Federal corruption charges dropped against ex-JC health officer
Federal corruption charges have been dropped against Joseph Castagna, a former health officer with the Jersey City Dept. of Health and Human Services. Castagna had been facing extortion charges stemming from allegations that he took a $5,000 bribe from Solomon Dwek, the notorious government witness who posed as a real estate developer as part of a Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation. According to the original charges against him, Castagna allegedly passed the $5,000 cash bribe on to Michael Manzo, a former Jersey City Council candidate.
Castagna was among 46 people who were arrested in the summer of 2009 as part of Operation Bid Rig. However, a federal judge on Monday dropped all charges against him, agreeing with Castagna’s defense that he was a city worker – and not a public official – when the alleged bribe took place. Since he had been charged under a law that only pertains to public and elected leaders, the chargers were dismissed.
Castagna retired from the city’s Dept. of Health and Human Services, where he worked as a health inspector, in 2009.
State economic agency trying to lure Fresh Direct to JC with $100M in tax breaks
The New York Times recently confirmed that online grocer Fresh Direct is considering a move from its current headquarters in Long Island City, Queens, to Jersey City, thanks in part to $100 million in tax breaks being offered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
Not to be outdone, New York state, New York City, and the Bronx have offered their own package of incentives worth about $112 million if the company moves to the Harlem River Yard, according to the Times. About $50 million of this incentive package would come from New York state.
Fresh Direct, which allows customers to buy groceries online and then have them delivered for a fee, currently has about 1,800 employees and is planning to add another 1,000 workers in the coming years. Should the company move to Jersey City, it’s unclear whether all of these employees would work out of Fresh Direct’s headquarters or whether some might work out of other company-operated facilities.
The results are in!
Last week, the Reporter asked readers to vote on who they think is the most influential person in Hudson County, State Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-North Bergen), State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City), or someone else. The poll was in response to our story on the 50 most influential people in Hudson County.
The results of the poll are in. To see the results, visit the story and scroll to the end.
City Council passes Fulop’s ‘truth in parking’ ordinance
On new renters or buyers that on-street residential parking may not be available in their neighborhoods, and that alternative parking may require additional fees.
The city identifies certain residential neighborhoods where qualified residents can apply for parking permits through the Parking Authority. The permits cost $15 a year and allow parking for more than two hours in specific zones. Cars without permits can park on the streets in these neighborhoods for up to two hours.
However, other areas of the city, including those with a number of high-rise apartments and condominium complexes, are not zoned for longer-term parking under any circumstances. Residents in those neighborhoods are often required to pay for parking in private facilities. In addition, residents of buildings that include parking may be ineligible for street parking permits, which can be cheaper than the parking offered by their residential developments.
The City Council unanimously approved a similar measure in December 2009 that would have also required landlords to disclose to tenants parking conditions in their neighborhoods. The change was, however, vetoed by Mayor Jerramiah Healy.
Dozens of school trustees fail to comply with criminal background check law
The members of the Jersey City Board of Education have received a clean bill of health after fully complying with the state’s new mandatory criminal background check.
Last year, the New Jersey Dept. of Education instituted a requirement that trustees serving on the school boards of public and charter schools must undergo a criminal background check, the paperwork for which had to be submitted by Dec. 31, 2011.
Across the state thousands of school board trustees complied with the requirement, although a few, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Education, made errors on the forms they submitted or failed to pay the fee for the check.
However, there were 186 people, including 21 in Hudson County, who never sent in their paperwork.
“These [school board] members were contacted and failed to comply,” wrote Dept. of Education spokesperson Richard Vespucci in an e-mail. “Because they have failed to comply with the background check law, they have been notified that they are ineligible to serve [on their boards] and must immediately vacate their position.”
There were trustees who did not meet the requirement in time, who serve on boards at Jersey City-based charter schools. For example, Theda Riggins-Crawford, a trustee at the Golden Door Charter School, is among the 186 people who allegedly didn’t comply with background check law, as were four trustees at the Liberty Academy Charter School. In addition, Hudson County Freeholder Chairman Eliu Rivera, one of the trustees at Liberty Academy Charter School, is on the list.
Rivera was admitted to Jersey City Medical Center last week, a few days after he was sworn in as the freeholder chairman for 2012, as a precaution. Sources said he had set up an appointment for the background check.
Rivera’s hospitalization forced him to miss the first regular freeholders meeting and caucus.
No update in case of missing college student; volunteers still needed
As of press time Friday there had still been no major updates in the case of missing college student Ian Burnet.
The 22-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University student, who has cousins in Jersey City, has been missing since Dec 30.
Burnet left Virginia on Dec. 26 and boarded a bus bound for New York City, where he had planned to spend New Year’s with friends. His parents received a text from their son the next day, on Dec. 27, and he had some type of communication with a roommate on Dec. 30. Burnet is known to have had a meal on Dec. 30 as well. But his movements after Dec. 30 are unclear.
According to John Hanussak, a Jersey City Democratic Committee member who is helping the family post fliers in Manhattan, Burnet’s father is expected to be in town this week to meet with New York City Police Department investigators to find out what is being done to locate his son.
In addition, Hanussak said that downtown activist Pam Andes, who also works as an aide to Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop, plans to take a group of volunteers to New York on Sunday, Jan. 15 to post fliers on Burnet’s disappearance. Volunteers will be meeting on at the Burger King on Broadway between 141st and 142nd streets.
The family has set up a Facebook page, through which updates are given regarding Burnet’s case. The Facebook page can be accessed at http://www.facebook.com/groups/185598631539107/?notif_t=group_r2j.
In addition, an official “missing person” flier can be downloaded from http://www.fileswap.com/dl/7Q888KAvbC/Ian_Burnet.pdf.html.
On the flier Burnet is described as 5’ 10” with brown hair and green eyes. A photo of the coed that accompanies the flier shows Burnet with curly hair.
When posting the fliers, volunteers are targeting libraries, transit hubs, and parks.
Anyone interested in helping the family with putting up posters this weekend can call Pam Andes at (201) 424-0128 or by e-mail at pamandes@comcast.net. The area where Burnet was last seen, Hamilton Heights in New York City, has a large Spanish-speaking population. Volunteers with Spanish-language skills would be greatly appreciated.
Anyone who thinks they may have seen Burnet is encouraged to contact Det. Sanchez, Det. Davis, or Sgt. Greene in the New York Police Department’s 30 Precinct at 451 West 151th St. The investigators can also be reached at (212) 690-8842.