Hospital ownership transfer set
HOBOKEN – After months of complicated twists and turns, the sale of Hoboken University Medical Center to a group from Bayonne Medical Center was expected to be finalized this week, relieving city taxpayers of a $52 million bond guarantee made in 2007 and saving the city from a potential bankruptcy.
The sale process had already been completed by the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority (HMHA), a municipal board chaired by resident Toni Tomarazzo, but a parking agreement needed to be approved by the council to pave the way to the finish line.
The Hoboken City Council voted 8-0 on Sunday night to immediately make a parking agreement effective between the city and the new hospital owners in front a passionate, standing room only crowd of concerned citizens and hospital employees. Councilwoman Theresa Castellano was absent.
Four members of the City Council who generally oppose Zimmer failed to vote to make the agreement effective two weeks ago, but ultimately changed their vote after meeting with the potential new owners of the hospital and getting concessions.
For more on this story, see this weekend’s Hoboken Reporter or go to hudsonreporter.com.
fate of their jobs.
Chromium cleanup to be accelerated in Jersey City
JERSEY CITY – The Chromium Cleanup Partnership planned to hold a meeting this past Tuesday, Nov. 1 on the next stage of chromium cleanup in Jersey City. According to the partnership, now that about 10 percent of the contaminated material on Garfield Avenue has been removed, the next phase of land remediation is set to begin. The goal is to have 25 percent of toxic material removed by next summer, and all of it gone by 2014.
The Chromium Cleanup Partnership is an alliance between the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Jersey City, a court-appointed administrator, and PPG Industries.
For nearly six decades, the Mutual Chemical Company, which was later taken over by Honeywell, ran a chromium production plant on Jersey City’s West Side Avenue. Elsewhere, PPG ran another chromium chemical plant on Garfield Avenue for nearly 40 years.
The Occidental Chemical Corp. ran a third similar facility in Kearny.
Since then, chromium, which produces a byproduct known as hexavalent chromium, has been linked to cancer and other diseases.
New Jersey reached a settlement with Honeywell International, PPG Industries Inc., and Occidental Chemical Corp. to reimburse the state for cleanup costs associated with dozens of chromium-contaminated sites, including sites in Jersey City.
Under the settlement, the three companies have agreed to reimburse the state $5 million each. They have also agreed to accept responsibility for more than 40 formerly contaminated sites – known as “orphaned sites” – that no company had agreed to take responsibility for in the past. Most of these orphaned sites are located in Jersey City.
For updates, see hudsonreporter.com or the Jersey City Reporter.- E. Assata Wrigh
Charity to hold fundraiser at Chart House
“Jersey Cares Celebrates: Room for Dessert!” will be held on Thursday, Nov. 3, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at The Chart House in Weehakwen.
Jersey Cares is a charity organization that helps busy professionals who wish to volunteer throughout New Jersey. There will be a dessert tasting featuring delicious hors d’oeuvres, a full dinner buffet, and an auction to celebrate notable individuals who work hard to effect positive change in the community.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.jerseycares.org or call (973) 424-1091.
Hudson Theatre Works will feature local playwrights
Hudson Theatre Works will be holding readings of new plays by some of New Jersey’s best playwrights on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in November. The readings will be held at the Park Performing Arts Center on 560 32nd St. in Union City.
The suggested donation is $10. Please visit www.hudsontheatreworks.org for more information.