Jitney bus catches fire
An unoccupied jitney bus parked on 2nd Street and JFK Boulevard caught fire at around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, according to Bayonne Fire Chief Keith Weaver. Flames and thick black smoke billowed from the parked bus, leaving only the frame of the vehicle and the engine compartment. The Bayonne Fire Department extinguished the fire in20 minutes. The fire did not extend into the adjacent building. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Weaver said the incident is under investigation.
The fire comes a couple of weeks after a jitney bus struck and killed an 11-year-old in Jersey City, prompting a legislative response from Assemblyman Nicholas Chiavaralloti who introduced a bill to the State Assembly that would further regulate the privately-owned commuter shuttles by requiring the vehicles to be registered with and receive approval from each municipality in which they operate.
Rumor of BBOED endorsement by mayor dispelled
A false rumor has been circulating online that Mayor James Davis has endorsed four Board of Education candidates at the Sicilian Dinner on Monday, October 31. Third Ward Councilman Gary La Pelusa attended the entire event. “The mayor did not mention anything about endorsing any Board of Education candidates,” he said, noting that another member mentioned George Vinc Jr. running, but that was the extent of public discussion about Board of Education candidates. Mayor Davis’s chief-of-staff, Andrew Casais, confirmed that Mayor Davis has not endorsed Board of Education candidates.
Resnick’s lawsuit dismissed
A lawsuit filed against the City of Bayonne on behalf of 12 neighbors of the Resnick’s Hardware Store who are opposed to the development of a ten-story building planned for the site was dismissed this week. The attorney filing the case violated a court rule by delaying the case, according to the judge. The suit claimed that the project did not comply with a municipal storm water ordinance, and that the developer failed to submit an environmental impact study, according to the suit. What ultimately brought down the suit was the plaintiff attorney’s failure to provide a transcript of the City Planning Board Meeting prior to the suit being filed, according to the judge.
Bayonne Fire Department receives donation
The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation awarded $152,435 worth of life-saving equipment to 11 public safety organizations in the Tri-State Region, Bayonne being one of them. The Bayonne Fire Department received new turnout gear worth a total of $31,759. The awarded gear, which includes coats, pants, boots, and gloves, will replace old, damaged gear, and will enable firefighters to provide safe and efficient services to their community.