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Emergency Management office padlocked!
City gives few answers; investigation may be underway
 | | | | | | | DO NOT ENTER – Public Safety Director Bill Bergin said last week that there will be an “inventory” taken in the Office of Emergency Management, but would not say whether an investigation is underway. Meanwhile, the office in City Hall (pictured above) remains padlocked. | |
In the midst of hurricane season, and in a mile-square city that lies directly across the river from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the city padlocked the door to the city's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) two weeks ago, and one city official said that there may be an investigation coming up.
Most of those involved with the matter last week declined to give specific answers.
Public Safety Director Bill Bergin said last week that he directed the office on the ground floor of City Hall to be padlocked.
"I wanted a complete inventory done," Bergin said.
Bergin said that Joel Mestre, the city's full-time OEM deputy coordinator, was scheduled to be taking a medical leave, so the office was not going to be used.
As far as what comes next for OEM, Bergin said the situation is "up in the air" right now.
Bergin said that commenting any further could interfere with any "disciplinary action" that may need to be taken in the future.
HOBOKEN REPORTER 
| Mason will get cell phone records - including police
City must pay $10K for lawyers in lawsuit settlement
 | | | | | | | CALLER ID – Beth Mason has been granted access to cell phone records of city employees, but she can’t have their numbers. Mason will also be provided with the area code information of outgoing calls and the location from which the calls were dialed. | |
A lawsuit by Councilwoman Beth Mason seeking information about city cell phone records was settled two weeks ago after two court appearances.
Now, Mason will get to comb through a year's worth of city cell phone records from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.
The agreement even includes the phone records of police officers, with the only exception being any calls placed in connection with ongoing criminal investigations.
According to the settlement, the city is not required to provide the phone numbers of the cell phones in use.
However, the city must provide the names of the cell phone users unless it offers a detailed explanation as to why they cannot. They are also allowed by law to withhold the incoming and outgoing numbers.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Dump the pump
Young Hoboken man helps design 'zero-gas' car at GM
 | | | | | | | WHEELS IN MOTION – Hoboken born-and-raised resident David Torres spent the spring in Detroit designing a hydrogen-powered vehicle that could conquer Russian terrain. | |
Did you ever wish you didn't need to put gas in your car?
Well, a young man from Hoboken has been trying to make your wish come true.
David Torres was chosen by GM to participate in an internship this spring that brought together engineers, designers, sculptors, and graphic artists to create three-dimensional, fully-functional "zero-gas" car designs.
Torres is automotive design sculptor going into his fourth and final year at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but he spent three months beginning in March in an apartment in Sterling Heights near Detroit, provided for interns by the automotive giant.
The 21 students chosen from across the country worked in teams of five to craft hydrogen-fueled future cars.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Rumors fly furiously over next mayor
Mason's anti-Roberts mailer shows stuffed pig; Raia, Russo, Cammarano decline to commit
 | | | | | | | IN MY SEAT – As many as five political figures could be gunning for Mayor David Roberts in the mayoral election of 2009. Early contenders include Peter Cammarano, Beth Mason, Frank Raia, and Michael Russo. | |
The rumors are flying furiously over who will run for mayor of Hoboken next May, but none of the rumored candidates would confirm last week that they plan to run.
If past turnouts are an indication, approximately 7,000 of the roughly 40,000 Hoboken residents will cast a vote.
With flyers circulating around town bashing Mayor David Roberts' fiscal acumen, some people believe the campaigning has already begun.
The political vultures may be circling, but Roberts isn't a lame duck yet. On Thursday, Roberts was in his office pounding his desk, decrying the lack of leadership in town, and wondering who would step up to the forefront.
Roberts, the 36th mayor of Hoboken, said he hasn't ruled out running for a third term as head of the mile-square city.
When asked in an interview about the prospects of another campaign, he said in a moment of levity, "I think the current guy is doing a good job."
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Same name, different car
Woman fights for refund from Parking Utility
 | | | | | | | LOCK DOWN – Car boots are a good source of revenue for the city, but one woman was told she was booted based on mistaken identity. She said she should have been able to prove this without missing a day of work to go to court. | |
A woman named Denise who lives on First Street says she has the exact same first and last name as another Denise down the block.
Denise X - whose name is being withheld to protect the other Denise - had her car booted on June 23. But even after she proved to the Hoboken Parking Utility that she'd paid for her parking permit, she is still waiting for her refund check in the mail.
Denise said that after her car was ticketed and booted, she was told by the Parking Utility that she had not renewed her parking permit for 2008. However, Denise went to the HPU office at City Hall and showed a parking employee her bank statement proving that her check was cashed by the HPU in February.
She said that the Parking Utility told her that due to a clerical error, they had confused her with another Denise X on her street.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Back to drawing board?
Teachers' contract will find opposition
 | | | | | | | CLEARED – Board member Frank Raia (right) was cleared of any conflict by the state School Ethics Commission even though his property houses the teachers' union office. | |
A new three-year contract for Hoboken's educators is being scrutinized behind the scenes before it even comes up for a vote.
According to sources, the pay raise included in the contract is between 5 and 6 percent, and some critics believe this can only be reconciled with significant givebacks.
A vote on the contract was stalled because board members Frank Raia and Phil DeFalco were awaiting determinations from the state's School Ethics Commission on possible conflicts of interest. The school board asked the state in June whether there was a conflict because Raia was helping negotiate the contract and DeFalco would have to vote on the finished version. Both board members had financial ties to certain teachers or the teachers' union.
The district recently received the decision from the commission and, according to Superintendent Jack Raslowsky, both school board members were cleared by the commission of any conflicts due to their business affairs.
Raslowsky and Board Attorney Joseph Morano handled the negotiations with the teachers' union and presented the board Negotiations Committee a contract after the April school board elections. The committee included Raia, DeFalco, and board member Anthony Romano.
In April, Raia and Romano signed onto a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the union that agrees to the terms of the contract.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Local green scene
Wind farm? Sun panels? Developers, agencies find pro-enviro options | | | | | | | IN THE LEED – The Garden Street Lofts are going to be the first high rise residential building that meet environment-friendly LEED silver standards. The original building was salvaged and renovated with a zinc façade used for the additional area. (Photo courtesy of Bijou Properties) | |
SIDEBAR BELOW
In this age of global warming and pollution concerns, one private Hoboken-based company is currently building a "wind farm" in Delaware, while another is selling more bicycles than before, and local agencies are using solar panels for power.
Welcome to the green scene in Hoboken.
Hoboken companies and politicians have recently invested in alternative energy sources, mandated energy-efficient travel and development, and even come up with ways to harness the wind. And according to city officials, more City Council ordinances are on the way to force development and travel to be more environmentally friendly.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Hoboken is the Jersey shore
Boathouse, park, small beach now open to public
 | | | | | | | AHOY! – After years of plotting and planning, Hoboken has its boathouse, modeled after the Gothic-revival architecture of the original New York Yacht Club house in Hoboken during the 1800s. | |
Last week, the city invited everyone to visit the beach...in Hoboken.
A new boathouse was opened at Maxwell House Park, complete with a small stretch of beach on the Hudson River. Anyone is welcome to stroll at the new public area - park, pier, beach, and boathouse - at 11th Street near Sinatra Drive.
The entire area was funded by the developers of the Maxwell Place project as part of the development, without using any taxpayer money.
One of the original developers on the site, Hoboken Brownstone Corporation, collaborated with the city to donate the public space shortly after the development process began in 2001.
"This is the outcome when developers and the administration work together," said Daniel Gans, one of the co-founders of Hoboken Brownstone Company, at a ceremony on Wednesday.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Board settles lawsuit with ex-superintendent
Also approves new policy manual, staff changes
 | | | | | | | NO SUMMER BREAK – The school district is making sweeping changes over the summer in order to prepare for the new school year. There will be teachers in new positions, a new set of rules, and a new lunch provider. | |
Correction made on 8/13/08
At Tuesday's Hoboken Board of Education meeting, six board members approved the settlement of a lawsuit changing the contract buyout of former superintendent Patrick Gagliardi, with only board member Rose Marie Markle dissenting.
Gargiardi's remaining contract was bought out by a previous board, granting him upwards of $600,000, before Superintendent Jack Raslowsky took over last year.
Raslowsky said the board petitioned the state for intervention, but since the state did not intercede, the two sides settled in court.
Due to the recent settlement, part of Gagliardi's payout concerning consultant fees was reduced from $100,000 to roughly $70,000, said Raslowsky.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Developing along southern train tracks
Plans slowly unfold for 36 acres in Hoboken | | | | | | | RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRACKS – The development of an area along Hoboken’s south border will help pay for the further renovation of the Hoboken train terminal. the plot runs from the Hoboken Terminal along Observer Highway. | |
A 36-acre swath of train tracks and land at Hoboken's southern border is ripe for development, officials say.
The large parcel, beginning at the Hoboken Terminal and continuing down Observer Highway, makes up Hoboken's portion of a 54-acre train yard site - the other part is in Jersey City - owned by NJ Transit.
NJ Transit is working with both cities to draw up plans for developing the land.
The site was designated a redevelopment zone by the Hoboken City Council in 2006. The city has since appointed FXFOWLE, a well-known planning and architecture firm based in New York City, to create a redevelopment plan.
Last Wednesday, community members, civic leaders, and other interested parties gathered at the city's Multi-Service Center for a second meeting with the planners to discuss the estimated $500 million project.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Let's kick it
Kickball league brings together all types of Hobokenites | | Photo Gallery | | | | | | GOOD FORM – Pitchers get one foot on either side of the plate as part of the strike zone, as this Hot Mess pitcher put it down the middle for a strike on Tuesday. | |
Twice a week during the summer, various Hoboken contingents meet to get their kickball on.
Each Tuesday and Thursday, the ZogSports Summer Kickball League convenes at the recently-dedicated Mamma Johnson Field at the Housing Authority to compete in the baseball-soccer hybrid sport.
Chris Corbin, general manager of ZogSports NewJersey, said the league has been bringing together all sorts of Hobokenites: men and women, young and old, newcomers and long-time residents.
Corbin said that aside from having a blast launching a four-square ball around a baseball field, a very important part of the league is the social aspect. There is a happy hour after each game.
Last Tuesday, the Hoboken Housing Authority team (green shirts) lost by one run in extra innings to Hot Mess (purple), while the Rainbow Cappuccinos (orange) survived a late comeback attempt by MaxBalls.com (yellow) to win, 15 to 12.
HOBOKEN REPORTER Photo Gallery
| The other side of laughter, Part II
Stern show regular, comedian Artie Lange discusses standup, radio
 | | | | | | | FUNNYMAN – Hoboken resident and Stern show regular Artie Lange can be seen on the upcoming Bob Saget Roast, which airs on Comedy Central on Aug. 17 at 10 p.m. For more information, visit: artie-lange.com. | |
(Editor's Note: This is Part II of a profile on Artie Lange, a Hoboken resident and comedian. Part I ran in the Hudson Current earlier this week, and can be read in its entirety here.)
Hoboken resident Artie Lange is best known as a regular on the Howard Stern radio show; yet he is also an incredibly popular standup comedian. His DVD of standup material, called "It's the Whiskey Talking," was a hit with fans.
He recently performed to a packed house at Carolines on Broadway, which was filled with admirers who screamed his name as he walked to the mic.
While making his way to the stage, he was stopped by several enthusiastic fans hoping to get a picture. Ever accommodating, he told them to meet him backstage after the show.
His hilarious routine often mocks his working-class roots. Lately, it has even included his recent trip to Afghanistan.
For all the humor he has wrung out of the Afghanistan trip, it also included some very frightening moments - like when he and his crew came under mortar fire.
HOBOKEN REPORTER
| Is announcing for mayor early, too early?
After Schundler says he'll run, other potential candidates react
Was former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler's recent announcements that he intends to run for mayor just another stab at publicity, or does he really plan to compete next May?
Schundler said on Aug. 14 that he plans to run, and will make a formal announcement after the November presidential election.
Schundler served as mayor from 1992 to 2001, and parlayed the exposure he received as a Republican in a Democratic stronghold into two unsuccessful runs for the governor's office, in 2001 and 2005.
Some believe his early announcement will push other candidates to announce early that they are running.
So far, three well-known people have said they will run for mayor: Schundler, incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy, and downtown Jersey City resident Dan Levin, who runs Civic JC, a group that advocates for good government policies.
Levin announced he would run just last week.
Others rumored to be considering a run are Ward E City Councilman Steven Fulop, former state Assemblyman Louis Manzo, current state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, and former City Council President L. Harvey Smith.
The May 2009 mayoral election will also see all nine council seats up for grabs. Six of those represent specific wards (Ward A through Ward F), and three are at-large seats.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| Another developer wants a revised tax deal
Builder on old JCMC land says financing tougher now | | | | | | | CHANGES IN BEACON ABATEMENTS – George Filopoulos, the developer of the Beacon, the $350 million 1,200-unit project being developed at the old Jersey City Medical Center property (pictured), confirmed last week that he wants a more favorable tax abatement deal. | |
Just like other developers who've recently asked the City Council for a more favorable tax deal in these tough economic times, the developer of the Beacon at the old Medical Center would like a new tax agreement with the city.
The Beacon is a $350 million 1,200-condo project being developed by New York-based Metrovest Equities at the old Jersey City Medical Center property on Baldwin Avenue and Montgomery Street, a half-mile south of Journal Square.
The project currently has several 30-year tax abatements, allowing the developer to pay the city between 10 and 12 percent of gross annual revenue each year.
Tax abatements typically allow developers to work out a set schedule by which their tax money goes directly to the city, instead of also to the county and schools. In return, they are not subject to the fluctuations of regular property taxes.
George Filopoulos, a principal of Metrovest, confirmed last week that he is seeking a revision of the abatements. He cited the pressures of diminished financing from investors in a struggling real estate market.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| Doing more for the homeless
Legislators, activists talk in D.C. about laws for N.J.'s population | | | | | | | DOING MORE – Hudson County’s homeless were in the thoughts of those headed to Washington, D.C. this week to find out about progress NJ's Congressional legislators are making to aid the population. | |
A one-day count of homeless people in Hudson County, done back on Jan. 29 in order to seek funding for federal programs, found 904 homeless people that day.
The Point-In-Time Count (PIT) was carried out in various areas in Hudson County over 24 hours. Some homeless people were given surveys in order to clarify their situations and what kind of services they need.
This coming Wednesday, July 30, legislators and activists from around New Jersey will attend a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. about how to help the homeless population in New Jersey. The briefing, in its second year, was organized by homeless advocacy organizations from across the state.
One of the volunteers who carried out the count is Jacob DeLemos, Project Director for Housing Assistance for the Hudson County Division of Housing and Community Development.
"I think it will help to meet with our congressional members to get legislation passed affecting the homeless population in Hudson County and New Jersey," DeLemos said. "It will also provide opportunities to advocate for additional funding."
Sen. Robert Menendez and Rep. Albio Sires are expected to attend, as well as groups including the United Way of Hudson County and the Jersey City Episcopal Community Development Corporation.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| The fate of Fulop's referenda
City Council may vote on one next month to avoid public ballot | | Photo Gallery | | | | | | IT’S ALL ABOUT DOUBLE-DIPPING – This sign was created by City Councilman Steven Fulop and supporters of Fulop’s single-salary referendum. | |
City Councilman Steven Fulop and his supporters are still pushing for two public-interest initiatives to be placed on the Jersey City ballot in November, but both of them may have different fates.
Fulop worked all summer to obtain several thousand signatures on petitions to bring two proposed laws to a public vote: One that would prohibit Jersey City City Council members from collecting a second salary and pension from their council job if they are already working in another taxpayer-funded public job; and another that would curtail political donations from professional service contractors.
However, the first initiative is unlikely to go to the November ballot, because the city attorney recently told Fulop that he had to get many more signatures than he'd gotten. Fulop is considering fighting this in court.
The second initiative did receive enough signatures to go to the November ballot. But the City Council, which turned the measure down before, may bring it up again to avoid having to deal with it in a public referendum.
The City Council will hear the contractor pay-to-play initiative at a special meeting on Monday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. in Public School 4 in Jersey City.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER Photo Gallery
| Living in former firehouses
Residents transform them into homes, possible theater
Around Jersey City, they are reminders of a time when firemen rushed to a flaming home on horse-drawn wagons.
Ira Rubin, archivist for the Jersey City Fire Department, estimates there are 13 firehouses in Jersey City that are no longer in use. Twelve inactive and active firehouses are listed on the New Jersey State Historic Register.
One firehouse is now home to a painter and his wife. Another is being sought by a local theatrical company to possibly host a new theater.
At 218 Central Ave., 520-526 Palisade Ave., and 14 Bright St., former firehouses sit empty. But there are plans by the city to sell the Central Avenue and Bright Street firehouses to developers.
The Palisade Avenue firehouse is owned by a California resident, but a Bayonne firm wants to buy the building to house 80 employees.
An old firehouse at 244 Bay St., which served as the headquarters of the Fire Department from 1871 to 1933, still maintains a connection to firefighting, as it is the home of the Gong Club, the Jersey City-based volunteer group that assists Jersey City and other Hudson County fire departments by offering beverages, food, and remedies while firefighting. Also, the firehouse is home to a museum with Fire Department memorabilia.
Rubin said people are interested in buying firehouses for a number of reasons.
"They are big spaces, especially if you need to put in a car, and they are usually well constructed," he said.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| A therapist without a couch
Local man does 'walk-and-talk' therapy in NYC parks | | | | | | | HE WALKS AND TALKS – Jersey City resident Clay Cockrell (pictured) is the founder of “Walk and Talk Therapy” in Manhattan, which specializes in walking therapy sessions. | |
This article is another installment in an occasional series of articles "Odd-cupations" about Hudson County residents with unusual or interesting jobs.
Clay Cockrell is someone who answers the old question, "Can you walk the walk and talk the talk?'
Cockrell, who lives in Downtown Jersey City with his wife Sandy, is well known around town for his involvement with the acclaimed "J City Theater Company" that puts on stage productions in Hudson County.
Cockrell has also worked for over 15 years as a therapist in Manhattan, and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).
But Cockrell does not conform to the stereotype of the therapist sitting on a chair listening to a client talk about his anxieties on a couch.
Instead, he is the founder of "Walk and Talk Therapy." In the past five years, he has seen hundreds of clients outdoors, and his sessions are conversations carried out in New York City parks and streets.
"The cool thing about doing this is, I have seen a lot of my clients get better a lot sooner," Cockrell said. "There is something about moving, which I think is a symbol for moving forward."
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| Depends on how you look at it
Deputy chief's stats show decrease in violent crime | | | | | | | POLICE SPEAKS – Jersey City Deputy Police Chief Peter Nalbach addressed in a recent interview the issue of rising crime stats in Jersey City. | |
Deputy Police Chief Peter Nalbach said that the crime numbers on his own department's website only reflect certain types of serious crimes, and if one considers other types of assaults, then violent crime has actually dropped slightly this year.
That is because the total number of assaults was actually higher in 2007 than the website says, Nalbach said.
Earlier this month, the Jersey City Reporter reported that violent crime was up in Jersey City by 10 percent.
The Reporter used the Uniform Crime Reports on the Police Department's website to note a rise in non-violent and violent crimes in the first six months of 2008, as compared with the same period of time in 2007.
The numbers on the JCPD website (www.njjcpd.org) are first collected by the Jersey City Police Department, then reported to the New Jersey State Police, who check them for accuracy. Then the JCPD puts them on the Web as official Uniform Crime Statistics.
Nalbach said that the non-violent crime statistics on the website are correct. However, the violent crime statistics don't tell the whole story, he said.
He noted that they only include aggravated assault and not simple assault. While simple assaults may not be as serious, Nalbach said that they should be included in violent crimes.
He said that when all assaults are totaled, including domestic assaults and assaults on a police officer, then assaults overall are down.
Based on the statistics provided by Nalbach, there was a 6 percent decrease in violent crime from last year to this year.
In the reports provided by Nalbach, there were 2,309 violent crime incidents between January and June of this year, instead of the 1,269 violent incidents reflected in the reports on the Web site.
And in the first half of 2007, there were 2,457 violent crime incidents as opposed to 1,157 at the same time last year.
Nalbach says that this shows that violent crime is down slightly, rather than up.
Non-violent crime, including burglary and car theft, is still up. The reports on the web showed that from Jan. 1 to June 30 of 2008, there were 3,443 non-violent incidents. The year before, there were 3,126 reported during the first six months.
Nalbach's numbers are very similar: 3,442 non-violent crimes for 2008 and 3,124 for 2007.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| Getting people to be heart-safe
CPR training touted for government offices, schools | | | | | | | SPEAKING FROM THE HEART – Mario Pozo, Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at the Jersey City Medical Center, spoke at the Aug. 4 City Council caucus on the importance of CPR training. | |
Cardiac arrest can happen in any place and at any time. And if local facilities have the proper equipment and training, it may save someone's life.
Jersey City Risk Manager Peter Soriero and Mario Pozo, Assistant Director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at the Jersey City Medical Center, spoke at the Aug. 4 City Council caucus meeting to encourage city offices and other local organizations to learn to administer CPR and have the equipment to do so in case someone goes into cardiac arrest.
Soriero encouraged the city to become a "HeartSafe Community," and called on employees to undergo CPR training (which city employees did on Aug. 12 at City Hall).
The HeartSafe Community program is already being undertaken in states such as Connecticut in collaboration with the American Heart Association.
To participate, city offices and community organizations need to have a specified number of staff who are trained to use Automated External Defibrillation (AED), to provide CPR, and to provide First Aid.
Pozo said 950,000 Americans die every year of cardiac arrest, and it is the leading cause of death in New Jersey.
City Councilman Michael Sottolano commented that private schools don't have CPR training, and there should be legislation requiring that training.
The HeartSafe Community program has the following goals: promoting and implementing AEDs and First Aid kits in public buildings, private buildings, schools and health clubs; offering CPR, First Aid and emergency training to all city and county employees; and instituting CPR, First Aid, and emergency training as a requirement to graduate from high school.
JERSEY CITY REPORTER
| Hospitality industry eyes town's revenue
Chamber of commerce, tourism group want hotel taxes reallocated
 | | | | | | | FAIR SHARE? – The Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association want towns like Secaucus to share with them a portion of the taxes they get from hotels in their jurisdictions. | |
This week, the Town Council will formally introduce the 2008 budget and hold a public hearing on Secaucus' municipal spending plan.
Secaucus, whose budget runs on a calendar year, has been operating under a temporary budget since January.
The proposed budget of $42.9 million represents a $2 million increase over last year's budget of $40.6 million, according to Town Administrator David Drumeler.
If approved, this would translate into a $1.12 increase for every $1,000 of property, or $224 per year for those who own $200,000 worth of property.
Secaucus homeowners pay an overall tax that goes to the town, the county, and the schools. The $1.12 increase is for the town tax increase only.
Homeowners will get hit with an additional $1.20 increase for Hudson County and local school taxes, Drumeler said.
At a time when the town is facing a probable tax increase, there's a move afoot to get towns throughout the state, including Secaucus, to share a key source of municipal income: taxes collected from hotel room reservations.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Global warming survey begins in Secaucus
NJMC to study health of wetlands
 | | | | | | | GREEN GRASS ALL AROUND – Secaucus was selected as a test site for its richness in high marsh vegetation. | |
Each year Secaucus, a town that's a mere 12 feet above sea level, spends millions in taxpayer dollars on flood control projects. And local residents would probably find no solace in knowing that sea levels in this area rise about 1.7 to 1.8 millimeters annually, according to local researchers.
These same researchers, however, are now prepared to collect valuable data that may ultimately strengthen the area's natural flood protector: the wetlands.
On August 21, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) launched a research program to measure and analyze the overall health of wetlands in the Meadowlands District. The program, a joint venture between the NJMC in Lyndhurst and the U.S. Geological Survey, will monitor the status of local wetlands at seven sites in the district, including one site at Secaucus High School.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Against the grain
Secaucus volunteer firefighters counter national trend
 | | | | | | | THE RECRUITS – James Miller, Nick Spangenberg, and Gary Rabbitt (left to right) | |
Last Monday, the members of Engine Company No. 1 on Plaza Center Road were gathered around a table stuffing envelopes.
The letters they were stuffing were, ironically, requests for help - ironic because company members are more accustomed to giving help than asking for it.
Specifically, the firehouse was asking local residents for monetary donations.
"You'd be surprised, a lot of people in the community don't know we're a volunteer fire department," said Chief Robert Parisi. "The people who have lived here a long time know, but we have a lot of new residents who've moved into the community, and they don't know. Sometimes they only find out when they have an emergency and we show up at their door to answer the call."
The Secaucus Volunteer Fire Department is one of the oldest all-volunteer departments in New Jersey and continues to thrive in an era when other towns are either phasing out volunteer squads in favor of paid departments, or are relying on a combination of paid and volunteer firefighters.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Local seniors pinching pennies
Rising food, medical, fuel prices to blame
 | | | | | | | FOOD FRIGHT – Soaring prices have caused senior citizens and social service agencies alike to reexamine their budgets. | |
Residents of the Rocco Impreveduto Towers and neighboring Kroll Heights, two of Secaucus' three senior homes, were once hard pressed to find available parking spaces in the facilities' lots.
Parking spaces are much easier to find these days, however.
"A lot of people have gotten rid of their cars," said Impreveduto Towers resident Carole Acropolis. "They can't afford the gas or the insurance."
Call it a sign of the times.
Nationwide, rising fuel and food prices have impacted the elderly particularly hard and local senior citizens admit they are making tough choices to stretch their social security and pension checks to the end of the month.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food costs rose nearly 5 percent over the last year, and gas prices hover at $3.71 a gallon nationally, according to AAA.
"Food is very, very high," said Marie Rushitaj, a widow who also lives in Impreveduto Towers. "For $80 I used to be able to get everything - my food, canned goods, paper [products]. Now I have to go over $100 to get all my food and everything else I need."
Sometimes, she said, she spends as much as $124 on groceries.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Picnic in the park
Mayor's civic group plans fundraiser
 | | | | | | | GIVING LOCALLY -- Jenna Totaro, a 2008 scholarship recipient. | |
In a few weeks Jenna Totaro will begin a new life as a freshman at Montclair State University, where she will no doubt have loads of demanding assignments and lots of papers to write.
To aid her in her collegiate studies Totaro, a 2008 Secaucus High School graduate, plans to buy a new computer thanks to a scholarship she recently received from the Dennis Elwell Civic Association.
"I found out about the scholarship through the high school," Totaro said. "I think the kinds of things Mayor Elwell has done through the organization are awesome. I don't know all the kids who've received scholarships. But I'm definitely positive that the money will come in handy."
Next Saturday (Aug. 23) the nonprofit charitable civic group will hold a fundraising picnic in Schmidt's Woods from noon until 6 p.m.
In the event of rain the picnic will take pace on Sunday.
The annual picnic is one of two signature fundraisers Mayor Elwell holds to benefit the civic association he founded in 1997. He also hosts an annual golf outing to benefit the association as well.
With a focus on the needs of local youth and families, the civic association provides small grants and scholarships and proves that sometimes a little help can go a long way.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Hudson County Dems prepare Mile High party
Convention begins next week
 | | | | | | | STEAK ’EM – Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy will be looking for a good sirloin tip during the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week. | |
If the Democratic and Republican National conventions seem like big, nonstop parties from the vantage point of the couch, well as it turns out, they are.
"Basically, it's a week-long pep rally," said delegate and Assemblywoman Joan Quigley (D-32nd Dist.) who will attend her second Democratic National Convention next week.
Quigley was also a delegate in 2004 when the party held its convention in Boston.
"Four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. But this year I'm more prepared," she said. "I'm taking my vitamins and planning to bring denims and sneakers. The last time I thought, 'This is history-making. I have to dress up.' But I learned, a convention is no place for high heels."
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| 'Atmosphere of fear and intimidation'
HCCC discusses its poor grade for integrity
 | | | | | | | AT THE CENTER OF THE STORM – John Shinnick, vice president of Human Resources at Hudson County Community College, as well as president of the Hudson County Improvement Authority and 3rd Ward councilman in Secaucus, has become the target of a negative report on the college. | |
Roger Jones, spokesperson for Hudson County Community College, told members of the County Freeholder Board at their meeting on Tuesday that it is next to impossible to evaluate the validity of charges made regarding a recent report issued by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
The Middle States Commission gave HCCC a warning that the institution failed to comply with one of 14 accreditation standards it needs to meet. The college failed to comply with the Integrity category, which covers areas including conflicts of interest, ethical standards, and policies regarding support for academic and intellectual freedom.
According to the recently released report, "The team interviewed a number of employees who felt intimidated by Human Resources and recalled a number of instances when they were publicly berated by the vice president for Human Resources [John Shinnick]."
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Town moves forward after firefighters resign
Next step: revised training and policy changes
 | | | | | | | TRAINING DAY – Town Administrator David Drumeler is taking the lead in helping the town develop its new anti-bias training for municipal volunteers. | |
Now that three volunteer firefighters recently at the center of a civil rights lawsuit against Secaucus have resigned, the town has turned its focus to implementing policy changes and anti-harassment/sensitivity training for municipal volunteers.
The town's insurance carriers demanded such changes be made after a Hudson County jury awarded a gay couple a $2.8 million judgment, plus $2 million in legal fees, in June.
In their lawsuit, the couple alleged that some volunteer firefighters stationed at a firehouse next to their home harassed them and violated their civil rights based on sexual orientation.
The town's insurers, Suburban Essex Municipal Joint Insurance Fund and the Municipal Excess Liability Fund, will have to shell out the bulk of the judgment amount if the award is not overturned on appeal. As a result, they are demanding that Secaucus give anti-bias training to municipal volunteers that is on par with similar training offered to town employees.
While the Town Council was divided over what the fate of the three firefighters should be, the governing body is united in recognizing the need for policy changes and improved sensitivity training for municipal volunteers.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
| Some smoke, but little fire
Residents attend council meeting to hear fate of firefighters
 | | | | | | | FRIEND INDEED – At the council meeting Mayor Dennis Elwell defended the town’s relationship with State Sen. Raymond Lesniak. | |
Many residents showed up at Tuesday's Town Council meeting in order to find out one thing: the status of three firefighters whom a majority of the council recently voted to remove from the volunteer fire department, pending an administrative hearing.
In June, a Hudson County Superior Court jury awarded a gay couple $2.8 million, plus legal fees, for harassment they allegedly experienced while living next door to the North End Fire House.
Since the end of the trial the fate of the three firefighters has been the subject of much debate, both within the Town Council and among residents. Two weeks ago, the majority faction of the Town Council voted to dismiss them from the volunteer fire department.
The men now face administrative charges and have a right to a hearing with the town's labor attorney.
Since dismissal is likely, the firefighters could decide to voluntarily resign from the department.
SECAUCUS REPORTER
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