A hotel behind Hoboken post office?
After designating the River Street Post Office an area in need of rehabilitation in Oct. 2012, the city wants residents to voice their opinions on the future plans for the area on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the conference room of the Multi Service Center, at 124 Grand St.
The City Council Community Development Subcommittee, which will work to address residents’ concerns on the future of the property at 89 River St., is chaired by Councilman Peter Cunningham and Councilmember’s Jen Giattino, David Mello, and James Doyle.
City spokesman Juan Melli said the city’s Master Plan encourages hotels to be located near the PATH Terminal.
“The developer working with the Post Office is interested in locating a hotel there, and when the [City] Council designated the area as an Area in Need of Rehabilitation, they expressed their intention that a hotel was the only use they were willing to consider for the site [in addition to maintaining the full Post Office],” he said.
Currently, there is no official proposed plan.
“The meeting will show the public different types of hotels, along with the requirements for each of those,” added Melli. “The purpose of the meeting is to gather input from the public on different possible options.”
Grand jury fails to indict one aide caught on video in incident with toddler
A grand jury failed to indict a Hoboken Montessori School aide in the alleged mistreatment of a 23-month-old girl last June, according to published reports.
This summer, a cell phone video surfaced portraying at least one aide at the school appearing aggressive as she placed a hat on a toddler at the school. In just two days, the video was shared over 4,000 times and racked up over 785,000 views. Late last week the video had 940,000 views.
In a press release issued June 11, Apple Montessori School confirmed that the viral video involved a teacher’s aide at their Hoboken location and stated that the individual had been terminated immediately after Montessori ownership viewed the video.A teacher and a second aide who were present for the incident and apparently did not intervene were also terminated, as were the director and assistant director of that location.
On Aug. 6, a pair of parents whose children appeared in the video filed a lawsuit against the school after the incident.
Two weeks ago, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office was quoted in media outlets as saying a grand jury was convened regarding the incident but failed to find that an aide had committed an indictable offense.
However, this past Friday, according to NBC 4 New York, a 31 year-old Hoboken Montessori School teacher was indicted on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse in the same incident. However, the information could not be corroborated independently by a law enforcement source by press time.
City switching to ‘pay by plate’ parking system
Residents and commuters parking in the mile square city may have recently noticed something different about parking meters: keyboards.
The city is currently in the process of switching to a “pay by plate” parking system, city officials confirmed.
As part of the new system, drivers would type their license plate number into the meter, insert the payment, adjust the time and take a receipt – no longer requiring one to place a ticket on the dashboard.
“Paying by plate has several advantages,” said city spokesman Juan Melli. “For example, once you pay at the meter, you will not have to return to your car to place the receipt on the dashboard. Using a pay by plate system will also allow us to implement a pay by phone application which will make it possible for drivers to pay for parking and add additional time on the meter directly from a mobile application.”
Over the past few days, the city has been installing the keyboards. Although hardware is already in place, the city will next work to test the new software over the coming weeks and expects to make the permanent change by the end of the year.
Once the pay by plate system is up and running, Melli added, the city will look to implement the pay by phone app.
Additional information such as the cost of the change was not immediately available.
Syringe sighting leads to arrest
A 34 year-old Hoboken resident was arrested this past Thursday, Oct. 15 at 2:05 a.m., allegedly in possession of suspected drugs and a syringe, according to a Hoboken Police Department press release.
According to the release, two police officers saw Shaun Cheney standing near 439 Clinton St. and walking away “aggressively [placing] something in his pocket.”
When the officers approached Cheney, he said he had just used the restroom at the Hoboken University Medical Center, the press release said.
The press release said that as the conversation continued the officers said they noticed the “top portion of a syringe” sticking out of Cheney’s pocket.
He was allegedly in possession of five wax folds of suspected heroin, a white bottle cap “commonly used for the use of heroin,” and a syringe, the release said.
Cheney was later released on a summons.
A tour of historic proportions
The Hoboken Historical museum will host their annual Hoboken House Tour on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Attendees will traverse through seven houses throughout the city including Victorian brownstones, brand-new condos, converted factories and churches, an archival collection at Stevens Institute of Technology as well as three additional bonus historic sites (which are a secret until the day of the tour).
A map of the tour, which is self-guided and can be visited in any order, is available online the day of the tour at one of two starting points: The Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St., or the Fire Department Museum, 213 Bloomfield St.
Tickets are available in advance for $30 and $40 on the day of the tour ($30 for museum members). To purchase tickets visit www.HobokenHouseTour.com.
2015 Business Award Finalists
From over 130 companies and business people in the mile square city were nominated, the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce has announced the finalists for the fourth annual business award.
The awards, which attract over 200 attendees each year, honor businesses in 13 categories including “Hoboken Business of the Year” and “Hoboken Chamber Member of the Year.”
“Our members at the Hoboken Chamber nominated a wide range of companies who contribute in many significant ways to Hoboken’s vitality and our local economy,” said Hoboken Chamber President Richard W. Mackiewicz, Jr. in a statement.
This year’s finalists include the Mile Square Theatre and Chris O’Connor; Elizabeth Caraballo, Esq./The Waterfront Project, Inc. and The Jubilee Center of Hoboken (Community Service Provider of the Year); Maridian Properties, Inc., Mark Villimar and Larry Bijou (Developer/ Builder of the Year); Learn Language Hoboken/Founder, Dana Marchionne, Pearson Education and John Wiley & Sons Inc. (Educational Provider /Educator of the Year); Kenneth O’Neill, BCB Community Bank, Mortgage Masters, Inc., PNC Bank, and Maxwell Branch (Financial Business/Businessperson of the Year); Dean Marchetto, Bwe Kafe, Suez Environment North America (Green Business/Businessperson of the Year), Kenneth O’Neill, BCB Community Bank, Eugene and Joyce Flinn, Hoboken Business Center (Hoboken Business/Businessperson of the Year), and Greg Dell’Aquila, owner of Mission 50 Workspaces
Om Sweet Home, Dawn Pascale, Eugene and Joyce Flinn (Hoboken Chamber Member of the Year);
Also Jet.com, Little City Books, Pearson Education (New Business/Businessperson of the Year); Benny Tudino’s, Augustinos Restaurant, Eugene and Joyce Flinn (People’s Choice Award); La Isla Restaurant, David and Wanda Jacey Black Bear, Arthur’s, Mill Tavern, Anthony Pino/Anthony Davids (Restaurant/ Restaurateur of the Year); Keller Williams Realty, Jon Sisti, Hudson Place Realty, Inc., Singleton-Galmann Realty, Mark Singleton, Maureen, Singleton and Alice Galmann (Realtor/ Real Estate Office of the Year); P3 Global Management Inc., Jet.com, Ascendum (Technology Business/businessperson of the Year); and Om Sweet Home, Dawn Pascale, Local Barre Jennifer DeMarco, Devotion Yoga, owner/founder Liza Bertini (Women in Business Council Award).
“We’re excited that this year’s nomination process was our best ever and that members of the business community will be able to celebrate the achievements of their peers at the Business Awards Dinner,” added Mackiewicz, Jr.
The winners in each category will be announced at the dinner on Nov. 12 at the Elk’s Club at 1005 Washington St. from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Individual tickets cost $125 and tickets for a group of eight cost $950. To purchase a ticket, visit www.hobokenchamber.com.
‘Broadway Cabaret’ coming to the Mile Square Theatre
The Mile Square Theatre will host “Broadway Cabaret” on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Kolo Klub. The fundraising event will feature Broadway performers such as Rich Affanato (“The Producers”, “Les Miserables”), Don Brewer (“Les Miserables”, “Mamma Mia”, “The Pirate Queen”), Anne Brummel (“Wicked”, “Evita”), and more.
“Some of Broadway’s most dynamic performers come to Hoboken for an evening of show tunes from productions past and present. This is a rare chance to see these performers up close in the intimate,” said the organizers in a statement.
The performance will be held at Pilsener Haus at 1422 Grand St. Tickets, which are limited, cost $150 and include drinks. Proceeds from the performance will support the Mile Square Theatre. To purchase tickets visit www.milesquaretheatre.org.
France-based vodka company celebrates local entrepreneur
Vodka Mariette, a vodka produced in Bordeaux, France, is celebrating Hoboken resident Ashley Gropacks this month for launching her own brand of alcohol, Tropical Teaze.
The French company said they highlight a female entrepreneur every month in order to motivate other woman who are thinking of starting their own business venture.
“October’s candidate Ashley Gropack is a wonderful example of what can happen when you follow your passion,” Mariette founder Josh Winzelberg said in a statement. “Creating a product is always difficult, particularly in alcohol, but she overcame all obstacles, brought her family together, and made a beverage that’s revolutionary.”
Gropacks all-natural cocktail includes pieces of fruit and is available in mango, peach, pear pineapple, strawberry banana and watermelon kiwi.