Controversial development project scheduled for Hoboken Planning Board June 14
T he Monarch at Shipyard project has been scheduled for a hearing before the Hoboken Planning Board at Wallace Elementary School Thursday, June 14 at 7 p.m. Thursday’s hearing will be the first in which the matter is fully heard before the city board.
The project calls for two 11-story residential buildings just east of the Hudson Tea Building near the waterfront. The Hoboken City Council and Mayor Dawn Zimmer have all opposed the project. In fact, the city is currently involved in a lawsuit with the developer over project plans. The developer has said that it is unfair that city politicians openly opposed the project before it came before the city board.
The project received the go-ahead from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, but the city has vowed to appeal the DEP’s decision in the lawsuit.
The Hudson County Planning Board voted against the project in February. The developer will likely have to revise the proposal and go back to the county to gain their approval, sources said.
Keeping kids out of the medicine chest
Prescription drug abuse among kids and teens is on the rise. Yet, many parents do little to keep prescription drugs in the household secure and off limits to family members who shouldn’t have access to them.
Thus, in an effort to educate parents on what they can do to keep prescription drugs safe, Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC), the Jersey City Public School system, and Partners in Prevention, will host the forum, “Prescription Drug Use: What Every Parent Should Know.”
The forum will take place on Tuesday, June 12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Franklin L. Williams Middle School (P.S.7).
A panel of four speakers will address the topic. The guest speakers include Orlando Ramos, director of the Giant Steps Program and HUMC; Lisa Canteno, senior primary therapist with the Giant Steps Program at HUMC; Sylvia Sanchez, a pharmacist at HUMC; Dr. Syed Ibrahim, a psychiatrist at HUMC; and Joseph Evensen, coalition supervisor with the Hudson County chapter of Partners in Prevention.
Transportation to the forum will be provided from the following Jersey City
locations: Dickinson High School, Ferris High School, Lincoln High School, and Snyder High School. Shuttles will leave from these locations beginning at 5 p.m. and will return to these locations after the forum ends.
All parents in Hudson County are encouraged to attend. The event is free of charge, but an RSVP is recommended. To RSVP, call (201) 418-2381.
Hoboken Housing Authority will host first annual Bike Rodeo education tour
The Hoboken Housing Authority will host a Bike Rodeo education tour in commemoration of the upcoming Father’s Day holiday Saturday, June 16. Fathers are invited to join with their children for a day filled with bike safety, history, and fun.
The bike safety workshop will begin at 10 a.m. at Connors School at 201 Monroe St. and will be followed by a rodeo tour. Riders will then proceed to Jackson Street Park, and visit several other parks as they eventually make their way to Columbus Park.
To register for the event call Luis Acevedo, ROSS/Resident Services Coordinator, at 201-798-0370.
‘Sinatra Idol’ scheduled for Thursday, June 14
The city’s annual “Sinatra Idol” contest has been scheduled for Thursday, June 14 at 6:30 p.m. in Sinatra Park.
The contest will feature 15 contestants belting out their favorite Sinatra tunes along the Hoboken waterfront.
Prizes will be awarded to the best Sinatra style vocalist. Watch The Reporter for more.
Divided Democrats pick Congressional candidates for November
HUDSON COUNTY– In a Democratic primary election that divided Hudson County and a good portion of northern New Jersey, voters gave victories to Rep. Albio Sires in the 8th District, Bill Pascrell in the 9th and Donald Payne, Jr. in the 10th.
Unopposed, Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez was nominated for his third term and will face off in November against Republican state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, who handily defeated three challengers.
Sires received 28,784 over his challenger Michael J. Shurin who received 3,563 votes, clearing the way for Sires to run against Republican Maria Karczewski, a former Bayonne City Council member, in November. Sires, a former mayor of West New York and former speaker of the state Assembly, will run for his fourth term. Other independent challengers include Herb Shaw of North Bergen, Stephen DeLuca of Jersey City, and Pablo Olivera of Newark. DeLuca previously ran unsuccessfully for Hudson County Executive.
Payne overwhelmingly defeated four challengers in the 10th district, with about 37,000 district wide votes, to run for the seat vacated by the death of his father, Rep. Donald Payne, Sr. Newark Councilman Ronald Rice finished second with just over 11,000 votes, and Gil, who won in the Hudson County portion of the 10th District, finished third with just under 10,000.
Payne, who had the support of the Essex County Democratic organization, where most of the voting took place, will face off against Republican Brian C. Kelemen of Bayonne in the November election. Joanne Miller of Newark and Mick Erickson of West Orange have filed to run as independents in the 10th district in November.
In one of the most watched elections in the state, Pascrell overwhelming defeated Rothman after the two eight-term congressmen confronted each other in the newly reconfigured 9th District. With just under 28,000 votes, Pascrell beat Rothman, who collected 15,283 votes.
Rothman, who had been sharply criticized for choosing a primary fight rather than take on a strong Republican challenge in a neighboring district, said it was unlikely that he would seek elected office in the future
Pascrell will face Republican Schmuley Boteach and independents E David Smith and Jeanette Woolsey in November.
In the sole election for Hudson County, incumbent Hudson County Clerk Barbara Netchert beat Paul Lichstein to win the Democratic nomination.
Of 320,341 registered voters in Hudson County, about 41,000 cast votes in the June 5 primary or about 12.69 percent. Of this, about 36,000 Democrats voted, compared to just under 5,000 Republicans.