Human services director resigns in Hoboken
Newly appointed Hoboken Director of Human Services Terry LaBruno resigned her position today after receiving a teaching offer from St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City.
LaBruno had been appointed by Mayor Peter Cammarano, before Cammarano was arrested last month. None of Cammarano’s director picks were actually confirmed by the City Council, so there was a chance their jobs would not last long LaBruno was, in the past, a math teacher in parochial school. The human services position was one of many that Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer has been collecting applications for.
Young man killed in Jersey City projects
In a situation that has become too familiar this year, another young man has been shot in the Booker T. Washington projects in Jersey City.
The Jersey Journal reports: “A 27-year-old Jersey City man was fatally shot in the head early this morning, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said. Christopher Felder, of Stegman Street, was shot in the back of his head in the courtyard of Booker T. Washington housing complex at Bright and Fremont streets at around 3 a.m. The bullet exited just over his right eye, DeFazio said.”
The story states that robbery is not believed to be a motive. Some of the shootings in that area in the last year have been said to be gang related, and possibly related to each other. It is not known if this one fits into that category.
Felder graduated from Dickinson High School in Jersey City in 2000.
Labor Day ad, editorial deadlines
Labor Day is a weekend away, with Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7. Deadlines for the Midweek Reporter (Wednesday, Sept. 9) and the Bayonne Community News (Thursday, Sept. 10) are as follows:
Display advertising deadline Thursday, Sept. 3 at 5 p.m.
Classified deadline Friday, Sept. 4 at noon.
Editorial deadline Friday, Sept. 4 at 2 p.m.
Please call (201) 798-7800 if you need further help.
Secaucus pay-to-play ordinance passes
After nearly three years of trying to pass campaign finance reform in Secaucus, the three Independent members of the Secaucus Town Council finally got their legislation through the governing body. And they may have former Mayor Dennis Elwell to thank.
On Tuesday, the council unanimously passed a pay-to-play law that limits the town’s ability to do business with companies and public contractors that have contributed to local elected leaders. When Independent Councilmen Gary Jeffas and Michael Gonnelli ran for office in 2006 they campaigned on the issue, and promised to get a campaign finance reform law passed if elected. Fellow Independent Councilman John Bueckner also joined their call for a pay-to-play law.
However, Elwell had long argued that Gov. Jon Corzine planned to pass a statewide law that would either void or conflict with anything the Town Council passed locally. Elwell’s fellow Democrats on the council agreed with him and the ordinance was blocked three times by the Democrats who hold a majority on the governing body.
Then Elwell was arrested on charges that he allegedly took money from a would-be developer who wanted to build a hotel in Secaucus. The developer was actually a cooperating witness who was working with state and federal investigators.
Elwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has said that he plans to vigorously defend himself.
But on the heels of his arrest – and 43 others nabbed in the same sting operation – pay-to-play was in the headlines. The Independents saw an opportunity and re-introduced their ordinance the same day Elwell resigned from office.
For the first time, Democratic Councilmen John Shinnick and John Reilly expressed a willingness to pass a pay-to-play law. Democratic Councilwoman Dawn McAdam, who was not on the council when pay-to-play came up before, also expressed the same willingness.
Under the new law, a vendor who contributes more than $300 to a candidate cannot apply for or receive a public contract for two years after the contribution was made. The law also sets limits on campaign contributions to political action committees and partisan party committees.