Assemblyman Chiappone pleads guilty; must step down
Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone pleaded guilty on Friday to misfiling election reports, one of seven charges brought against him and his wife, Diane, by the state Attorney General’s Office last year after they were accused by the of depositing money from legislative aides into the Chiappone personal and campaign accounts, Chiappone confirmed Friday.
As part of the plea, Chiappone must now give up his Assembly seat and cannot holding future public office.
The plea agreement will avoid jail time for Chiappone, who is expected to get probation at his Sept. 10 sentencing, and all charges have been dropped against his wife.
He must resign his seat by that day.
“It feels like a boulder had been lifted from my shoulders,” Chiappone said Friday.
Chiappone also recently ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Bayonne. For more on this story, see this week’s Bayonne Community News starting Wednesday at www.hudsonreporter.com.
Greenpeace says Hudson County chemical plant has highest risk in U.S.
The non-profit environmental group Greenpeace says they recently conducted a “citizens’ inspection” of a chemical plant in South Kearny, not far from Jersey City, that holds containers of chlorine gas for use in producing liquid bleach.
They said that they obtained photos and other information suggesting that the plant is vulnerable and could leak the gas for miles if attacked by terrorists.
The Greenpeace report starts off saying that according to “[The] chemical company’s own reports to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), its South Kearny New Jersey facility puts 12 million people at risk in the New Jersey-New York City area due to the bulk storage of 2 million pounds of chlorine gas. This plant puts more people at risk of a chemical disaster than any other plant in the U.S.”
They also say that the plant is aware of “safer chemical processes that could eliminate these risks.”
To see the report, go to: http://members.greenpeace.org/blog/greenpeaceusa_blog/2010/06/22/new-york-chemical-plant-puts-12-million.
New development for Jersey City-Hoboken border highlighted
State and local officials – including Rep. Albio Sires (D-13th) and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy – were on hand for the groundbreaking of the soon-to-built Van Leer Place development on Hoboken Avenue near the Jersey City-Hoboken border.
Hoboken Brownstone Company will transform the 7-acre brownfield site at 110 Hoboken Ave. into a new sustainable development expected to become a model of energy efficiency for new urban mixed-use residential projects in the northeast United States and beyond. Van Leer Place will be the first in the state to be developed within the Urban Energy Technology Demonstration Project program under the New Jersey energy master plan.
Once completed in early 2013, Van Leer Place will include more than 400 homes in two buildings, 8,700 square-feet of retail space and on-site parking.
Sires commended the developers for embarking on such an ambitious project. “It takes innovative developers using state-of-the-art technology to accomplish these goals,” he said.
Kite show to fly on Fourth of July
On Sunday, July 4, Liberty High Spirits (LHS), a group of New Jersey-based professional kite fliers, will host a kite show at Liberty State Park.
The public and kite fliers are welcomed and encouraged to come to the show, which starts at noon and ends 6 p.m. The show will be held on the “Green Lawn” at Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
The show will feature kites of all sizes, kite demonstrations, and kite entertainment and education in a fun, friendly and family environment. Also, the professional kite flying team, Rev Riders, will be on hand to entertain attendees by performing kite acrobatics to music with various professional kites.
For more information, call (201) 921-5518.
Ribbon cut for Newport child care facility
Mayor Jerramiah Healy, students, faculty, parents, and other officials gathered on Monday for a formal ribbon cutting ceremony at the River School on Warren Street in downtown Jersey City.
The ribbon cutting was for the school’s expansion to accommodate 59 new children, broadening River School’s licensed capacity to 173. The expansion also includes a new 1600-square foot play area on the north side of the building and a “stroller parking garage” outside the main entrance.
River School takes children as young as two months, and offers a range of educational programs.
Restored schooner docking at Liberty State Park
Jersey City architectural firm LWDMR & Associates, P.C., will join with the Bayshore Discovery Project to bring the A. J. Meerwald to Liberty State Park. The 115-foot restored 1928 oyster schooner will dock on Thursday, July 1 at Liberty State Park and remain moored through July 13, offering tours and a range of instructional, family-friendly programs to residents and tourists.
The renovation of the ship began as a green demonstration project, utilizing energy efficient and environmentally friendly components to ensure a minimal impact on the environment. Reclaimed lumber and recycled structural elements were used for the wharf and shipping sheds, and the access bridge to the museum was built from existing, locally sourced materials.
The ship employs geothermal heating and cooling units, solar photovoltaic electric, long life roofing, low VOC coatings and wind power, making it one of the few low-impact structures on the coast that also meets the requirements of the Department of Interior’s Standards of Rehabilitation.