Chief Justice announces death of retired Supreme Court Justice Marie L. Garibaldi of Weehawken
Funeral arrangements are underway to mark the passing of Supreme Court Justice Marie L. Garibaldi of Weehawken. She died Thursday night, according to the Leber Funeral Home of Union City, which will arrange the services.
She was the first woman to serve on the state Supreme Court and the first woman president of the New Jersey Bar Association.
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner issued this statement on the New Jersey Courts website: “It is with great sadness that we mourn the passing of Justice Marie L. Garibaldi, the first woman to serve on New Jersey’s Supreme Court. Justice Garibaldi’s groundbreaking contribution to the body of law began well before her appointment to the Court by Gov. Tom Kean in 1982 and beyond her retirement in 2000.”
Gov. Christopher Christie also issued a statement after learning of the passing of Justice Garibaldi.
“Justice Garibaldi’s passing is a true loss to our state. Like so many others who knew, admired and respected her, I was incredibly saddened to learn of her passing this morning. Justice Garibaldi will always be remembered for maintaining the highest degree of insight and thoughtfulness during the nearly 18 years she dedicated herself to service on the state Supreme Court. She had a unique, almost legendary talent for getting beyond the legalese and drilling down to the most salient issues in every case that landed before her – and pressing those arguing before her to do just that as well.”
NJCU to hold Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon
New Jersey City University (NJCU) will hold its 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Luncheon on Wednesday, Jan. 20, from noon to 2 p.m., in Multipurpose Rooms A, B, and C of the Michael G. Gilligan Student Union, 2039 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City. Tickets are $30.
Based on the theme, ”Breaking Down Walls of Hate: Still on the Battlefield,” the program will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and will feature a keynote address by Ryan P. Haygood, one of the nation’s leading civil rights advocates and the third president and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.
During the program, the 2016 Martin Luther King Scholarship will be presented to Amanda Tobias, a bachelor of science in nursing student who maintains a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and has been previously honored by Jersey City for her work in the community. The 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award will be presented to Dr. Jennifer Mullan ‘01, an NJCU psychotherapist who serves as coordinator of the nationally-recognized Peers Educating Peers (PEP) program, co-founder and co-facilitator of the LGBTQIA++ Support Group, and a founding member of the Undoing Racism committee.
For tickets or information, call NJCU’s Lee Hagan Africana Studies Center at (201)200-3524, or visit https://secure.touchnet.net/C21117_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=404&SINGLESTORE=true.
To donate to NJCU’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship, visit https://njcu.ejoinme.org/MyPages/2016MLKJrScholarshipFund/tabid/744421/Default.aspx.
City council adopts Ocean Avenue South redevelopment plan
Mayor Steven M. Fulop, Council President Rolando Lavarro, Jr., Ward A Councilman Frank Gajewski, and the South Greenville Neighborhood Association announced that the renaissance of Greenville took another major step forward with the adoption of the Ocean Avenue South Redevelopment Plan to help kick start growth of the commercial district.
The redevelopment plan, which was developed over the past year with major collaboration from the South Greenville Neighborhood Association and other community stakeholders, is part of the Fulop Administration’s commitment to bring investment and new commercial and residential development to previously overlooked neighborhoods.
“This has been an exciting process, as it was really community driven and incorporates sound urban planning with ideas and feedback from the community,” said Mayor Fulop. “For years, this area has been overlooked, but we see it is a vibrant community rich with opportunity and potential for further growth. We promised to bring the development and investment to all neighborhoods of the city and that is exactly what we are doing.”
In partnership with the City Council and the community, the administration’s redevelopment plan for Ocean Avenue South will spur redevelopment in the southern end of the city, expanding the Jersey City renaissance to Greenville. The concept is to allow greater density around transit, implement zoning for new, mixed-use residential development, and to rebuild Ocean Avenue as a thriving commercial district.
Some of the highlights of the redevelopment plan include re-establishing Ocean Avenue South as a neighborhood commercial corridor and neighborhood destination; establishing a Special Improvement District (SID) to assist business owners and maintain the commercial corridor; improving access to rail and ferry services; making sustainability and smart growth a theme of future development and redevelopment that guides land use and transportation decisions; making walking and biking an easy, safe, desirable, and convenient mode of transport; and encouraging unique local quality retail sales and services that promote community character and distinctiveness.
The Ocean Avenue South Study Area contains 21 acres and 115 individual lots. While it mostly consists of three-story mixed-use buildings, it also includes one- and two-family homes, senior housing, light industrial, places of worship, and low-rise apartments. With the Danforth Avenue Light Rail Station and the NJ Transit Bus Terminal at Gates Avenue, the Ocean Avenue South area is a perfect location for encouraging transit-oriented development and has many unique features that make it a viable candidate for a return to commercial and mixed use zoning.
Therapist licensing bill signed into law
Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Joseph F. Vitale (D–Woodbridge) and Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham ( D–Jersey City) that would require licensing for art therapists was signed into law in early January.
Under the legislation, only licensed art therapists, associate art therapists and other qualified medical professionals could practice art therapy. To qualify for a license as a professional or as an associate art therapist, applicants must be 18 years of age, be of good moral character, and hold a master’s or doctorate’s degree in a field related to art therapy from an accredited institution, according to the law. Licenses would be issued for a two-year period after paying a fee and renewed after sufficient proof is shown that an applicant has completed any continuing education requirements. It also prohibits any person from using titles associated with the practice of art therapy unless licensed to do so.
In addition, the law establishes an Art Therapists Advisory Committee under the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners in the Department of Law and Public Safety’s Division of Consumer Affairs. The committee will be authorized to issue, renew, suspend, and revoke licenses, and maintain a record of every art therapist in the state. It will also implement and change the fees of services for applicants including examinations, licensures and renewals. Furthermore, the committee will be responsible for establishing standards for the education of art therapists, and making rules and regulations necessary to carry out its duties.
Sacco seeks guidelines to limited law enforcement use of drones
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Nicholas J. Sacco (D–North Bergen) that would set forth specific guidelines to be followed by law enforcement agencies when employing unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, for surveillance purposes cleared the full Senate in early January.
The bill, S2310, prohibits law enforcement agencies from using drones to conduct surveillance, gather evidence, or engage in any other law enforcement activity unless authorized by a search warrant; or the law enforcement agency has probable cause to believe that a person has committed a crime, and exigent circumstances exist making it unreasonable for the law enforcement agency to obtain a warrant; or the law enforcement agency has obtained the written consent from the subject of the search; or the drone is being used for certain statutorily defied search and rescue missions.
The bill permits the Missing Persons Unit to utilize a drone for search and rescue missions, including but not limited to, locating high risk missing person or child or following a notification that a person is abducted or missing by an Amber Alert or Silver Alert. The bill also allows forest fire services to use drones to survey or monitor a forest fire, and for any fire department to use them to monitor the extent of a fire in situations when the drones can assist firefighters in obtaining information on the damage caused by the fire to a building or structure.
The bill includes documentation requirements that would call upon law enforcement agencies or fire departments to submit proof of annual inspection, maintenance records, and a statement of facts recording the purpose, usage, and surveillance results for each drone.
S2310 cleared the Senate 35-3. It passed the Assembly 66-2-4 in May and now heads to the governor.
Website would provide guide to Jersey City not-for-profit organizations
As the nation prepares to pay tribute to the life and legacy of service of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mayor Steven M. Fulop announced last week the launch of “Serve Jersey City,” a new citizen-powered resource that connects residents with volunteer opportunities as part of Cities Of Service, a national nonprofit organization that supports mayors and city chief executives to engage local communities and residents in identifying challenges and solving problems together.
Serve Jersey City includes projects led by the city of Jersey City, local nonprofits and community groups.
“As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ’What are you doing for others?’” said Mayor Fulop. ”We hear all the time from residents asking how they can get involved with their community and volunteer, and that’s why we’ve launched the city’s first clearing house for service opportunities on the very weekend we pay tribute to Dr. King’s legacy.”
Serve Jersey City, at http://volunteer.jerseycitynj.gov enables residents to identify and search for volunteer opportunities based on their interests, skills, schedule availability, and date. Registered users can log volunteer hours, create a user profile which sends them volunteer opportunities when it matches their search criteria, and bookmark opportunities.
Several local nonprofits and other community organizations have already registered to be a part of Serve Jersey City. These inaugural signatories include the Jersey City Parks Coalition, Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County, The Sharing Place, Hudson County CASA, Liberty Humane Society, Team Walker, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hudson, Bergen and Essex Counties, and New City Kids. Other nonprofits and community groups are strongly encouraged to register their volunteer opportunities.
Serve Jersey City also aims to raise awareness and empower residents to address local challenges. Many nonprofits face obstacles when it comes to recruiting and retaining volunteers. Through Serve Jersey City, organizations will be able to engage more volunteers and to use them more effectively. Serve Jersey City also seeks to maintain strong partnerships with local non-profit organizations in order to expand and enhance programs that serve residents in need.
Any non-profit organization who would like to be listed in the Serve Jersey City database can register at the following link: http://volunteer.jerseycitynj.gov/register.