How will planners design Hoboken’s flood protection? Give your input at April workshops
What will Hoboken’s flood protection look like? Planners expect to make renderings public by June but residents first need to provide input.
The City of Hoboken will host three workshops in April to discuss a finalized plan as part of the $230 million federally-funded Rebuild by Design Hudson River project spurred in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
“The ultimate design for this project will reflect the input from the community,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer in a statement. “I know some residents are concerned about how the flood protection measures will look, but these workshops are opportunities to participate in the design process and directly influence the final plan. It is important for residents to know that this is the beginning of the design process and your voices will continue to be a very important part of creating the final flood protection measure.”
Late last year residents blasted engineers for even hinting at the erection of flood walls on the city’s waterfront that would threaten the views of the Manhattan skyline. However, only one of the three current concepts has flood walls, which the mayor said the state requires.
The money for the project is a prize from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the city’s victory in the Rebuild by Design competition.
The current date for completion of the new infrastructure is set for 2022 and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) estimates it will take three and a half years to complete the project.
Although primarily for the mile square city, the flood protection measures are ultimately also intended to help Weehawken and Jersey City.
The workshops will be held 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on April 7 at the Multi-Service Center, 124 Grand St.; April 12 at Adams Gardens, 220 Adams St.; April 14 at the Elks Lodge, 1005 Washington St., and at the St. Lawrence Church Community Room, 22 Hackensack Ave., Weehawken.
Residents not able to attend a meeting are encouraged to contact the mayor’s Chief of Staff Vijay Chaudhuri at at vchaudhuri@hobokennj.gov.
To read our full story on the last Rebuild by Design public meeting search “Goodbye floodwalls, hello barriers?” at www.hudsonreporter.com.
Wine tasting will benefit foster children
Hudson County CASA’s (Court Appointed Special Advocates) 10th Annual Wine Tasting fundraiser featuring world-class wines, foods and desserts, a premium spirits tasting, cork pull and silent auction will take place on Friday, April 8, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Battello, 502 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City. Proceeds from this event support CASA’s advocacy work on behalf of Hudson County foster children.
More than 90 wines selected by Cork Wine & Spirits will be featured at the tasting and accompanied by foods and desserts by Battello. The night will also include a tasting of premium spirits, a silent auction, cork pull, and free valet parking.
Hudson County CASA will honor Traci Telemaque, managing attorney of the New Jersey Office of Law Guardians, Northern Region, UPS foster families, and CASA volunteers John Sullivan and Carol Kobak. Silent auction items include a one-week stay in Martha’s Vineyard, an African safari and two tickets to Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof with dinner at Sardi’s.
Tickets may be purchased online for $100 or at the door on the night of the event for $125. Tickets may also be purchased at Cork Wine & Spirits at 1450 Washington St. in Hoboken. For tickets and more information, please visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Parking authority employee fired for allegedly writing fake tickets
A 26-year-old Hoboken Parking Authority employee was fired this past week for allegedly issuing phony tickets, media outlets reported.
The accused is facing charges of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and tampering with public records or information, NJ.com says the criminal complaint states.
The 26-year-old’s lawyer James Lisa did not return calls for comment. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office did not return phone calls or emails to confirm the workers name.
This is not the first time a parking worker has faced charges.
In 2010, a 19-year-old employee was charged with theft by extortion and official misconduct after he allegedly wrote parking summons to a local delivery driver after he did not provide him with free sandwiches.
However in 2012 the charges were dropped and he was reinstated. When asked if the employee still works for the city, city spokesperson Juan Melli said the city does not comment on personnel matters.
Police arrest three alleged thieves during Easter weekend
The Hoboken Police Department had a busy Easter weekend, arresting three alleged thieves on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (March 25 to 27), a press release from Sgt. Edgardo Cruz said.
In the first arrest, police officers William Bullock and Tyrone Huggins were dispatched to the area of First and Bloomfield streets around 5:19 a.m. on Friday, March 25 “on a report of a male checking car doors,” a press release from the Hoboken Police Department said.
According to Cruz, 18-year-old Jourdan Maldonado of Hoboken was observed exiting a car – he later admitted to entering illegally, police said – holding bags. “The bags contained miscellaneous items such as sunglasses, lighters, and headphones,” the press release said.
Maldonado was charged with burglary and theft. He was later released after posting 10 percent of the $7,500 bail and given a date to appear in court.
On Saturday, Elliot Dumont, 53, of Hoboken was arrested in front of 11th Street at 5:25 p.m. on charges of burglary and theft, Cruz said in a second press release.
Police Officer Joseph Lucignano and Special Police Officer Chris Barral Chris Barral were dispatched to 11th and Clinton streets on calls of a burglary in progress, Cruz said.
“[Dumont] is known to officers from prior dealings,” the press release said. “He was observed [allegedly] opening a package…he later admitted not owning that package or the others he had in possession [which amounted to $100].”
Dumont was placed under arrest and remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Facility on $10,000 bail with a 10 percent option.
And on Easter, a 43-year-old Hoboken man was caught by police at 560 Marshall Dr. around 1:26 a.m. on Sunday, March 27 after being sought for allegedly committing theft last month, a third press release from Cruz said.
Police Officers Tyrone Huggins, Ricky Truppner, and Luke Zeszotarski assisted in the arrest.
“Officer Huggins observed [Julius Walker] in the area of Hoboken Housing. It was known that [Walker] had outstanding warrants stemming from a burglary/theft he [allegedly] committed on Saturday, Feb. 27 where he [allegedly] stole several packages from a residence,” a press release from the Police Department read.
According to police officials, when an attempt was made to apprehend Walker, he allegedly attempted to flee and after several minutes of running was stopped near Marshall Drive.
It was later discovered that Walker had an outstanding warrant from Hoboken for $150. He was remanded the Hudson County Correctional Facility on $25,000 bail with 10 percent option.
Help ‘Take Back the Night’ at sexual awareness rally
As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, the City of Hoboken and Stevens Institute of Technology will “show solidarity” at the annual “Take Back the Night” rally on April 19.
“‘Take Back the Night’ is an international event and non-profit organization committed to ending sexual assault, sexual abuse, dating violence, and domestic violence,” reads an announcement from the city. “We will march from Steven’s Institute of Technology campus to Pier A, where supporters will participate in chants and a moment of silence, and hear powerful speeches from survivors and advocates.”
The Department of Justice estimates that approximately 30 percent of sexual assault cases are reported to authorities. Women between ages 18 and 24 enrolled in colleges are three times more likely to suffer from sexual assault than other woman, the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network says on their website.
The event will begin at Stevens at 7 p.m.
Free bike share memberships for HHA residents
One hundred free bike share memberships are being offered to Hoboken Housing Authority (HHA) residents, as well as a discounted $60 rate for recipients of Section 8 vouchers.
Hudson Bike Share typically charges $95 per year and daily/weekly memberships are $9.95 and $25 respectively.
“We know that lower-income households make up the majority of bicycle riders, but they are often under-represented among bike share programs,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer in a press release. “With stations located in every neighborhood and free and discounted memberships available, we are making equity and access key priorities of the Hudson Bike Share system.”
HHA residents can apply by visiting www.hudsonbikeshare.com/hha or in person at 400 Harrison St.
Avant-garde digital images at hob-art gallery
“Looking Into the Light,” a multimedia group exhibition will open at the hob’art cooperative gallery from Friday April1to Sunday, April 24.
The exhibition will feature Don Sichler, Ann Kinney, Tom Egan, and Donna O’Grady.
“Like four notes blending harmoniously, the thread of abstracted realities and ‘other worldliness’ is immediately apparent, though each artist executes their ideas with a different technique,” gallery curators say in an event announcement.
The gallery, which is open Wednesday to Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., is located at the Monroe Center for the Arts at 720 Monroe St. (E208).
Museum to celebrate state’s ‘rich poetic heritage’
On Sunday April 10, the Hoboken Historical Museum will host its third annual celebration to honor New Jersey’s “vibrant” and “diverse” poetic talent, “Something New (Jersey).”
“New Jersey has produced some of the most distinctive voices in American poetry: William Carlos Williams, Joyce Kilmer, Allen Ginsberg, Amiri Baraka, to name a few,” says the museum in an event announcement.
The event, which will be held at 3 p.m. at the museum (1301 Hudson St.), will feature new contemporary poets. A $5 donation is suggested upon entry.
Over $5 million in grants for Stevens, bulk from Homeland Security
Since the beginning of February, Stevens Institute of Technology has received over $5 million in grants, with the majority of money coming from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“The largest award ($2.75 million) came from the DHS to support a multi-year program to develop and deploy a system of sensors that would defeat small and medium Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, to protect critical infrastructure and people,” the school said in an announcement. “The Stevens research team, led by Dr. Hady Salloum, director of the DHS S&T Center of Excellence for Maritime Security at Stevens, will provide key elements of this program, including the development of a test bed, development and demonstration of an acoustic sensor solution, and contributions to other program efforts including modeling and simulation.”
Stevens also obtained over $1.5 million from the DoD for research to improve an array of DOD systems and develop a new layer of cyber security protection against supply chain and insider attacks.