Friday, August 31, 2012

Stevens Students Volunteer Throughout Hoboken - Class of 2016

Here is a feel good story about Stevens college students getting a good start as freshmen by helping out the local community in cooperation with the City if Hoboken. You may recall that Stevens Institute students played a large role in helping spread the word on evacuations with respect to hurricane Irene last year. Here is the recap of their August 25th efforts...

STEVENS CLASS OF 2016 FRESHMEN

VOLUNTEER THROUGHOUT HOBOKEN

As part of the Stevens Institute of Technology’s Class of 2016 orientation to Stevens and the City of Hoboken, approximately 100 freshmen fanned out across Hoboken on Saturday, August 25 to participate in community service activities.


“The generosity of the Stevens community is amazing,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “One year ago, students who had been in Hoboken just a few days were going door-to-door to get the word out about Hurricane Irene, and we are so thankful to the Class of 2016 for continuing in that proud tradition of service to our community.”

Freshmen worked to clean up Stevens Park, Church Square Park and Maxwell Park. Students assisted the Department of Transportation and Parking by painting curb corners red to improve pedestrian and traffic safety. They also volunteered at the Hoboken Shelter, In Jesus’ Name Food Pantry and helped clean the facility for the FAITH Services-Ryan White Programs at Hoboken University Medical Center.



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City of Hoboken Announces Free Seasonal Flu Vaccine Schedule

The latest health news from the City of Hoboken....

CITY OF HOBOKEN ANNOUNCES FREE SEASONAL FLU VACCINE SCHEDULE

The City of Hoboken, in conjunction with Hoboken University Medical Center, will be providing free seasonal flu vaccines on a first come, first served basis for adult Hoboken residents on Thursday, September 27, 2012 from 12pm to 6pm in Assumption Hall at Hoboken University Medical Center. Proof of residency is required.

In conjunction with Walgreens, the City of Hoboken will also provide free flu vaccines to senior citizens on the following dates and times:
  • Wednesday, September 19, 10:00am-11:00am, 400 1st Street
  • Wednesday, September 19, 11:30am-12:30pm, 221 Jackson Street
  • Wednesday, September 19, 2:00pm-3:00pm, 220 Adams Street
  • Thursday, September 20, 10:00am-11:00am, 76 Bloomfield Street
  • Thursday, September 20, 11:30am-12:30pm, 514 Madison Street
  • Thursday, September 20, 2:00pm-3:00pm, 311 13th Street
Free seasonal flu vaccines for senior citizens with Medicare and/or New Jersey Medicaid will be given in the Community Room of each residential building. Please bring your Medicare or New Jersey Medicaid card with you as well as a valid photo ID on the day of the clinic. Pneumonia vaccines are also free with Medicare. Vaccines are also covered under Cigna medical and United Healthcare medical.

For more information, please contact the Hoboken Health Department at (201) 420-2375.

Hoboken Flu Vaccines Adults Fall 2012 Flier: Hoboken Flu Vaccines Adults Fall 2012

Hoboken Flu Vaccines Seniors Fall 2012 Flier: Hoboken Flu Vaccines Seniors Fall 2012
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Hoboken Issues Bid for Construction of 1st Phase of 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove

The latest on 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove coming soon to Hoboken ....

HOBOKEN ISSUES BID FOR CONSTRUCTION OF 1ST PHASE OF 1600 PARK AND HOBOKEN COVE
Bid Also Issued for Construction of 9/11 Memorial


The City of Hoboken has advertised a bid for the construction of the first phase of 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove. The work will involve the construction of a multi-use field with lighting as well as bleachers and leaning rails along the Park Avenue service road. In addition, the park will feature a rest room, dog run, sliding hill, picnic benches, trees and bike racks. The conceptual master plan for the full park development is available at www.hobokennj.org/1600park.

Hudson County is expected to install a new traffic signal with pedestrian countdown timers at 16th Street and Park Avenue in the fall. For safety reasons, the signal is an essential element prior to the opening of the park. The construction of Hoboken Cove, to the east of 1600 Park will be part of Phase 2 of construction, which is expected to take place in the spring of 2013. Additional phases of work, including the boat house and improvements to the waterfront, will require additional fundraising.

The City also advertised a bid for the construction of the Hoboken 9/11 Memorial. A rendering of the memorial is available at http://www.hobokennj.org/departments/community-development/open-space-acquisition-and-development/9-11-memorial/. Depending on the bid responses received, additional fundraising may be needed.

“I’m very excited to move these projects forward,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I thank all the community for their input and working to arrive at consensus on these projects, and I thank County Executive DeGise, his Administration, and Freeholder Romano for working with us on the signal at 16th and Park.”

Responses for both bids are due by September 11, 2012.


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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Governer Christie's Keynote Address Tonight Live at 10pm - NJ News Common

New Jersey Governors Chris Christie will be giving the keynote speech at the GOP Convention in Tampa Florida tonight. The Hoboken Journal will be hosting the live feed as part of the NJ Commons News initiative. Info on the panelists is below....

The show should start around 10pm tonight....



A Big Night for Christie, and a First 
Collaborative Effort for the NJ News Commons

Gov. Christie has been rehearsing for his big moment, and so has NJ News Commons. Last night, the panel for the NJ News Commons' first live Google Plus Hangout on Air, got together online to see what it was like to pull seven people together on Google Plus to create a talk show.

It will be available live on YouTube, and also afterwards. Here are the participants:

John Celock, the state politics reporter and Patch liaison for The Huffington Post. He is based in Washington, and is the author of "The Next Generation: Young Elected Officials and Their Impact on American Politics."

Ryan Dicovitsky, an adjunct professor of public speaking at Seton Hall and head coach of Seton Hall's debate team.

Debbie Galant, the director of the NJ News Commons, founder and former co-editor of Baristanet and former Jersey columnist for The New York Times.

Steve Johnson, a multimedia journalism professor at Montclair State, who has worked at Patch, the AP, MSNBC and Court TV.

John Mooney, a founding editor of NJ Spotlight and a veteran of both the Star Ledger and the Bergen Record.

Fred Tuccillo, the Patch senior regional editor for Central Jersey and the Shore, and a former national editor for Newsday, where he directed coverage of several conventions.

Julie Winokur, independent documentary producer and the founder of Bring it to the Table, a Kickstarter-funded initiative to foster civility in political dialogue. Although she's based in Montclair, she will join us from Tampa.



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Petions to Consolidate Elections to November Have Been Certified

Here is the latest update on the citizens movement to move elections to November and consolidate them as well...

Petitions to Consolidate Hoboken Elections are Certified to Appear on November Ballot

Hoboken Voters Will Be Able to Decide Whether to Implement Election Reforms That Will Reduce the Number of Elections, Reduce Taxpayer Costs, and Improve Voter Turnout

On Friday, the Hoboken City Clerk certified over 1,800 petition signatures from Hoboken residents for two ballot questions designed to consolidate Hoboken's Municipal elections.The ballot questions were proposed by the citizens' committee Vote Yes for November, a group of residents looking to reform the electoral system in Hoboken.

Now, the people of Hoboken will officially be able to decide when future municipal elections will be held. If both initiatives are passed by the voters this November, Hoboken’s next municipal elections will be held in November of 2013 instead of in May, with the candidates receiving the most votes being elected to office.

"Thanks to the outpouring of support from 1,800 residents who signed our petitions, Hoboken residents will get an opportunity to be heard on whether they seek to bring election reform to our city. We are confident that Hoboken’s voters will support these initiatives that will consolidate multiple elections, increase voter turnout, save taxpayers money, and reduce voter fatigue," said Vijay Chaudhuri, one of the members of the Vote Yes November citizens' committee.

"I am extremely pleased that Hoboken voters will get the opportunity to vote on these common sense steps for reform. If the two ballot initiatives are passed by voters in November, no longer will Hoboken voters have to suffer through an election year like 2009, when Hoboken voters had to vote in 5 separate elections in a single year. Municipal elections would now be held on a single date in November - the date when voters turn out for the general election,” said Sasha Conroy, another member of the Vote Yes November citizens’ committee.

If voters choose to move the Hoboken Municipal elections to November, all future local elections will be held during November general election dates. Hoboken’s School Board elections have already been consolidated with the upcoming November general election instead of in April as in years past.

Members of the public who support this proposal are encouraged to voice their opinions at the Hoboken City Council meeting on Wednesday, September 5 at 7 pm in City Hall. ◦
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Monday, August 20, 2012

Lackawanna Music Fest August 18 2012 Pier A Park Hoboken - Photo and Video Highlights

hhMag, along with several sponsors hosted their 3rd Annual Lackawanna Music Festival on Saturday August 18. The event was be held at Pier A in Hoboken and featured the headliner band Tokyo Police Club. Other bands included Vacationer, Shinobi Ninja, Body Language, Lights Resolve, We Barbarians, The Nightmare River Band. Pilsener Haus had a Biergarten at the event that was well attended and the last two bands Tokyo Police Club and Vacationer were in particular very impressive both musically and stage wise. Below are some highlights from the event with both photos and videos...

hMag Music Fest at Pier A Park Hoboken August 18,2012

hMag Music Fest at Pier A Park Hoboken August 18,2012

Photos from hMag Music Fest at Pier A Park Hoboken August 18,2012:

Video - Your English is Good - Tokyo Police Club - Hoboken Music Fest 8-18-2012: Video hMag Music Fest August 18 2012 Pier A Park Hoboken Featured Bands:
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Friday, August 17, 2012

Lackawanna Music Festival in Hoboken August 18 2012 at Pier A Park - Featuring Tokyo Police Club!

hMag, which is another good community resource for Hoboken information in a positive light, is hosting the Lackawanna Music Festival tomorrow Saturday August 18. The event will be held at Pier A in Hoboken. The event will be hosted by MTV's Matt Pinfield and will feature the headliner band Tokyo Police Club. Other bands will include Vacationer, Shinobi Ninja, Body Language, Lights Resolve, We Barbarians, The Nightmare, River Band. Pilsener Haus will also be providing a Biergarten at the event, and there will be other vendors as well. The music portion of the event is free but peopleshould RSVP at the following website:

Event Website: http://www.lackawannamusicfestival.com/

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/lackawannamusicfestival

The band lineup is as follows:
  • 12:45 - 1:45 - The Nightmare River Band
  • 2:00 - 3:00 - We Barbarians
  • 3:15 - 4:15 - Lights Resolve
  • 4:30 - 5:15 - Body Language
  • 5:45 - 6:45 - Shinobi Ninja
  • 7:15 - 8:00 - Vacationer
  • 8:30 - 10:00 - Tokyo Police Club
Below is a diagram of the setup for tomorrow's event including the stage, the beer garden and the vendors at Pier A Park:

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Hoboken City Council Meeting Recap- Parks Progress but Old Guard Stops Street Improvements

Predictably last night, The City Council Minority of Councilwoman Castellano, Councilwoman Mason, Councilman Occhipinti, and Councilman Russo failed to generate the 6th vote needed to support a bond to put a plan in place to redesign critical roads in Hoboken including Washington Street and Observer Highway. With Anthony Romano our Freeholder willing to nothing with respect to the County helping repave Washington Street, the Old Guard wants to have it both ways: moan about crumbling infrastructure but do nothing about it.


HOBOKEN CITY COUNCIL MEETING RECAP: 
PARKS PROGRESS, STREETSCAPE SETBACKS

Setback for all streets improvements. The Council voted 5 to 4 for the redesign of Washington Street, Sinatra Drive, Observer Highway and Newark Street; however six votes were needed to approve the bond. Council Members in opposition, Councilwoman Castellano, Councilwoman Mason, Councilman Occhipinti, and Councilman Russo, expressed concerns about the City taking on new debt in terms of its impact on the City’s bonding capacity. In fact, the City has excellent capacity for bonding and has used well below 1/3 of its $360 million bonding capacity.



“Bonding is the fiscally prudent and fair way to pay for long-lasting improvements to our neglected infrastructure,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Residents today shouldn’t bear the full cost for benefits that future residents will reap from these investments. We’re seeing progress on parks because the Council approved bonding for those improvements. But just like our parks, our streets, waterfront, garages, police headquarters, and other infrastructure have been neglected for too long.”

Next Steps: The City thanks all who supported and advocated for these measures. The streets improvements will be reintroduced separately and the Administration will continue to work to help the Council and public understand the importance of these infrastructure investments to safety, quality of life, and economic development, as well as why bonding is the fiscally responsible way to make these investments.

Parks Progress
Southwest Park purchase moves forward. The Council approved payment for land for a Southwest Park in Block 12 which is bounded by Harrison Street, Jackson Street, Observer Highway and Paterson Avenue. The $2.35 million comes from a Hudson County Open Space grant. The final purchase price will be decided by a court.

Church Square Park renovations approved. The Council unanimously approved Phase 1 of improvements to Church Square Park, which will be paid for through a bond approved last year. This work will include renovations to two playground areas, the basketball courts, and the restroom. To view the plan, visit www.hobokennj.org/churchsquarepark. The City will be going out to bid for construction shortly. Future phases will be completed as additional funding is secured.

1600 Park plans approved. Yesterday evening, The Hudson County Planning Board approved the City’s plans for 1600 Park. To view the plan, visit www.hobokennj.org/1600park.  The City will now be completing bid specifications and going out to bid for construction shortly. The City is coordinating with the County and thanks them for moving ahead with the installation of a traffic signal at 16th Street and Park Avenue this fall.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

City Council Meeting Tonight at 7 pm - Live Feed

Tonight's City Council Meeting features a second reading on the ordinance to bond for a plan to improve various streets in Hoboken including Washington Street and Observer Highway. There is also a captial equipment bond for City Garages over $5 million. On first reading there are competing ordinances on sidewalk cafes as sponsored by Occhipinti and Giattino respectively.

Agenda:http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/council/agenda12/revised-ccm-8-15-12.pdf
Resolution Pack:http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/council/respack12/8.15.12.agenda.resolution.packet.revised.as.of.8.11.12.pdf



Live video by Ustream

Below is a note from Hoboken Residents for a Public Waterfront...

Hoboken Residents for a Public Waterfront announces:

We encourage residents to attend tonight's City Council meeting.  The Council will be debating and voting on a $1 million bond ordinance with the proceeds to go towards work on Observer Highway, Washington Street, and Sinatra Drive.  The Sinatra Drive aspect of this project is to hire engineers to prepare plans to continue the bike path from 4th Street to 11th Street, add more parkland and make the area more pedestrian friendly.  Once these plans are in place the City can apply for State and Federal grants to help alleviate costs of the renovations.

Second, the Council will be asked to approve an emergency appropriation of $150,000 to fund legal bills for the fight against the Monarch project.

Obviously we believe these are two very important steps for the City to take to increase the public park space along our waterfront.  Both of these items will require 6 votes from the City Council.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

The meeting is held in Council Chambers at City Hall tonight at 7pm.

-Hoboken Residents for a Public Waterfront

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HobokenRPW
Twitter:@HobokenRPW 


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Vote Yes For November Gathers over 1800 Signatures For Petition to Consolidate Elections

For those that did not not know there has been an effort to create a petition drive to 1) move the municipal elections to November and 2) eliminate the runoff. A grassroots movement of registered voters and taxpayers in Hoboken have now collected well over the number of signatures required to get these two initiatives on the ballot and "Let the People Decide" if elections for our municipal government should be moved back to Election Day

Eric Kurta, of of the named petitioners is down in the City of Hoboken's Clerk's Office submitting the petitions this afternoon. Here is the press release on their great efforts in the dog days of August when people are away.....


1,800 Hoboken Residents Petition 
To Consolidate Local Elections


August 15, 2012- (Hoboken, NJ) This afternoon, the Vote Yes For November citizens’ committee successfully submitted to the city clerk approximately 1,800 petition signatures from local residents to consolidate municipal elections in Hoboken. When certified, the petitions will allow the people of Hoboken to decide this November when future municipal elections will be held. If the two ballot questions proposed to residents are approved, Hoboken’s municipal elections will move to Election Day in November, with the candidate for each office receiving the most votes on Election Day being elected to serve.

“Consolidating the municipal elections to when voters are already voting in November would not only result in greater voter participation and less hassle for voters, but also save taxpayers over $100,000 for each election saved," said Vijay Chaudhuri, a member of the citizens' committee. Any way to make it more convenient for residents to vote and save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next several years is a win-win situation for everyone involved."

Sasha Conroy, another member of the Committee, noted that in 2009 Hoboken held a total of five elections in eight months costing Hoboken taxpayers over half a million dollars and forcing citizens to endure round after round of nasty campaign literature, attack advertisements, and constant phone calls to influence the course of yet another municipal election.

“This year, the Board of Education took the common sense first step by moving the School Board elections to Election Day,” Ms. Conroy explained. “Elections should be held on Election Day in November. These initiatives will allow the people to decide whether they should vote once and for all on Election Day in November, or whether they prefer to vote numerous times throughout the year.”

After the petitions are certified, two initiatives will be placed on the ballot in November when residents vote in the Presidential election. The first question will move the municipal elections to November, while the second question will consolidate the municipal elections to a winner take all system, similar to the process of electing federal and state office holders. The two petition questions required approximately 640 signatures to reach the ballot, an amount nearly tripled by the committee’s efforts.

If a majority of Hoboken residents vote yes on the two propositions, Hoboken’s next municipal election would be held in November of 2013.



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City of Hoboken to Re-open Madison Street in SW to Alleviate Traffic

The latest proposed pilot plan to address traffic in the Southwest...

SOUTHWEST ACCESS PLAN ANNOUNCED TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION

Madison Street to be Reopened as Three-Phase Pilot Program


­


Following the community meeting held on August 14 to discuss traffic and pedestrian safety issues in Southwest Hoboken, the City of Hoboken will proceed with plans to reopen Madison Street to vehicular traffic as part of a Southwest Hoboken Access Improvement Plan. The plan was first publicly announced and presented at the community meeting.

“Thank you to all the residents who came out for a very productive meeting,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Based on the positive feedback we received, we will be moving ahead with a pilot plan to reopen Madison Street to help alleviate the pressure at Jackson Street and ease traffic congestion getting into Hoboken overall.”

The City is in the final stages of coordinating with Hudson County and the Hoboken Fire and Police Departments to reopen Madison Street behind the firehouse on Observer Highway as part of an access improvement plan for Southwest Hoboken. Although the street was closed to traffic with barriers several decades ago, it legally remains a through-street. The City is finalizing plans to conditionally open the street within a month and to monitor changes to traffic patterns.

The principle challenge with opening Madison Street is the short block length which provides minimal capacity for queued vehicles, which could back up onto Newark Street. As a result, the City is planning a three-phase pilot in order to evaluate resulting traffic conditions at each step before considering additional changes.

In all phases, only right hand turns from Newark Street would be permitted onto Madison Street. Drivers would proceed from Marin Boulevard, turn left on Newark Street, and then right onto Madison Street. Left turns will not be permitted onto Madison Street in order to avoid eastbound traffic backups on Newark Street. Large trucks and buses will be prohibited at all times.

Due to the limited queuing capacity on Madison Street, it is critical to maintain a constant flow of vehicles to prevent backups onto Newark Street. Because Observer Highway is a two-way street with moderate traffic volumes, initially only right hand turns will be permitted onto Observer Highway to minimize traffic conflicts and increase traffic throughput.

Pending an analysis of traffic conditions, additional phases would gradually loosen restrictions on turning movements at Madison Street and Observer Highway:

Phase I: Only right hand turns will be permitted from Madison Street onto Observer Highway. Left turns and northbound through movements will be prohibited.

Phase 2: Left turns and northbound through movements will be permitted during off-peak hours (Right turn only on weekdays, 7am-9am and 4pm-7pm). (Pending analysis)

Phase 3: All turning movements permitted at all times. (Pending analysis)

A draft illustration of the three-phase pilot plan is available for download.


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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Breaking News: Lane Bajardi and Wife file $2 million defamation lawsuit against Grafix Avenger, MSV and over 10 Anonymous Local Bloggers

Lane Bajardi and wife Kim Cardinal launch $2 million defamation lawsuit against GA, MSV and over 10 other anonymous local bloggers

Complaint states that it is the Bajardi’s intention to subpoena over a dozen screen names to be added as named defendants in the civil suit, mostly from the AOL Hoboken Patch.


Lane Bajardi at Hoboken City Council Meeting
In a $2 million civil suit containing allegations with significant ramifications for First Amendment online free speech, Councilwoman Beth Mason's "friend" Lane Bajardi, along with his wife Kim Cardinal, has filed a defamation lawsuit containing allegations against Grafix Avenger (www.grafixavenger.blogspot.com) Mile Square View (MSV), and 10 other "unnamed" defendants earlier this month.

Lane Bajardi texting at Hoboken City Council Meeting
The lawsuit alleges that neither Lane Bajardi or Kim Cardinal currently post under the screen names "prosbus" and "curious gal" and references to that effect are "false and defamatory." The complaint also claims that the plaintiffs are not political operatives.

The complaint does not state why identifying the plaintiffs as the authors of the posts made by prosbus and curious gal is defamatory or what damages they have actually suffered as a result of any material that appears on MSV or GA or on Hoboken Patch. The majority of the allegations of defamation contained in the complaint are against Grafix Avenger but MSV and other anonymous screen names are referred to throughout the complaint.

Both Bajardi and Cardinal state they are not being paid by Councilwoman Beth Mason or her 501(c)(3) Mason Civic League. The complaint also contains allegations that the Bajardis do no associate with corrupt individuals. No mention is made of Beth Mason's numerous campaigns and campaign committees underwritten by her husband, Ricky Mason of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Krantz.

Bajardi also states throughout the complaint that he is "not a person of interest to the FBI and is not involved in criminal activity." In other parts of the complaint Bajardi states he has not been held in the custody of the FBI.

The allegations and claims in the complaint are stated in the present tense, such as "Bajardi does not post anonymously on Hoboken Patch.", leaving unclear where or not the Bajardis historically posted anonymously on Patch in the past.

In a statement emailed to the Hoboken Journal, Roman Brice wrote:

"We would be interested to find out who's financing this SLAPP (Strategic Litigations Against Public Participation) suit as we don't believe Mr. Bajardi is footing the bills for this lawsuit after having been unemployed for 2 years prior to his recent employment with CBS. We believe that this is part of a conspiracy participated in by not just Mr. Bajardi but other political operatives."


From the "Letter to the FBI" series which has appeared on the Grafix Avenger site, the complaint claims that the satirical material wherein GA refers to her joining the FBI and assisting in arresting people associated with corruption is a threat of violence to the Bajardi family, as there is a reference to an address on “Park Avenue.” However, no street number is contained in the satirical post.

One of several allegations in the complaint against MSV notes that the MSV Premium Content contained an assertion that Bajardi and Cardinal moved to Edgewater, NJ. (The Hoboken Journal subscribes to the MSV Premium Content and notes that the only names mentioned as part of a "Mason minion family" reportedly moving to Edgewater were the screen names "prosbus, curious gal, et. al"; the names of the plaintiffs Bajardi and Cardinal do not appear anywhere.)

Left without any explanation is why a statement that the Bajardis have moved to Edgewater is defamatory, even if it is not accurate and that throughout the complaint both Bajardi and Cardinal claim they are not prosbus and curious gal. Nor is any explanation given why stating an Edgewater abode has caused any damages to the plaintiffs.

The subject of compensation between Bajardi and Mason has been broached publicly in May 2011 at a City Council meeting. Bajardi, replying to earlier questions surrounding his communications with Mason and the unauthorized release on Hoboken411 of a HPD discrimination lawsuit stated, "Councilwoman Mason, at any time have you ever paid me one penny for my friendship?"

Mason's quietly replies "no" leaving unanswered whether or not there has been any payment for services rendered by Mr. Bajardi.



The complaint also threatens to issue subpoenas against a number of recognizable posters (anonymous defendants) on local Hoboken websites as follows:

This Means War, Napoleon Complex, khoboken, Hoboken1653, HobokenLeaks, Redrider765, JAM, and JackStop.

Additional screen names are also identified, some of which are common knowledge due to their public use over many years, with no citation whatsoever:

Bludiamonds, Klaussenfluffer, Bet Mazin, InfotainMe, plywood, Hobbs, Bob R, davidd, ss1959, "among others."

According to the complaint, Lane Bajardi and Kim Cardinal "had an excellent reputation in Hudson County" - "until the action of the defendants." Plaintiffs claim they are also acting against "the threats to their child."

The complaint states its intention to subpoena all the listed names, plus unknown and unlisted "others" from Hoboken Patch, Grafix Avenger, Google, MSV, NJ.com, and GallowayPatch.com followed with a "second wave" to corresponding Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

The California based First Amendment organization Electronic Frontier Foundation is aware of the case and asked any people posting under the anonymous names to contact their legal intake manager Mark Jaycox. The EFF is interested in assisting as it considers the freedom to post anonymously a cornerstone right in United States history.

Mark Jaycox can be contacted at (415) 436-9333 extension 128. The EFF website is at url: https://www.eff.org

Lane Bajardi hugging it out with Michele Russo as Matt Calicchio (r) stands nearby at a Hoboken restaurant last year.
Lane Bajardi and Michele Russo at a Hoboken City Council meeting.
Bajardi's complaint states he "does not associate with corrupt individuals."

Editor’s Note: The strategy of the Plaintiffs seems to be to require the defendants, both named and unnamed, to spend a lot of money and intimidate the defendants from covering local politics with their websites and posting comments that are contrary to the political views of the Bajardis. For those who have followed Hoboken politics closely, this is what Beth Mason does. She throws money at situations and there is a healthy suspicion that she is behind this lawsuit. Beth Mason at the last City Council meeting publicly and blatantly stated to Roman Brice that he was facing the imminent filing of a lawsuit against him.

There was one item in the complaint that really struck me as odd. One of the defendants asserted: "your child might be better off raised by wolves." I just can't believe that is actually in the complaint. Some might consider that impolite but how is hell is that defamation?

Confession: I have often thought what it might be like to be raised as a feral child. The freedom, the outdoors, never having to hear the parents worrying about the mortgage or a SLAPP lawsuit.

A comment such as that might be considered by some as over the top but if everyone got sued for making a remark like that one I don't think people would ever talk to each other.

The Jersey Journal also has a story of the lawsuit filed by the litigious Bajardi's and somehow they left out the screen names in the lawsuit that also targets over 10 anonymous bloggers. I wonder if that has anything to do with the pro-machine editorial slant of Auggie Torres? Their slant on the story I will leave to the judgement of the readers of this website.

I will not comment further as this is pending litigation and it affects two of my friends in Hoboken plus possibly others from a lengthy list of John Does.

Read here and feel free to comment: 

http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2012/08/hoboken_activist_files_defamat.html
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SLAPP forces first slap back with Hoboken Free Speech Legal Defense Fund


As a result of the Recent SLAPP lawsuit filed by political activist Lane Bajardi and Kim Cardinal against MSV, Grafix Avenger and at least 10 other anonymous commentators, The Hoboken Free Speech Legal Defense fund has been created to help fight the suppression of free speech.

Thus the two named defendants have been  forced to reach out to the community for assistance and announce the Hoboken Free Speech Legal Defense Fund, a non-tax deductible entity to mount a rigorous defense.

Make out the check or money order to the Hoboken Free Speech Legal Defense Fund.



       

You may also send a check or money order (for those who prefer to contribute anonymously) to:




Hoboken Free Speech LDF
c/o Roman Brice
1032 Hudson Street Apt. 1S
Hoboken, NJ 07030




The defendants thank you kindly in advance for any and all support!

Editor's Note: I am fully aware that this fundraising effort also coincides with a BOE campaign and a future mayoral campaign next year along with several ballot initiatives to increase voter turnout and consolidate elections. When Beth Mason threatened one of the defendants with a lawsuit when he simply asked her a question about Mason Family Civic League records at a recent City Council meeting participatory democracy took a real back seat to Beth Mason's scorched earth politics and enemies list retribution from two of her political activists. It is as if Beth Mason can't take criticism at all and seeks to silence any one who disagrees with her.

There is a greater cause here and that is protecting free political speech in Hoboken.Give what you can. Fighting SLAPP lawsuits doesn't come cheap. Especially, since it is highly suspected that  Beth and Ricky Mason are behind their political allies that filed the lawsuit. ◦
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Reminder - Let the People Decide Petition Party 7-9pm Tonight at Wicked Wolf


Petition Notarizing Party 7-9 PM at the Wicked Wolf 

Just a reminder about Tonight's notarizing party from 7-9 pm at the Wicked Wolf in Hoboken(2nd and Sinatra) Tuesday August 14th, 2012.

Please note that if you have any petitions or you know of any of your friends that have petitions, they MUST be notarized tonight- otherwise the efforts you made with your signatures will not count.  The group Vote Yes For November is handing the petitions in tomorrow to the city clerk!  They need every signature possible to count towards our total.  If you can not make it tonight, please contact either Vijay Chaudhuri (973-493-2691 or vijay.chaudhuri@gmail.com), Eric Kurta (ekurta65@verizon.net or 201-600-3245), or Tom who is helping coordinate our efforts (412-715-5726 or tom@voteyesfornovember.org) to make other arrangements.

The petition drive is to put on the ballot two initiatives in November to 1) move all municipal elections to November and keep them non-partisan and 2) eliminate the need for a runoff election.  The people will be allowed to decide if this is something they want or not.

Also just a reminder that Vote Yes For Hoboken will be thanking Scott Siegel for all his contributions to our city as he says goodbye to Hoboken (temporarily we all hope!).  Be sure to come out to wish him the best as well. ◦
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City of Hoboken Seeks Full Time Construction Code Official

The latest development from the City of Hoboken....

HOBOKEN SEEKS FULL TIME 
CONSTRUCTION CODE OFFICIAL

The City of Hoboken is seeking applications for the position of Construction Code Official. The City seeks honest and professional candidates to manage the construction office efficiently and treat all residents and business owners with respect and fairness. Certified Floodplain Managers and candidates with expertise in green construction elements including green roofs and solar installations and/or LEED certification are especially encouraged to apply. Candidates with experience establishing computerized systems to increase efficiency and customer service will also be highly considered.

The City has been operating with an interim Construction Code Official since 2011 and now seeks a permanent full-time position.

About the City of Hoboken, New Jersey

Hoboken, the “Mile Square City,” is a dynamic urban city with a population exceeding 50,000. Located on the Hudson River across from New York City, Hoboken is one of the most walkable cities in the country with the highest rate of public transportation usage. Washington Street, a vibrant retail and dining destination with many of Hoboken’s more than 100 sidewalk cafes, was named one of the Top 10 Streets in America. Featuring a world-class waterfront, a lively arts and music scene, and family-friendly parks and activities, Hoboken is a great place to live and work. Hoboken residents and all licensed professionals are invited to apply.

My Comment: Time to enter a new era with former construction code Al Arezzo's position finally being filled on a permanent basis.


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Monday, August 13, 2012

Kids First Announces BOE Slate - Theresa Minutillo Not Seeking Re-election

From Ruth McAllister Kids First BOE candidate for November 2102...

Kids First Announces BOE Slate - Theresa Minutillo Not Seeking Re-election

"It is with great enthusiasm and pride that I announce the Kids First 2012 Slate for the Hoboken Board of Education:
  • Ruthy McAllister
  • Jean Marie Mitchell
  • Tom Kluepfel
When it became apparent that we would have a spot available on our ticket, I approached Tom Kluepfel, an independent candidate, to run with me and Jean Marie. Tom Kluepfel, a Hoboken High parent, is one of the founders of the Elysian Charter School and served on its Board of Trustees for several years. Tom readily agreed as we all share similar goals for the district, a passion for the future of the Hoboken Public Schools and strong ethical beliefs about our duties as board trustees. The combination of my and Jean Marie's Board experience and Tom's energy and unique perspective will enable us to continue the progress begun by Kids First for the students and staff of the District!

Although I was saddened to hear that long time friend and colleague Theresa Minutillo decided not to seek re-election, I fully understand the need for her to take this time and focus on her family and career. I certainly appreciate her past efforts and the positive impact she had on the Hoboken Public Schools. I look forward to her continued support of the District and the Kids First 2012 ticket.

I am very excited about working together with Jean Marie and Tom, a great team for the students of Hoboken!

Kind Regards,
Ruthy McAllister"
From left to right Ruth McCallister and Theresa Minutillo


and here is Theresa Minutillo's brief note in her own words as to why she did not seek re-election...

"Dear Friends,

By now you have probably received Ruthy's press release announcing the Kids First slate for Nov. 2012. I wanted to give you my own brief explanation as to why I decided not to seek re-election.

It is with thoughtful consideration that I have decided not to seek re-election. After years of being able to balance the needs of my family, career and Board duties, I have discovered that I can no longer give the required time necessary for another three year term. I fully support the Hoboken Public School District, Dr. Toback's leadership and the board majority. I am proud of the accomplishments of the Kids First majority and grateful to everyone that supported me and Kids First these past six years. I look forward to continuing to be an active and devoted Wallace school parent and I am confident that the district and my child's education will be in great hands with a continued Kids First majority and the election of Ruth McAllister, Jean Marie Mitchell and Tom Kluepfel.

Sincerely,
Theresa Minutillo"

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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Reader Poll - Is Beth Mason Truly Evil?

As editor of the Hoboken Journal I suspended actively putting up posts on this website to focus on www.theboken.com which is a community resource for Hoboken with a positive approach to notifying people about events around town. Besides, Nancy Pincus at Grafix Avenger blog (http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com) and Roman Brice at Mile Square View (http://www.hobokenhorse.com) are doing a fine job keeping the good governance movement in the loop about the underhanded tactics of the opposition to good governance as well as reporting on the good intentions and policy of the current Mayor Dawn Zimmer.
Photo Courtesy of MSV aka HobokenHorse website

With some other obligations that I have winding down it is perhaps time to rebuild my audience once again. Why not start with a simple unscientific poll. There have been reports of another political push poll that went around this weekend. Now I can't confirm this 100% but usually the only one who can afford a push poll is Beth Mason. Thus, I have featured Beth Mason in one of my comeback posts.

As councilwoman Beth Mason has done the following deeds that are an affront to the taxpaying Hoboken citizenry:
  • Attacked Mayor Zimmer on TV, print, and policial smear website Hoboken 411 for being fiscally responsible and saving the HUMC Hospital.
  • Tried to sabotage the HUMC sale and even had a lien against the organization for one of her ineffective and nonsensical lawsuits against it. 
  • Voted against the bond that would have closed the deal for the Hospital. The Governor had to step in instead. Beth Mason then scrambled to cover her tracks with a bogus "minority council" deal (completely non-binding) because the bottom line was she was willing to have 1,000 people plus lose their jobs just to make the Mayor look bad. Its one thing to be on the wrong side of an issue it is quite another to then systemically lie about it after the fact.
  • She pays Matt Callichio (as he stated under oath in a court of law) who has harassed a number of elected officials and supporters of Mayor Zimmer over the years. Now the most recent case did not meet a criminal level of harassment but the judge did not buy into Matt's testimony calling him a liar. 
  • Questions have been raised about the filing status of 1200 Gallery which according to reports is rarely open as a gallery and appears to have political operatives on the payroll. Is this legit, is it a political organization, or a  tax shelter? These are legitimate questions and no transparency is coming from Beth Mason.
  • Beth Mason once openly advocated to have her number 1 supporting website listed as the City's Official website back in 2009. Could you imagine if that was allowed to happen what the twisted "reporting" would be like coming out of City Hall?
  • Any intelligent reading of her resume brings a reasonable person to conclude that it has more holes than Swiss cheese but the craziest thing I ever heard was that she claimed to be a part of the Goldman Sachs IPO when running for re-election in 2011. I heard this through a secondary source. 
  • Purportedly tried to push legislation through with the intent to silence the blogs in Hoboken. Now Tim Occhipinti was the official sponsor of the  legislation but I do believe Beth Mason had a hand in it since there is no way Timmy could write that ordinance himself. Beth very likely paid someone to do it. Luckily it was tabled. What was that effort any? Stalinistic Russia? Russolini?
  • Hoboken 411 has repeatedly gone after all of Beth Mason's political enemies yet has never ever uttered one negative word about her. EVER! If you think for one moment that there isn't a monetary relationship between those two I have a bridge to sell you for a dollar. Now that is just my opinion and I want to be careful here as Beth Mason might have the propensity to get a little SLAPP happy. After all, she has the money, the willingness to destroy her opponents. This is America and I am entitled to my opinion last time I checked. Hoboken 411 has done banner ads for her in the the past and his support of her is so 100% it is entirely plausible and actually quite possible that there is an arrangement. Can I prove it beyond a reasonable doubt? No. But do I believe it, absolutely yes.
  • The worst part about the H411 hit jobs very likely sponsored by Beth Mason is that I believe it decreases public participation and that has a corrosive effect on our democracy. Now you could say the same thing about Grafix Avenger or Da Horsey but when they go after someone like Mike Russo its not like they are going after some regular citizen, but rather a person who showed a willingness to sell out Hoboken to Solomon Dwek. There is a big difference.
Now, obstructionism isn't necessarily evil, just political games. But the question I pose to the readers in the poll below is Beth Mason evil, a misguided politician or is she the greatest thing since sliced bread? I won't state my opinion but merely offer this non-scientific poll below as a response to Ms. Mason's purported "purple pillow plopping" push poll:


Note: It is my opinion that Beth Mason and certain members of the old guard have declared total war on good governance in Hoboken and this is simply me providing an insightful retort to the Machiavellian machinations of Ms. Mason and her Family Civic League little shop of horrors.



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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Sign Petitions Tonight August 7th on Voting Changes at 8th and Garden Street

 Update 8/7/2012:

Sign Petitions tonight at 807 Garden Street Tuesday August 7th from 7-9pm


In an effort to help with this drive if you are a registered voter in Hoboken and reside here currently (or even if you are not registered) feel free to stop by at 807 Garden Street tonight between 7-9pm and sign both petitions. If I am not outside ring buzzer #6 and I will come down. Alternately you can call me at 917-543-1187 or email me  kurt.gardiner@gmail.com. In signing both petitions you simply allow them to get on the ballot and let the people decide if we move elections to November and/or eliminate the unnecessary run off elections. Hopefully some of you will find my midtown location convenient.


Also Vijay Chaudhuri is available if you are located downtown.


Vijay is one of the very active petition drive volunteers and is willing to come to your home to get your signature. Reach out to him at vijay.chaudhuri@gmail.com if my location is too far.

As reported previously on MSV....

November petition effort will let the Hoboken people


decide when municipal elections are held


A petition that is circulating recently proposes a November referendum this fall giving voters in the coming presidential election a choice on when to hold Hoboken municipal elections.  Those elections are currently scheduled for May next spring.

If approved, the referendum will move municipal elections scheduled from May to later in the fall in November.

Separately, a second petition proposes ending runoff elections eliminating a costly expenditure for both taxpayers and candidates.  Three at-large council seats and the mayor would be affected in any switch likely decided this November by Hoboken voters.  If voters approve the measures, their terms would be extended in the one time switch from May to November next year.

Sign Petitions tonight at 807 Garden Street August 6th from 7-9pm


In an effort to help with this drive if you are a registered voter in Hoboken and reside here currently (or even if you are not registered) feel free to stop by at 807 Garden Street tonight between 7-9pm and sign both petitions. If I am not outside ring buzzer #6 and I will come down. Alternately you can call me at 917-543-1187 or email me  kurt.gardiner@gmail.com. In signing both petitions you simply allow them to get on the ballot and let the people decide if we move elections to November and/or eliminate the unnecessary run off elections. Hopefully some of you will find my midtown location convenient.

The petitions seek two important things:

1. Move the Hoboken municipal election from May to the general November election; and
2. Eliminate the run-off election, with the highest vote-getters being declared the winners.

These are petitions whose time has come:

1. Increase voter turnout! By having the election in November, it will encourage greater voter turnout. People know that voting in general elections in November are important, and the bigger the turnout, the fairer the election.
2. Reduce voter fatigue! Never again, will we have so many elections in a single year!
3. Reduce costs to taxpayers! By consolidating elections, we will save the taxpayers money. Each election costs more than $75,000. This year, the Board of Education elections were moved to November. Let's keep the momentum going and move the municipal elections to November too!
4. Reduce the costs to the candidates! By having not just one, but two municipal elections (the first round and the run-off), the costs are extraordinary. As a result, too often the candidates need to be independently wealthy, or beholden to special interests that expect payback after election day.

The deadline is looming and petitions are due on August 15th and about 1500 signatures are needed to ensure there is the correct number of approved petition signatures for both petitions.




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