An apparent corruption probe has led to four arrests on July 2 at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority, said Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea.
The arrests were made by the Jersey City Police with the assistance of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, according to city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill, who said this is part of an investigation into alleged corruption.
Shea said this is part of an ongoing investigation that began a year ago after allegations were made for improper activity at the JCIA.
“We have made four arrests so far, and the investigation is continuing,” Shea said.
This was city probe conducted by the Jersey City Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit, he said, after someone complained of possible wrong doing at the JCIA.
Among the expected charges are conspiracy, theft, and what Shea called a scheme that led employees of the JCIA to allegedly to accept construction and other materials from private residential contractors to be dumped in city landfills in exchange for cash payments.
“While these investigations take time and resources,” Shea admitted. “The victim of this crime is everyone in Jersey City. We are determined to root it out.”
Sheriff to increase patrols looking for impaired drivers
Hudson County Sheriff Frank X. Schillari will increase patrols on the lookout for intoxicated drivers throughout the summer and into the fall as part of a Drunk Driving Enforcement & Education program. This program was made possible through grant funding by the New Jersey State Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“This effort will bring attention to the serious consequences of drunk driving and the grave danger those who choose to drink and drive pose to all who share the road with them,” he said.
The extra patrols began county wide just prior to the Fourth of July weekend.
In addition to the extra patrols, the sheriff’s office will conduct sobriety checkpoints and distribute Drunk Driving awareness brochures throughout the summer.
Boy struck near Bostwick Avenue dies
Jermaine Woodward, an 8-year old boy who was struck on Bostwick Avenue by a vehicle on June 28, has died as a result of his injuries. Police are searching for the driver who may have fled the scene.
“This remains an active police investigation,” said city spokesperson, Jennifer Morrill
The boy was standing the bicycle lane when the car hit him.
Main Library remains closed for an extra day
The Jersey City Free Public Library, 472 Jersey Ave., will be closed on Monday, July 6.
“We don’t expect this to be a major inconvenience, since this is on the heels of a holiday weekend,” said Chief Librarian Hussein Odeh. “As always, patrons with Main Library books and other library materials due that day will not be charged fines. And as we continue the Main Library’s renovation, we apologize for any inconvenience.”
Jersey City contractor pleads guilty to conspiring to rig contracts in Union City
Stanley Parzych, 62, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty on June 30 to one count of conspiring with agents of a local government agency to obtain by fraud funds provided by Union City, causing losses of at least $40,000, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.
Parzych entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court.
Between June 2007 and November 2010, Parzych owned American Construction, a company located in Jersey City. Fishman said Parzych conspired with a Union City contractor and an unnamed inspector connected with the Union City Community Development Agency (UCCDA), by submitting false and materially misleading proposals, to rig the competitive process in favor of certain contractors to perform sidewalk replacement projects and residential rehabilitation projects.
The conspiracy charge to which Parzych pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Parzych is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7.
Sires opposes U.S. opening embassy in Cuba
Rep. Albio Sires (D-14th Dist.) says he is opposed to President Barack Obama’s move to re-open the U.S. embassy in Cuba.
“This is a dangerous and premature action,” Sires said. “Before any consideration was given to opening an American embassy in Havana and allowing the Castro regime to open an embassy in Washington, D.C., the administration should insist that Cuba return the FBI’s number one terrorist, Joanne Chesimard, alongside the countless U.S. fugitives hiding in Cuba.”
“Trust must be earned,” he said. “It is not just given away. The Cuban regime forfeited that privilege over 50 years ago and has done nothing since to garner the trust of the Cuban people or the international community. The Cuban regime has continuously tried to circumvent international norms by engaging with questionable state actors like North Korea and Venezuela, in violation of U.N. sanctions. Even more troubling is that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency was penetrated by a Cuban spy, Ana Montes, who operated undetected for an astonishing 16 years until detained in 2001.”
Joining U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sires said he disagrees with the direction the administration has taken in regards to Cuba policy and implore the president to stop “continuously conceding to all of the Cuban regime’s demands until more significant steps are taken to address the gross human rights violations and the plight of the Cuban people.”
NJBIZ Honors New Jersey’s Healthcare Heroes
Jersey City Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, has been named a finalist in the Best Hospital category in the 2015 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes awards program. The award program is produced by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s premier business news publication.
The Healthcare Heroes finalists were recognized and the winner in each category was announced during an awards breakfast and ceremony on Tuesday, June 23, at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset. The honorees were also highlighted in a special supplement to NJBIZ.
The Palace at Somerset Park hosted over 400 guests. The presenting and major sponsors – Kevin Conlin, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ; Jose Lozano, Hackensack University Medical Center; Tim Hodges, CareOne Management, LLC; Rich Scheid, Comcast Business, and John Fanburg, Esq., Brach Eichler, LLC – presented the awards on stage to each honoree.
The finalists and winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges including Wardell Sanders, New Jersey Association of Health Plans; Dr. Chadwin Sandifer, Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy, and Judy Schmidt, New Jersey State Nurses Association. The three judges evaluated the nominations using a scoring system based on heroic actions or programs, impact of nominee’s heroic actions and accomplishments within healthcare.
StorageBlue secures $31M in refinancing
StorageBlue LLC, the New Jersey-based self-storage company, has announced the completion of a $31 million re-financing of a four-building portfolio comprised of locations on the New Jersey Gold Coast. Due to their close proximity to Manhattan, the properties are among the highest quality self-storage assets in the New York area. This complicated, four loan transaction, was financed by Natixis Real Estate Capitol LLC.
“Natixis made this process as seamless and as easy as possible, as we now have our eye on expansion,” says Alan Mruvka, president, CEO and co-founder of StorageBlue with his father, Murray Mruvka.
Mruvka is actively working to improve the self-storage process and customer experience with StorageBlue, seeking to expand its portfolio nationwide through the acquisition of existing self-storage buildings and development of new self-storage facilities. He added features like mobile usability, online payment management, and high-tech security to make StorageBlue stand out from its competitors.
“One of the things we are most proud of at StorageBlue is that we continue to re-invest our capital into improving both the physical properties, as well as incorporating technological advances into a typically outdated industry,” states Mruvka. “StorageBlue’s 365 days-a-year access, long service hours, and regular upgrades to our facilities are some of the key reasons we have enjoyed so much success at our properties.”
Jersey City resident needs votes to win comic contest
Lester Sanchez, who has been making his own comic books for as long as he can remember, has entered a web-based comic contest. He hopes to win $30,000 grand prize that will allow him to continue his education as the New York School of Visual Arts.
The 19-year-old is a 2014 graduate of McNair Academic High School. Sanchez is in his second year of college, but needs the funds to continue his education.
An honors student during his first year in the college, Sanchez is majoring in cartooning. In high school, he completed two graphic novels that were featured for several weeks at the Montclair Museum.
His entry called “A.I.” is competing in the science fiction category on Webtoons website.
It has several rounds: A preliminary round (June 7 – July 7), three rounds before finals (July 8 – July 14), (July 15 – July 21), (July 22 – July 28), and then a final round from July 29 – Aug. 4.
Each round narrows down the contestants. There are more than 400 contestants and each round after the preliminaries narrows down to the top 16, top eight, top four, and finally the top webcomic.
The prizes for the top four include an opportunity to become a featured artist on the site and get paid (for all finalists), $10,000 (2nd place), and $30,000 (1st place).
“So far, my ranking – which is determined by popularity – is within the top 50, but my rank shifts and actually drops significantly with each update for the comic until that chapter gains popularity,” he said.
Popularity is determined by the rating of the comic as well as the amount of likes and comments on each chapter.
“I need the readers to like and comment on each chapter, which updates on Thursdays. However, they only need to rate once. The name of my comic is called “A.I.”
Here is the link: http://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/ai/list?title_no=6577
‘Freedom Through Art’ Exhibit features students of St. Joseph’s School for the Blind
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, one of New Jersey’s leading luxury real estate services firms, hosted the opening reception of St. Joseph’s School for the Blind exhibit “Freedom Through Art” on June 25 at the firm’s Hoboken office, 321 Washington St. “Freedom for Art” will be open to the public throughout the month of July.
The exhibit featured works by students as well as Bojana Coklyat, the art director of the school, located in Jersey City. Artwork showcased at the event captured the students’ talents in painting, illustrations, and 3D canvas art creations. The displayed artwork depicted varying themes provided throughout the year by Coklyat, an art teacher and legally blind artist who encourages her students to use art as a form of expression, emotion and communication.
New production at Art House starts July 10
Art House Productions and Pioneer Productions Company present “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change!” at Art House Productions in Jersey City from July 10 to 25.
This cult classic opened Off Broadway in 1996 and ran for over 5,000 performances, making it the second longest-running musical in Off Broadway history, and has been produced in 26 countries and translated into 17 languages. This hilarious revue pays tribute to those that have loved and lost, to those who have fallen hard in the pursuit of romance, and to those who have dared to ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?”
The musical will run Friday and Saturday nights, July 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25th. All shows start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.pioneerproductionscompany.org . Advisory: Some adult language and situations, recommended ages 16 or older. Art House Productions is located at 136 Magnolia Ave.
HPNA seeking Little Free Library designs
The Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association (HPNA) will award $300 to the winning design of a Little Free Library planned for Hamilton Park.
Little Free Libraries are small self-service libraries, not connected to the public library system, independent book repositories that can be anywhere and allow people to take a book, or return a book, any time of the day or night. Some are bought already constructed; others are designed and built by the local community.
Spurred on by the placement of such libraries in other parts of Jersey City and in nearby communities and by the encouragement of Councilwoman Candice Osborne, HPNA hopes to place one in Hamilton Park. The abundance of talent and creativity in Jersey City has led the group to hope for a spectacular, home-grown, uniquely Jersey City design.
Residents who have an idea on how they would like the Little Free Library to look, should submit their design. They don’t need to be architects, designers, or engineer – just someone with some imagination and eagerness to join in the effort. Ideally, the structure will have flexible space and hold a minimum of 30-40 books, with separate areas for children’s and adults’ books. The maximum height is five feet, maximum width two feet. Materials to be used should be specified, and thought given to protecting the library from inclement weather. Designs can be sent via drawings, models, or electronically. Send entries to i.bhavna@gmail.com or PMB #166, 344 Grove St., Jersey City, NJ 07302. For more information call (646) 784-5447.
Jersey City residents may apply and should include their name, phone number, e-mail, and street address. Deadline: July 15.