Reporter holiday ad deadlines, office closings
Due to the Christmas holiday on Thursday, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day the following week, advertising and editorial deadlines for the Hudson Reporter newspapers have changed.
Instead of the regular Secaucus Reporter, North Bergen Reporter, Union City Reporter, West New York Reporter, Hoboken Reporter, Jersey City Reporter, and Weehawken Reporter for Sunday, Dec. 28, the Hudson Reporter will publish our annual countywide “Year in Review” on that date. That special edition will not contain letters to the editor. The classified and display advertising deadlines are Monday, Dec. 22, at 12 noon.
The offices of the Hudson Reporter newspapers will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday Dec. 26 in observance of the holiday. The office will reopen Monday, Dec. 29.
The following week, the offices will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2015, in observance of New Year’s Day. The office will reopen Friday, Jan. 2, 2015. Regular editions of the newspapers will be published on Jan. 4, 2015.
The classified advertising editorial deadline for all Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 editions is Monday, Dec. 29 at 12 noon. The display advertising and editorial deadlines for the Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 editions of the Secaucus Reporter, North Bergen Reporter, Union City Reporter, West New York Reporter, , and Weehawken Reporter are Monday, Dec. 29 at 12 noon. The display advertising and editorial deadlines for the Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 editions of the Hoboken Reporter and Jersey City Reporter are Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 12 noon.
Keep up with breaking news at www.hudsonreporter.com. Happy holidays!
Rolling reval over, but replacement system still in flux
On Thursday, Dec, 18, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer sent a letter to Rick Del Guercio, the president of Appraisal Systems, Incorporated, “formally advising” him that she had terminated his firm’s contract with the city to conduct annual property reassessments over the next four years.
Two weeks before, Zimmer had told ASI to halt all work, and in her letter, she asked for a full accounting of the charges and expenses the firm will seek for the work they have already completed. Had they completed a full cycle of reassessment, ASI would have been owed $150,000.
Zimmer decided to back off rolling revals after homeowners condemned the plan in letters and at a public meeting in November. Many saw their property values triple or quadruple after the city conducted a revaluation in 2013 after a 25 year lapse.
In a letter to the City Council on Nov. 26, Zimmer promised to cancel the ASI contract if the body passed a proposed ordinance requiring that the city undertake a reval at least every six years. The ordinance was passed on first reading on Dec. 3, but was pulled this past Tuesday after several members suggested that the six-year goalpost was arbitrary and could be improved.
Councilman Ravi Bhalla said the number had come from a letter written by State Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia (D-33). The bill will return to the finance subcommittee and be rewritten to find a more agreeable cut-off point, possibly one not involving time at all.
City approves $11.9 million bond to fund stormwater pump for northwest
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Hoboken City Council voted unanimously to fund the construction of Hoboken’s second flood pump. The 40 million gallon per day H-5 wet weather pump station with emergency generator should help to alleviate flooding in northwestern Hoboken, including the area around ShopRite.
“This flood pump is part of the ‘Discharge’ component of the comprehensive ‘Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge’ strategy to make Hoboken more resilient to flooding,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I thank members of the community and all City Council members for their support for this project. While the City implements the Delay, Store and Discharge elements of the plan through pumps, rain gardens, green roofs, and new parks designed to absorb and hold stormwater, we look forward to working with the State to create coastal defense by implementing the ‘Resist’ strategy with the $230 million won through the Rebuild by Design competition.”
The pump, along with a pilot City Hall green infrastructure project featuring large cisterns and rain gardens to reduce stormwater runoff, will be financed by an $11.9 million low-interest loan from the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust which includes 19% principal forgiveness. On Tuesday, the city approved a bond in an equal amount for the purpose of repaying the loan over time.
‘Conrail Boyz’ leader and nine others arrested in cargo train thefts after four-month probe
Hudson County Acting Prosecutor Gaetano Gregory announced Friday that a highly sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional, cargo theft operation was dismantled this week when alleged members of the organization were arrested by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, Norfolk Southern Railroad Police, and CSX Railroad Police.
The alleged leader of the group, Edward Mongon, 40, of Jersey City, is well known for his involvement in raiding cargo trains while leading the “Conrail Boyz” Gang more than a decade ago. Mongon was the subject of a television documentary depicting the activities of the enterprise.
The group is allegedly responsible for the theft of large amounts of merchandise taken from shipping containers on freight trains. The group, according to Gaetano, was well-studied in various train schedules and practices and utilized specific access points to CSX and Norfolk Southern rail lines throughout northern New Jersey. The group would allegedly profile certain shipping containers and cut the locks and cable seals off with various tools including bolt cutters. Once inside the containers, they would allegedly assess the type of cargo inside and either move on to another container seeking more valuable merchandise or begin unloading boxes for pick up, Gaetano said.
The group allegedly stole merchandise including high end clothing, designer shoes, sneakers, watches, cologne, liquor, and electronics. They would allegedly load cargo vans with the stolen merchandise in dark, remote areas along the rail lines and then transport the goods to various storage garages and “fences” in Jersey City and North Bergen, Gaetano said.
Investigators tracked the group for nearly four months, following the stolen goods and monitoring deliveries to the fences. The fences would then distribute the goods to various customers, which included a variety store known as JRichard located in Paterson.
Charged with being leaders of a cargo theft network, burglary, cargo theft, theft, and fencing were Mongon, John V. Forcum, 37, of Parsippany, and Elie Kammo, 30, of Union City. Charged with cargo theft, theft, and burglary (second degree) were Dion Groomes, 40, of Hoboken, and Denis Ford, 40, of Jersey City. Charged with theft, fencing, and receiving stolen property (second degree) were Marciano Vasquez, 63, of Jersey City, Amparo Diaz-Cruz, 45, of Jersey City, Andres Gonzalez, 56, of Cliffside Park, Ramy Darwiche, 25, of Jersey City, and Richard Gutierrez, 60, of Fairview.
The charged individuals have not yet entered a plea.
One police captain, two lieutenants to be promoted at Monday ceremony
Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced that she will promote new Police Supervisors on Monday, Dec. 22. Lieutenant Charles C. Campbell, a 21 year veteran and former commander of the Hoboken Housing Unit will be promoted to Captain. Sergeant Brian P. Brereton a sixteen year veteran and Sergeant Danilo Cabrera, a fourteen year veteran will both be promoted to Lieutenant.
Public Safety Director Jon Tooke and Chief Kenneth Ferrante requested and endorse the promotions that will fill leadership positions left open due to recent retirements.
Members of the public are invited to attend the promotions at noon in the Hoboken Council Chambers at 94 Washington Street.
Stevens Institute of Technology Receives $251,000 Instrumentation Donation from Merck
The Center for Healthcare Innovation at Stevens Institute of Technology has received a donation of laboratory instruments, valued at more than $251,500, from pharmaceutical giant Merck to establish a new Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory within the Biotechnology and Drug Discovery Laboratory aimed at exposing students to biotechnology and drug development.
In late October, Merck donated both large and small pieces of equipment that were no longer being utilized. The donated items include fluorescence plate readers, a spectropolarimeter, and isothermal titration calorimeter which will allow students to develop their biochemistry and biophysical chemistry expertise in enzyme kinetics and drug binding. Had the instruments been purchased at their original retail price, the cost would be more than $600,000.
“These instruments will be useful in our research to confirm the activity of newly discovered drugs and to understand how the drugs bind and inhibit the function of proteins involved in causing disease,” said Dr. William Windsor, Director of the Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory. “Ultimately, we would also like to develop a course that incorporates the new lab for students to conduct research and receive credit.”
The Biotechnology and Drug-Discovery Laboratory opened in January 2014 as a new biotechnology and drug discovery enterprise that partners with other Stevens faculty, students and external academic and industry collaborators.
Start Off the Year with Science Saturdays at the Hoboken Library
2015 kicks off with scientific experiments and robotics for kids with science on their minds, at the Hoboken Library. On Saturday, Jan. 3 at 3 p.m., the library will host its monthly Family Funday with a visit from Andrew Piccirillo, the Scienceteller. Andrew brings great experiments with fire, water, ice, and gasses and weaves them around a story. This event is pitched for kids 4 and up. Tickets will be available on Jan. 2 on the library’s Eventbrite site (www.bccls.org/hoboken @ Eventbrite).
On Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m., Dr. David Pein will introduce older kids, ages 10 through teens, to the science of robotics using university level computers to interface with robots. This is a very unique program and spaces are limited. Be sure to get tickets at Eventbrite.
These are open programs that do not require a library card, but do require a ticket to attend. Call 201-420-2348 for information about these and other library programs.
More presents needed for Liberty Realty toy drive
Liberty Realty is in need of toys for boys and girls ages 1 to 5. If wrapped, please label them with the appropriate age and gender. If they are unwrapped, Liberty’s elves will do the wrapping themselves. The toys will be given to children of HOPES CAP Inc., a non-profit educational organization based in Hoboken. Please drop toys off by Sunday, Dec. 21 at Liberty Realty in 1 Marineview Plaza, located at Fourth and River streets. For more information, call Margaret Wilson at 201-970-4593.
One last chance for local crafts at the Museum Holiday Crafts Fair
Still looking for a unique gift for someone on your list? Pop by the Hoboken Historical Museum on Dec. 21 between 12 and 5 p.m., and shop local and global. On offer are handmade items by local artists and artisans, including Jennifer Place’s jewelry from handblown glass, gemstones, and mixed metals, and Christmas ornaments from recycled materials. Check out the jewelry collection designed by Nazira and handcrafted by artisans in her native Afghanistan, such as ornate tribal necklaces, silver cuff bracelets inlaid with lapis lazuli and beads, striking pendants and chandelier earrings. Or take home a couple jars of Jersey Buzz honey and honey-based skin scrubs.
The fair will be held in the Museum walkway and inside the Museum at 1301 Hudson St.
Hoboken Police Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Holiday Campaign is back
Starting the weekend of Dec. 19 and continuing into the new year, the Hoboken Police Department will be conducting its Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over holiday campaign.
The goal of the program is to reduce citizen involvement/injury due to D.W.I. related collisions through this holiday season. Through implementation of this and similar events, the Hoboken Police Department hopes to significantly reduce accidents, injuries and property damage throughout our city.
The Hoboken Police Department is committed to working hand in hand with the citizens of Hoboken to provide a safe environment for the motoring public. Please remember the following tips:
Don’t risk it. If you plan to drive, don’t drink.
Choose a sober designated driver before partying.
Take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a friend to drive you home if you didn’t plan in advance.
Spend the night where the activity is being held.
Report impaired drivers to the Hoboken Police at 201-420-2100.
For more information contact the Hoboken Police Traffic Bureau at 201-420-5109.