neither was seriously injured.

JERSEY CITY TO JETS: LAND HERE
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jets running back Curtis Martin could soon be practicing his moves in Jersey City, if the plan pitched by city officials for a new headquarters and practice facility is a touchdown with the team.

The New York Jets announced on its Web site earlier this month that the team has narrowed its search for a new practice facility to five places in New Jersey and Jersey City made the cut.

"I think it's an excellent marriage," Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. "We have the best location, all of the amenities, and access to New York City."

The team has its eye on a 28-acre area along Caven Point Road, next to the Liberty National Golf Course being built at Port Libert? and adjacent to Cochrane Field.

Nearly 18 of the 28 acres are owned by the Jersey City Board of Education, which purchased the land from the city for roughly $8 million six years ago. The Jets have already begun to negotiate a sale price for a privately-owned warehouse that occupies the other 10 acres on the site, said Carl Czaplicki, the mayor's chief of staff and the city's point person in the negotiations with the Jets.

A ferry ride away from Manhattan, one Turnpike exit from Newark Liberty International Airport - and with Lady Liberty visible in the distance - the location is just what the Jets ordered, city officials said.

"The Jets were impressed with the site's potential," Czaplicki said. "They saw everything would fit."

Jets officials, who said they intend to chose a site by March 1, didn't return phone calls for comment.

Since agreeing to build a new stadium in the Meadowlands with the Giants, Jets officials said they want to open the new training facility in New Jersey by summer 2007. The Jets currently practice at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.

This facility, they predicted, would generate more than $10 million annually in new tax revenue for the state.

Is 1pm on a weekday (forgetting the snow and all) a good time to meet? Seems like after work or on the weekend would make more sense -- lke this Sunday at 1pm. (I know it was moved but I hope there is enough of a turn out for them.

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