BOE approves layoffs, appoints new prez
The new Board of Education met for the first time last week and elected board member Rosemarie Markle their board president. Outgoing president Frances Rhodes-Kearns nominated Markle, saying that years ago Markle was PTO president at Brandt School she passed the torch to Rhodes-Kearns. Now Rhodes-Kearns returned the favor. Trustee Carrie Gilliard was elected vice president of the board.
The board also approved 5-2-1 a “reduction in force,” or rather a list of 16 employees to be laid off. The 16 employees were all support staff, including eight clerks and four general workers.
Board members Carmelo Garcia and James Farina opposed the measure even though they had approved the budget that precipitated the cuts. Minutillo, Markle, and Gilliard approved the cuts, and new members Ruth McAllister and Maureen Sullivan also voted to approve the cuts. Rhodes-Kearns abstained because she had a relative on the cut list. Trustee Phil DeFalco wasn’t present.
No matter the vote count, it was Raslowsky who took the responsibility.
“These are cuts that I made,” he said, saying they were in conjunction with the state Department of Education, “and they are not a reflection in any way, shape, or form…on the quality of their work.”
Raslowsky also communicated to the board that the district will be not renewing the contracts of three teachers for the upcoming school year.
Historic 100 Steps from JC to Hoboken being rebuilt
A groundbreaking took place on Wednesday for the rebuilding of the historic “100 Steps” that once ran down from the Jersey City Heights to the Jersey City/Hoboken border.
The Brass Works Urban Renewal Company, which built The Cliffs Lofts, a 120-unit residential rental building on Paterson Plank Road, started preliminary construction work last week on rebuilding of the “100 Steps” from above the Palisade Cliffs on Franklin Street and Mountain Road, down to an area adjacent to the Cliffs Lofts. The rebuilding is part of an agreement that the Brass Works Urban Renewal Company, run by Hoboken developers Sanford Weiss and Bob Greer, has with the city of Jersey City as a result of the city’s approval for the construction of the Cliffs Lofts.
It was prompted by local residents’ insistence that the steps be rebuilt.
The steps are scheduled to be finished by the end of this year, allowing people to walk down into Hoboken, rather than on Mountain Road, where there is also vehicular traffic
The steps were closed off around the 1920s and later deteriorated. They were taken down in the 1990’s at the behest of City Councilman Bill Gaughan, who represents the area.
Gaughan was at Wednesday’s groundbreaking along with Mayor Jerramiah Healy and other city officials and developer Bob Greer.
Correction
In the last edition of the Reporter, part of mayoral candidate Tom Vincent’s questionnaire responses were inadvertently cut off due to an error in production. They were, however, correct on our website.
Below are his complete answers to those questions.
Please tell us why you are more qualified than your opponents: The tax increase, the state monitor, the budget crisis: all of these are symptoms of a broken, severely outdated system. Right now we need to modernize the entire thing, top to bottom. I have lots of experience doing this very thing and I can do it for less.
We also need a complete break with the past. I can provide new perspectives and positive energy. I want to make it rewarding and enjoyable to work for the city so we can attract real talent. I hold no grudges and have no political agenda so I am free to do what’s right for the city.
I’m also serious about sharing information. Transparency is just the beginning. I want to make the government easy to understand with explanations instead of simply posting documents. The more the citizens understand, the better the public dialogue gets.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Hoboken right now, and how do you propose to solve it: There are two pressing issues. We have to fix the system and share information. We can’t really fix anything until we get the government operating efficiently and everyone knows what’s going on.
Then we’ll be equipped to deal with the budget, flooding, parking, the hospital, health insurance costs; it seems everywhere you look there’s something that needs fixing.
With a state monitor running things, this is the perfect time to revamp the entire system so that when she leaves we’ve got a nimble and responsive government to take back our city.
These are the most pressing issues because they are at the heart of our problems.
Here’s some of what we get: eliminated waste and duplication; easy access to information; reduction of abuse; redefined job descriptions.
In short, we finally get the tools we need to run the city so we can start to explore our incredible potential instead of putting out fires.
City monitors swine flu
T he city released a news this week that they are working with Hudson County public health officials to closely monitor the evolving Swine Influenza H1N1 situation that is unfolding nationally and in Mexico. As of Friday, there were no confirmed cases in Hudson County, officials said. Hudson County public health officials have been in frequent communication with their NYC Health Department partners and are monitoring the situation very closely.
The CDC and local public health officials recommend the public take the following steps in light of the current situation: practice good respiratory etiquette – cover coughs and sneezes and throw away used tissues; wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water; avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, as this can spread disease; stay home if you are sick, keep children home from school if they are sick; stay informed – know the sources for credible information: http://www.state.nj.us/health/ and www.cdc.gov/flu/swine; individuals should also review their family preparedness plans.
Former Hoboken resident arrested for 2005 murder
Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said on Wednesday that Joseph Moreira, 29, formerly of Hoboken, was arrested on April 24 in Prince Georges County, Md. in connection with a 2005 murder in the Jersey City Heights.
DeFazio said Moreira, an alleged Latin Kings street gang member who goes by the nickname “King Megs,” is the suspect in the Oct. 18, 2005 slaying of 26-year-old Juan Batista, who was gunned down on the sidewalk outside a barbershop on Palisade Avenue. DeFazio said Moreira was charged with alleged murder and related weapons charges.
DeFazio said Moreira was captured after a tip from someone acquainted with Moreira. DeFazio said once the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Fugitive Squad was able to corroborate the tip, then the U.S. Marshals Office was contacted and they in turn worked with Prince Georges County law enforcement to capture Moreira, who had been staying with a girlfriend.
DeFazio said Moreira will not fight extradition back to New Jersey and could make his first appearance in court in Jersey City by this weekend.
Nursing scholarship available
The Hoboken University Medical Center Auxiliary is offering a nursing scholarship to any Hudson County resident who is interested in pursuing a career in nursing. Applications are available at the Gift Shop located in the lobby of the hospital, 308 Willow Ave.
The deadline for applications to be returned to the Gift Shop is May 4. For more information, please call Auxiliary Chairperson Gail Beck at (201) 892-9823, or the Gift Shop at (201) 418-1043.