State appellate court upholds decision on Lopez’s council seat
JERSEY CITY — A state appellate court on Tuesday upheld a Hudson County Superior Court judge’s decision that City Councilwoman Nidia Lopez can keep her council seat.
Superior Court Judge Maurice Gallipoli had ruled in Decenber 2009 that Lopez, who represents the city’s Journal Square area, could stay in her council seat, thus striking down a lawsuit filed in June of that year by Jimmy King.
King, who finished second to Lopez in last year’s Ward C municipal election, brought the suit challenging Lopez’s residency status by claiming that Lopez was actually a Florida resident since she had not paid New Jersey income taxes for several years while filing federal taxes in Florida. But when King stepped down from the lawsuit after he pleaded guilty to taking bribes from government informant Solomon Dwek, Norrice Raymaker, the third-place finisher in the Ward C election, stepped up as a new legal challenger to Lopez.
The appellate court decision, published on the court’s website Tuesday morning, stated that “the findings and conclusions of [Judge Gallipoli] are supported by substantial, credible evidence in the record.”
Lopez said after the decision that she was “happy” to hear the appellate court’s decision from her lawyer and said the lawsuit was an “unfair distraction to her constituents.”
Raymaker issued a statement prior to the ruling thanking her supporters but also noted, “Of course, I hope we prevail. However, win or lose, we defended our right for authentic representation” and encouraged them to participate in local politics. – Ricardo Kaulessar
Hoboken Western Edge redevelopment hearing tonight (Thursday)
The Western Edge Redevelopment plan was tabled by the City Council in late September, and now the community will have a chance to go back to the drawing board in early December. The Western Edge is an 11.4 acre area on Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe streets, from Ninth Street to 14th Street that stands to be redeveloped.
Two additional community meetings to “provide further opportunities for public input” have been announced. The first meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wallace School Gymnasium, 1100 Willow Ave. Another meeting is slated for Thursday, Dec. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hoboken Public Library, located at 500 Park Ave.
The most recent plan for the Western Edge called for 581 residential units, 58,837 square feet of retail, 353,019 square feet of office space, and 58,837 square feet of business incubator space. The plan was received negatively, for the most part, at a community meeting in September. It is available on the city website.
The format of the meeting will be workshop style, as residents can come in at any time to raise their concerns. Tables will be set up so residents can provide input on issues that have been raised, according to a city release.
Man shot at Bayonne gas station
BAYONNE – A parking attendant at a gas station on 440 in Bayonne was left critically wounded on Monday, Dec. 6 after a shooting involving three men.
City officials said a car with had New York State license plates fled south on Route 440 and was believed to have headed over the Bayonne Bridge into Staten Island.
The victim underwent emergency surgery at Jersey City Medical Center. His condition is not yet known. Police Chief Robert Kubert is expected to issue an official release on the incident later today.
CASA welcomes donations for holiday toy drive
Hudson County CASA will be celebrating the holiday season by holding a toy drive for abused and neglected children in Hudson County.
CASA is an independent non-profit organization committed to advocating for the best interest of children in foster care. Volunteers get involved in advocating for the county’s hundreds of foster children.
Visit the Hudson County CASA website at www.hudsoncountycasa.org to purchase a gift through the Toys R Us gift registry.
Sinatra biographer to appear at Lepore’s Chocolate, Historical Museum on Dec. 12
James Kaplan, whose first volume on Frank Sinatra entitled Frank: The Voice debuted last month, will read from the biography and sign copies for sale on Dec. 12 at the Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., at 4 p.m. Kaplan will also appear at Lepore’s Chocolates, now located on Fourth Street between Washington and Bloomfield streets, 2 to 3 p.m. Kaplan has also written or co-written biographies of John McEnroe, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis, two novels, and hundreds of profiles of major figures for magazines including The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vanity Fair and Esquire.
Caroling with St. Dominic’s Women’s Choir, Dec. 15
The St. Dominic’s Academy Women’s choir will once again lead a group of carolers through the neighborhood near the Hoboken Historical Museum. Anyone who would like to join the singing or have the group stop by their home (within about a six-block radius of the museum) should call the museum at (201) 656-2240. The event starts from the museum at 6:30 p.m. Participation is free.
Watercolors, pastels on display at NJMC Flyway Gallery
The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission’s Flyway Gallery will host an exhibit of watercolors and pastels by local artist Mark de Mos and his students during December and January. The show, “Mark de Mos and Friends,” runs from Tuesday, Dec. 7 to Friday, Jan. 28. A reception for the artists is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12.
De Mos is a member of several art associations, including the Allied Artists of America, the New Jersey Pastel Society and the Essex Watercolor Society. His paintings have won dozens of awards, been featured in several magazines and books, and been displayed in galleries.
The Flyway Gallery is located in the Meadowlands Environment Center in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst. Directions to DeKorte Park are available in the “About Us” section of the NJMC’s website, at www.njmeadowlands.gov, or by calling (201) 460-8300.
Foundation announces scholarship for college-level Hispanic students
The Hispanic Business Council Scholarship Foundation of NJ, Inc. (HBCSF) announces that applications are now being accepted for the annual scholarship and book stipend awards for current college and college-bound Hispanic students for the 2011-2012 school term.
Open to all N.J. residents of Hispanic heritage, the application can be accessed through www.hbcsf.org. Applications and all required information must be postmarked by Monday, Feb. 28, 2011. Scholarships of up to $4,000 each will be disbursed directly to the college or university of the student’s choice during the 2011-2012 school term. HBCSF also awards $1,000 book stipends.
Interviews and the final award selection will be completed by the end of March and the scholarships will be presented at the Foundation’s 20th Annual Scholarship Gala on Thursday, May 12, 2011.
Information about the 2010 scholarship recipients, previous scholarship recipients and the organization’s gala can be accessed at www.hbcsf.org or requested by e-mail to info@hbcsf.org.