HudsonReporter.com poll: How did you vote?
Last week, we asked you, the readers, to log on to HudsonReporter.com to vote in our poll. We asked: “Do Hoboken students need more choices for education?” The results are in, and it was a close finish. To see the results, go to the site and check out the story: “Does Hoboken need more choices?” To interact with us on a daily basis, follow us on Twitter @hobokenreporter or visit HudsonReporter.com.
Hoboken State of the City address set for Feb. 22
Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced that a “state of the city” address will take place on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., and invited members of the public to attend. The location will be “announced shortly,” according to a press release.
Greaney announces campaign vs. Beth Mason
Second Ward resident Tom Greaney expected to launch his campaign for the 2nd Ward City Council seat on Saturday, Feb. 5. Greaney will face off against incumbent and current Council President Beth Mason. Political insiders in Hoboken are paying close attention to this race, and an expensive campaign is expected from both sides. Mason has already shown television ads, and some are expected soon from Greaney’s camp.
Mason announced her re-election campaign in October, and recently launched her official website.
Greaney, as reported first by The Hudson Reporter in December, filed paperwork to challenge Mason, but did not announce his candidacy until Feb. 5. Greaney is a frequent council meeting attendee and supporter of the administration of Mayor Dawn Zimmer.
Greaney moved to Hoboken in 2003 and said he believes that “now is time” to enter the political scene.
“I think one of the key issues is improving the infrastructure,” Greaney said in a phone interview. “The budget and taxes issues are always important in the 2nd Ward. We also need to work on repairing our civic culture. We need a stronger civic political discourse; a more positive tone.”
Greaney works as a vice president of human resources for a major insurance company, and believes his business background will allow him to be a good council person.
Hoboken population tops 50,000
The Hoboken population has grown to 50,005 in the 2010 census, according to a U.S. Census report.
The 2000 population of Hoboken was 38,577.
In the last 10 years, the mile-square city has seen several new condo and apartment complexes, both on the waterfront and on the west side of town.
St. Patrick’s Day fever picks up
The anticipation surrounding Hoboken’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, scheduled for March 5, is beginning to rise.
A Facebook page set up recently shows that, as of Feb. 4, almost 2,000 people will attend the party.
The annual celebration includes bars opening at 9 a.m. and thousands of visitors flooding the Mile-Square City for a day of drinking and partying.
Councilman Nino Giacchi said at the Feb. 2 council meeting that the city will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy, fining people up to $2,000 for transgressions such as public drinking and public urination. House parties were labeled as the largest problem on parade day last year.
“When a party is deemed to be unreasonably reckless, disorderly, and unsafe, the renter or owner of the apartment or house will be charged with [maintaining a nuisance],” according to the guidelines from last year. Maximum penalties for the house parties are imprisonment of up to six months and fines not to exceed $1,000.
Hoboken to crack down on noise, alter sidewalk café ordinance
Mayor Dawn Zimmer has invited residents to a community meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8 to discuss quality of life issues. According to a press release, “Topics for discussion will include Mayor Zimmer and Police Chief Falco’s plans to implement a revised noise ordinance to address noise concerns, a proposed change to the sidewalk café ordinance, and other resident concerns.”
The meeting will take place at 7:30 pm in the upstairs room at the Garden of Eden, 226 Washington St.
Report: Former Stevens prez to re-pay loan to school
Former Stevens Institute of Technology President Harold Raveche, who resigned from his position after 22 years of service last year following a lawsuit from the state alleging financial mismanagement, will pay off more than $721,000 in low-interest loans the school gave him to buy two vacation homes, according to a story in the Star Ledger.
Raveche will continue to own the properties, one located down the shore in Lacey Township, and another in Mount Snow, Vt., according to the report. The 2 percent interest rate loans were one of the financial practices that raised eyebrows at the state level when Stevens was sued in 2009, according to the report.
Stevens lent the former president $1.8 million to buy the two homes as a perk, but eventually forgave half the loan, according to the report. Raveche earned $1.1 million in annual salary as president of Stevens.
Stevens recently hired a new president, Dr. Nariman Farvardin, currently the provost at the University of Maryland, who will earn a base salary of $625,000 when he takes office on July 1. Farvardin will replace Interim President George Korfiotis, who will return to the role of provost at Stevens.
Two Hoboken Chamber of Commerce Board members added
Laurie Michelson, the owner of Marma Day Spa & Hair Cult, as well as Fred Pocci of the North Hudson Sewerage Authority have been installed as new board members of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce.
“The Chamber of Commerce is continuing with the rapid growth and energy that
it left off with in 2010,” according to a release from the chamber. “The Board of Directors has now increased to 18 members, 12 of which have joined within the last year.”
In a release, Mike Novak, the Chamber’s board president, stated: “We are very excited about these two additions to the board. I know both Fred and Laurie very well. They each provide substantial reach into Hoboken’s business community, Fred on an institutional level, and Laurie on a retail basis.”
Committee for a Green Hoboken to convene next week
The next meeting of the Committee for a Green Hoboken will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Hudson School, on Sixth Street between Park and Garden.
In addition to regular program updates, the committee will be discussing the upcoming tree planting program in collaboration with The Taco Truck.