Each time Jersey City swears in new members to the fire department, the city appears to make history. Two years ago, the department swore in its first African-American female firefighter. Diversity recruitment has been a priority, city officials said, noting that the department also hired its first two Hispanic female firefighters. On Nov. 15, the department swore in 19 new firefighters, including two African-Americans, three Hispanics and one Asian, all of them military veterans. Click here for more.
Come December, the city of Hoboken will continue its litigation with Shipyard Associates, a Hoboken development company that wants to continue building residential housing on the northern waterfront. The city recently drew up a settlement in which Shipyard would keep the land as open space and develop denser housing on the west side of town instead. But after the Monday, Nov. 14 council meeting, at which more than 20 residents spoke against the settlement, the council voted unanimously to reject it. Click here for more.
Eight years ago, three volunteer firefighters in the town of Secaucus resigned after an alleged bias incident in which members of the department allegedly threw bottles and shouted at a homosexual couple living next door. One of those volunteers is now a full-time member of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue squad, which services five towns in Hudson County, and is set to be promoted to captain on Monday. Click here for more.