HOBOKEN BRIEFS

8/9/09

School begins on Sept. 1

District officials said schools will open before Labor Day this year. All students are due to report on Tuesday, Sept.1, and faculty and staff report on Monday, Aug. 30.
Dismissal for student on the first week of classes will be at 1 p.m.
Schools are closed on Friday, Sept. 4 and Monday, Sept. 7 for Labor Day.
For more information, call (201) 356-3601 or visit www.hoboken.k12.nj.us.

Clock stopped on tower

Last week, NJ Transit said the Hoboken Clock Tower has been out of service for more than a week.
NJ Transit said an electrical malfunction is likely the cause of the problem. The organization said they are working on repairs to get the clock running again. Lights on the clock tower are still functional, but the clock itself is not.

Claveria resigns from housing board

Hector Claveria, a Hoboken Housing Authority board member arrested on a bribery charge last month, has sent his letter of resignation to the board, according to his lawyer, Frank Cutruzzula.
Cutruzzula said Claveria shouldn’t be held in any higher regard than the politicians facing corruption charges throughout the state, so he resigned his seat on the nine-member volunteer housing board.
He said that nonetheless, Claveria maintains his innocence and will devote his time to fighting any charges brought against him by a grand jury.
Claveria, 36, was appointed to the board in November under a recommendation by Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer and others. Claveria replaced longtime commissioner Angel Alicea.
After his appointment, Claveria became an ally of Mayor Peter Cammarano. He and his wife were integral parts of the campaign and Claveria was also part of the transition team.
Claveria was arrested on Tuesday, July 14 and charged with bribery, official misconduct, and receiving an unlawful benefit, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.
The next day Cammarano called for his resignation, citing his administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for “violation of the public trust.” Cammarano called on the City Council to start removal proceedings if Claveria did not comply, but Cammarano found his own troubles just a week later.
Claveria was allegedly involved in taking money to move a tenant up the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers and DeFazio said it is alleged that Claveria received a “substantial amount of money” – more than $200, making make it a second degree crime – in exchange for helping the tenant.

Boys and Girls Club pool opens

Hoboken’s only outdoor pool, located adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club at 123 Jefferson St., has opened, according to Unit Director Jay Garcia.
“Although the pool opening was delayed due to city budget constraints this year, the Hoboken community rallied together and raised the necessary funding to plug the unfortunate gap to get the pool open for the kids,” Garcia said in a release.
“A series of fundraisers were jointly sponsored by The Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County, along with local Hoboken establishments such as Whiskey Bar, Nine, and The Liberty Bar to help raise awareness and much needed money,” he said. Donations were also made and accepted by mail and online on the club’s website, www.bgchc.org.
“In particular, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County wish to offer sincere gratitude to the following groups who in particular provided assistance in achieving the pool opening: The City of Hoboken, Tarragon/Ursa Development Company, Bank of New York Mellon Jersey City, the Hoboken City Council, Nine, Liberty Bar, Whisky Bar, Stevens Institute of Technology, Peter J. Cammarano III, Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer, Director John Pope, Ruth McAllister, the Sobolov family, and the Hoboken Committee of the Boys and Girls Club.”
The Hoboken Boys and Girls Club offers a unique and enriching summer program for children between the ages 5 to 14. Members have an opportunity to participate in scheduled trips, arts and crafts, gym and other activities. For more information, contact Jay Garcia, Unit Director of the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club at jgarcia@bgchc.org or call (201) 963-6443.

City wins suit over garage sale

T he city confirmed last week that the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court handed down a unanimous decision in favor of the city, “upholding the process used by the city to sell its public works garage property to a redeveloper for $25.5 million.”
According to the city, “The lawsuit was filed by a developer who had unsuccessfully sought the redevelopment contract from the city, MDK Development, along with a local resident. These plaintiffs claimed that the city’s bid process for the garage sale, which was developed with the assistance of a citizen advisory board to obtain a fair price for the property while minimizing impact of the development on the surrounding neighborhood, was flawed on numerous grounds. However, the Appellate Division rejected all of the plaintiff’s arguments, and upheld all of the city’s actions relating to the sale.
“The decision clears the way for the city to close with the redeveloper, S. Hekemian Group, sometime in late 2009 or early 2010.”

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