HOBOKEN BRIEFS

Hoboken woman allegedly threw boyfriend’s pit bull out window

An argument between a Hoboken couple this past Wednesday, May 18 escalated to the point where the girlfriend allegedly threw her boyfriend’s pit bull out of a second-story window.
In a press release sent to the Reporter by the Hoboken Police Department, Jasmine Briggs, 38, was charged with a fourth degree animal cruelty offense.
“Officers [Teddy Santiago and Dennis Figueroa Jr.] were dispatched to the area of 560 Marshall Drive on a report of a dog that was thrown out the window,” the press release from Sgt. Edgardo Cruz says. “Officers arrive[d] to find the owner of the dog holding the dog. He stated he argued with defendant and left the apartment as to not continue arguing. He then saw her [allegedly] hold the dog out of the second floor window and [allegedly] drop him. The defendant later [allegedly] admitted to throwing the dog out of the window and was arrested and charged.”
Briggs was given $1,000 bail with 10 percent option and was later bailed out after posting $100.
According to News 12, the pit bull broke one of its legs upon landing and had to undergo surgery at the animal hospital. The Hoboken Police Department did not respond by press time as to the dog’s current status.

‘A Garden State of Mind’ publication celebration

On Sunday, May 22, there will be a public reading, hosted by the Hoboken Historical Museum and Party With Purpose, for student participants, teachers, family members, classmates, and poets to celebrate the publication of “A Garden State of Mind,” an anthology of student writing from five Hoboken schools.
The event, on May 22, at 3 p.m. at the Hoboken Museum, 1301 Hudson St., will be free and open to the public.
In November 2015, poets Andy Clausen and Teresa Carson went into five Hoboken schools – Hoboken High School, Elysian School, Hoboken Charter School, HOLA Charter School, and The Hudson School – and conducted workshops for about 100 students in the classes of teachers Allison Addona (Hoboken Charter), Regan Michaels (Elysian), Randi Roberts (The Hudson School), Denise Chakov (Hoboken High), and Adina Medina (HOLA).
An after school master class was held in February at the Hoboken Historical Museum for selected students led by poets Clausen, Carson, and the Hoboken Historical Museum’s Poet in Residence Danny Shot.
On May 22, the culmination of the yearlong project, a poetry anthology “A Garden State of Mind” will be distributed. Copies of the book will be given free to participants and offered for sale for the low price of $5.
The poetry in this collection by students, teachers and professional poets is the poetry of place.
The project was made possible by a generous grant from Party With Purpose.

Hoboken’s Cheer Dynamics team wins awards

The junior team from Cheer Dynamics has won three national cheerleading championships and won a bid to compete in the U.S. finals in Rhode Island. The team travelled to Rhode Island the weekend of May 14 – 15, competed against nine other teams in their division, and won first place.
Team members are Tatum Airey, Taina Dale, Jessida Urquiga, Barbara Airey, Brianna O’Connor, Kaylee Olivieri, Alexis Vitale, Amaiah Richardson, Sammy Mestre, Allie Mezzina, Amanda Mestre and Emily Jacobelli. Coaches: Nancy Vitale, David Gonzalez, Rosemarie Lorenzo.

Exhibit at Right Angle features cityscapes

The work of Morristown-based artist Timothy David Lang will be on display in a solo-exhibition entitled “Paintings” until July 14 at Right Angle, 1108 Washington St., Hoboken.
Lang paints cityscapes from Hoboken, New York City, and Philadelphia.
The gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 12 to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit rightanglehoboken.com.

Councilman fires back at offensive tweet

Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla sent out an innocent tweet on Thursday, May 19 commending the City Council for passing a measure to place a path for bikes and joggers on Sinatra Drive the day before.
He expected some retweets, a couple of likes, maybe some responses from local cyclists or joggers rejoicing about the change. Instead, he was met with a racist tweet from a man using the handle ‏@dubenezic: “How the hell did Hoboken allow this guy to be a councilman? Shouldn’t even be allowed in the U.S #terrorist.”
Bhalla, a lawyer and councilman since 2009, retorted with: “Sir, I am born & raised in America. You clearly don’t know what it means to be an American.”
In various media outlets, he said he would like to buy the man lunch and educate him about the Sikh community.
Since the exchange, Bhalla has received an outpouring of support from community members and New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who later tweeted: “In a world still full of ignorance and racism, I’m proud to see Americans like @RaviBhalla stand for what’s right.”
Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s spokesman, Juan Melli, tweeted (from his own account and not on behalf of the city), “Proud to have Ravi Bhalla represent me. This ignorant racist isn’t fit for the gene pool, let alone a kiddie pool.”
Bhalla was and is the first Sikh to serve in elected office in Hoboken.

Book signing spotlights chiropractic healing

Dr. Laura Brayton and Dr. Dina Sgambati, Hoboken-based pediatric and maternity chiropractors, will sign copies of their collection of short stories entitled “The ART of Being Healthy: Real-Life Accounts of Children and Mothers Healing with Chiropractic,” on Wednesday, June 15, at 3 p.m. at Symposia Bookstore, 510 Washington St., Hoboken.
The doctors will also read excerpts from the book, which advocates a natural, drug-free approach to healing for the entire family.
For more information, contact Stacey at (201)792-3544 orinfo@HobokenChiro.com.

Local author creates portraits of ‘Two Syllable Men’

Hoboken author John McCaffrey describes his new short story collection “Two Syllable Men” as “in the tradition of Chuck Palahniuk’s “Fight Club” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Men Without Women.”“Two Syllable Men,” available at Amazon.com, “presents the male psyche in all its fragmented glory.” In one story, William finds his immigrant girlfriend’s English language translation notebook and in it the words that define their growing relationship. Another character, Steven, is a man comforted whenever he spies trees or shrubs peeking out from the roofs of urban buildings and who can’t walk through the bus station without physically running into people. Harold will only eat an even-number of food items at any meal, and numbs his heartache by buying in bulk at Sam’s Club.”These men, and nine more, still have fight left in them,” the author says. “They do not want to be alone, but learn that often the best way to find love and lasting happiness is to look inward, not outward.”Originally from Rochester, N.Y., McCaffrey attended Villanova University and received his M.A. in Creative Writing from the City College of New York. His stories, essays and reviews have appeared in numerous literary journals, magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of “The Book of Ash,” a science fiction novel. For more information, visit his website, http://jamccaffrey.squarespace.com/homepage.

Mayor Fulop to cut ribbon at Cast Iron Lofts II grand opening

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop will join principals from Manhattan Building Company in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 25 at 2:30 p.m. to mark the official grand opening of Cast Iron Lofts II, 300 Coles Avenue, Jersey City.
The 27-story industrial-inspired building is the second property to open within the Cast Iron Lofts collection in Jersey City’s SoHo West (just south of Hoboken, west of New York City), a new neighborhood of oversized residences in highly-amenitized buildings on the border of Jersey City and Hoboken. Cast Iron Lofts II consists of 232 loft-style studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom residences with high ceilings, soaring living spaces and some of the largest floor plans in the Hudson County marketplace.
The grand opening of Cast Iron Lofts II follows the successful lease up of the 155-unit Cast Iron Lofts I apartment building. Current retail providers include 8 Springs Studio, a Pilates and Yoga studio; Brewshot, a coffee shop that has several other locations in Jersey City and New York; and Viaquenti Academy, a bilingual pre-school.

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