Ramchal says he won’t resign council seat
Although he was suspended from his job on the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA) after his arrest for allegedly driving drunk, Councilman Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal has told the Hudson Reporter he has no plans to step down as a City Council member.
Ramchal was arrested after an accident while driving a city-owned vehicle. He has pleaded not guilty to charges, and has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of his case.
Paul Swibinski, spokesperson for the HCIA, said Ramchal was suspended on April 8. “He is entitled to a hearing,” Swibinski said.
Ramchal has been accused of running a red light and then colliding with a taxi, which in turn struck a third car.
Police said Ramchal’s blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit.
And GPS records, according to several reports, showed that the vehicle assigned to Ramchal had traveled out of Hudson County at times when he was reported on the job for the HCIA. Ramchal, however, is assigned to an HCIA facility in Newark. Ramchal said he had combined his duties for the HCIA with doing council duties, and referred further questions to his attorney.
West Bergen library branch closed indefinitely
The West Bergen Branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library, at 475 West Side Ave., closed on Thursday April 9 until further notice. The branch briefly reopened for roughly one week from its last closure on March 24; however, library officials say problems with the old building cannot be surmounted at this time. This storefront branch library has had different problems in the past and library administration, along with city officials, are looking for a suitable replacement space.
“We are very sorry that a full closure of an undetermined time period cannot be avoided,” said Chief Librarian Hussein Odeh.
State gives city $260,000 in Sandy relief aid
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Charles Richman announced on April 9 the award of $260,000 in Post-Sandy Planning Assistance Grants to Jersey City, to put into effect comprehensive long-range plans designed to help the city become more resilient in the event of future significant weather events.
“As New Jersey continues to recover from Sandy, the planning that Jersey City is undertaking will identify opportunities to build local resilience and promote growth that is sustainable even in hazardous conditions such as those experienced during and after the storm,” said Acting Commissioner Richman, whose department is administering many of the Sandy recovery programs for the state. “We recognize Jersey City and thank city leaders for pursuing these worthwhile planning projects.”
Jersey City’s planning staff completed the initial Strategic Recovery Planning Report, which served as the city’s comprehensive guide for the six recovery and resiliency projects funded by this grant. The goal of the Strategic Recovery Planning Report, according to Jersey City officials, was to evaluate Sandy’s impact on Jersey City’s infrastructure, public safety, residential homes and business sectors and to utilize this information to stimulate economic recovery while planning for public safety and response to natural disasters.
The Post-Sandy Planning Assistance Grant will fund six planning projects identified in the city’s Strategic Recovery Planning Report. The planning projects include a Resilience Master Plan that provides a framework to address and expand on the institutional, adaptation, preparedness, and recovery strategies outlined in the city’s Sandy Recovery Strategic Planning Report.
Battling human trafficking
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) met last week with New Jersey anti-trafficking leaders to strategize new efforts to end human trafficking. As a lead bipartisan sponsor of the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015, which recently passed unanimously in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez continues to work with colleagues across the aisle on a powerful effort to reduce forced labor and sexual servitude around the world.
“Human trafficking is one of the great moral challenges of our time, and there needs to be a resounding global cry to end sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced marriage, debt-bondage, and the sale and exploitation of children around the world,” said Sen. Menendez. “I have heard both horrific and heartwarming stories from these outstanding New Jersey leaders and was pleased to convene a productive meeting to translate these stories into meaningful action. We owe it to all of the people in our state, country and around the world to take action and exert U.S. leadership.”
National Library Week kicks off April 12
National Library Week begins on Sunday, April 12, with the theme from the American Library Association for 2015 of Unlimited Possibilities @ Your Library. The Jersey City Free Public Library has created a special PowerPoint presentation for the public on the Library’s digital branch.
New Jersey State Bar Night will honor Jose L. Fuentes and Paris P. Eliades
The Hudson County Bar Association and Foundation will hold a dinner at 6 p.m. on June 23 at Molos Restaurant, 1 Pershing Road, Weehawken, to honor Jose L. Fuentes, P.J.A.D. and Paris P. Eliades, Esq., immediate past president of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
For more information call (201) 798-4708.
City Life Gallery opens new show
A photography exhibit, called Linear Exposure” opened this week at City Life Gallery at City Life Church and includes works by Susan Evans Grove, Kerry Kolenut, Franc Palaia, Jean-Paul Picard, and Robert A. Schaefer Jr. The show is curated by Picard. The church is at 125 1st St., Jersey City. The exhibit runs through April 26. The exhibition is a Pro Arts Project and is free and open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m.
For information, contact proarts@gmail.com.