Photo of the Day - Elysian Cafe in Hoboken via HDR

Here is a photo of the day segment I just posted on www.TheBoken.com. I am reprinting it here to keep The Hoboken Journal somewhat up to date while I consider what to do with this website going forward which will include periodic updates. I am not just sure yet as to the frequency and content.



The experiment with HDR continues at TheBoken.com  with another Hoboken visual treasure, the Elysian Café at 10th and Washington Street. I will likely be re-visiting this place once the outdoor portion of the  café opens up. The flowers and plants are quite beautiful when they are set up and make for a great weekend brunch spot when the weather is nice.  Just for comparison sake here is the same photo below with an artistic cloth effect applied.



And below is an Instagram version I did by cropping the photo and applying a few more effects. Just last week I opened up and account for TheBoken on Instagram and we already have 62 followers.  From time to time I will use this account to feature photos other than the photo of the day or different versions.

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Photo of the Day - Elysian Cafe in Hoboken via HDR

City of Hoboken Promotes Two Police Superior Officers

The latest police promotions from Hoboken...

CITY OF HOBOKEN PROMOTES TWO POLICE SUPERIOR OFFICERS

Police Sergeant John T. Orrico was promoted to the rank of Police Lieutenant and Police Officer Steven Aguiar was promoted to the rank of Police Sergeant at a ceremony in City Hall this afternoon. Congratulations to Lieutenant Orrico and Sergeant Aguiar and their families on their well-deserved promotions.

Pictured [left to right]: City Clerk James Farina, Police Chief Anthony Falco, Police Sergeant Steven Aguiar, Police Lieutenant John T. Orrico, Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Public Safety Director Jon Tooke

Note: Or should the headline read- "City of Hoboken Promotes Two Superior Police Officers"?



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City of Hoboken Promotes Two Police Superior Officers

Hoboken Irish Cultural Festival Recap 3/14- Photos and Videos

Republished from www.TheBoken.com  .....




When Chris Halleron came up with the idea to have Hoboken's First Irish Festival, it was borne out of the notion that he was disappointed that there would be no Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year. Rather than try and assign blame or point fingers in this politically charged town, Chris a proud Irishman, decided to do something positive about it and the idea of the festival went from inception to reality. When the current Administration in Hoboken heard about this plan to host the event they were supportive and helped spread the word. Chris in no way was trying to replace the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade with this event but rather start perhaps a new tradition focused on Irish tradition music, sport, beer and food. Kudos to Chris Halleron for taking a chance and putting this event together.

Yesterday on March 14th 2012 , perfect weather helped garner a good sized turnout for the event . Absent were many of the normal political figures from the opposition to the Mayor but the beer area was pretty full nonetheless. Some members of the Cunning family, the originators of the Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade were also in attendance at this event. Earlier in the day there were more kids and family and as the evening progressed more adults joined the beer area and listened to the bands.

TheBoken.com spoke to one couple later that night at the Elysian Café that attended and they said liked the festival and heard about it through friends. They said both had a couple of beers and liked the musical acts especially the final one which was The Pale Boys. Earlier in the day there was a hurling demonstration (of the sporting and non-barfing kind which is nice for a change) on the Little league field and Traditional Irish Step Dancers from the Garden Street School of Performing Arts. The bands were The Will O’Connor Band, Paddy, George Murphy from Dublin and the Pale Boys and they all gave quality mostly Irish musical performances. George Murphy threw the crowd a bit of a curve with a Bob Marley song but it proved to be a good sing a long and they stuck to mostly Irish tunes after that.

All proceeds from beer sales from last night will go to Hoboken Shelter and the American Legion Post 107′s Adopt-A-Soldier program. Vietnam veteran and long time Hobokenite and Irishman Jon Cary gave a quick speech about the successes of the Adopt-A-Soldier program as well as Jaclyn Cherubini about the Hoboken Shelter. There was also a very good food vendor which had fish and chips and another selling Irish souvenirs. If this event is held next year it would seem there could be a good opportunity for several more vendors to be added. Below are photos and videos from the event….

Hoboken Irish Cultural Festival Photos from 3-14-2012:



Video- Highlights from Hoboken Irish Cultural Festival 3-14-2012:



Video- Will O’Connor Band at Hoboken Irish Cultural Festival 3-14-2012:

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Hoboken Irish Cultural Festival Recap 3/14- Photos and Videos

PSA- Buzzed Driving Could Cost You $10,000 – Six Tips to Prevent Driving Buzzed on St. Patrick's Day

Here is a public service announcement about encouraging people not to drink and drive on st. Patrick's Day as well as any other day. In Hoboken, with all the public transportation options available there really is no excuse for driving buzzed or drunk.....

Buzzed Driving Could Cost You $10,000 – Six Tips to Prevent Driving Buzzed on St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and driving buzzed on the holiday could cost you a pot of leprechaun’s gold – like up to $10,000 in legal fees, court costs, and increased insurance rates.

For many Americans, St. Patrick’s Day has become a popular night out to celebrate with friends and family. Unfortunately, due to the large number of drunk drivers, the night out has also become very dangerous.

Here are six ways to help prevent buzzed driving in your community this St. Patrick’s Day:

1. Post the NHTSA new St. Patrick’s infographic (attached) on your blog or Facebook page
2. Before drinking, plan ahead and designate a sober driver
3. If you’re impaired, call a taxi, sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely
4. Use your community’s sober ride program
5. If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate, contact local law enforcement
6. Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. If you know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, take the driver’s keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely

NHTSA needs your help in keeping the roads safe for everyone this St. Patrick’s Day by spreading the word that Buzzed Driving IS Drunk Driving.

Follow NHTSA on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the financial and life threatening implications of buzzed driving.

Remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Don't rely on dumb luck this St. Patrick's Day. Plan ahead and designate a sober driver and ask your loved ones to do the same.

Links:

Website: www.buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org
Twitter: www.twitter.com/buzzeddriving
Facebook: www.facebook.com/buzzeddrivingisdrunkdriving

Posting notes like this demonstrates that TheBoken.com supports responsible partying. Be safe out there people. ◦

PSA- Buzzed Driving Could Cost You $10,000 – Six Tips to Prevent Driving Buzzed on St. Patrick's Day

Hoboken Irish Festival is Today 4-10pm Great Weather Predicted

According to organizer Chris Halleron the “Beer permit has been secured! Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s on draught thanks to Peerless Beverages. All proceeds from beer sales will go to Hoboken Shelter and the American Legion Post 107′s Adopt-A-Soldier program.” The flyer for the event has also been released as shown above.
The itinerary is as follows:

• 4pm- Hoboken Guards Hurling Exhibition (this type of hurling is actually a real sport)
• 6pm- Traditional Irish Step Dancers from the Garden Street School of Performing Arts

Musical Performances by:

• Paddy and the Pale Boys
• George Murphy from Dublin
• The Will O’Connor Band

To read the original announcement from the City of Hoboken go to: City-of-Hoboken-Inaugural-Irish-Cultural-Festival

The link to the Facebook event is here: http://www.facebook.com/events/353842537988783/ ◦

Hoboken Irish Festival is Today 4-10pm Great Weather Predicted

Photo of the Day - First Street Barber Shop

In case you missed it on TheBoken.com here is the photo of the day. This photographic technique is HDR where photos of differing exposure are combined to give a high dynamic range in the photo. The First Street Barber Shop seemed like good subject for this technique.

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Photo of the Day - First Street Barber Shop

Photo Essay Two Words - Not Compliant (as of 12/31/2011)

In response to last night's Hoboken BOE meeting and it being attended by all Board members I would like to pose this photo caption contest of my photo essay "Two Words - Not Compliant". Apparently one Hoboken BOE member was not compliant as of 12/31/2011 with respect to fulfilling all the background check and documentation required for serving BOE members. Due to some last minute "fast tracking" this member was bale to get his/her paperwork in order. Talk about last minute leadership Batman. Close call on that one. Last night had the board in full attendance and voting 9-0 in favor of Superintendent Dr. Toback's agenda. Share your thoughts below on the photo and the responsibility of all elected officials to follow the rule of law.

For those who might need more background go to Hoboken Patch:

http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/hoboken-school-board-completes-background-check#comments_list
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Photo Essay Two Words - Not Compliant (as of 12/31/2011)

Update on 1st and Jackson Street Fire Victims Fundraiser

Here is an update from Rory Chadwick on the efforts to get support out to the families displaced by the fire at 1st and Jackson Street this last weekend....

Just to let you all know we are now receiving donations from people on the west coast!  Tons of people emailing and calling looking to help.  Furniture now being donated too.  Lots of stores donating prizes too.  1 week of time share is already donated for the girls to use themselves after they get settled in, it's valid anywhere in the world for a week.  We are also working on possibly getting a 1 week stay for the girls at The Mondrian Hotel in South Beach Miami.  Lots of amazing people in town offering some amazing things and we're just getting started.

Please note that paypal users can donate by sending donations to Jake Stiver by sending him an email at  jstuiver@gmail.com.

There are now more drop off locations where people can leave clothing, sundries, shoes and anything else.

The locations so far are:

• The Wicked Wolf, 120 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken
• Hudson Family Chiropractic, 51 Newark St Suite #203, Hoboken
• H-Mag - 80 River St Penthouse North, Hoboken
• Midtown Authentic - 728 Washington St Basement, Hoboken

We are also in need of some volunteers to help out this week and next.  People that are interested in helping can email midtownauthentic@gmail.com, joemindak@h-mag.com and josephebranco@yahoo.com.

More drop off locations are coming and we are seeking local eateries to donate food for the charity event. Thanks everyone for posting and supporting!

- Rory Chadwick

Writer, Hoboken Robin and Retail Proprietor of Midtown Authentic ◦

Update on 1st and Jackson Street Fire Victims Fundraiser

John Corea Pleads Guilty to Theft While Director at HPU

Yesterday, former Hoboken Parking Utility Driector John Corea pled guilty to theft. Below is the release from the NJ Attorney General's Office....

 

Ex-Director of Hoboken Parking Utility Pleads Guilty to Official Misconduct for His Role in $600,000 Theft of Parking Meter Funds 

Contractor from Toms River previously pleaded guilty to theft

John Corea

TRENTON – Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that John P. Corea, the former director of the Hoboken Parking Utility, has pleaded guilty to official misconduct for his role in the theft of $600,000 by a Toms River contractor whose company was hired by the City of Hoboken to collect coins from city parking meters.

According to Director Taylor, Corea, 47, of Hoboken, pleaded guilty on Friday afternoon (Dec. 16), to a second-degree charge of official misconduct before Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson Jr. in Ocean County. The state will recommend under the plea agreement that Corea be sentenced to eight years in state prison, including three years of parole ineligibility. He must pay $300,000 in restitution to the City of Hoboken and will be permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey. The charge against Corea was contained in an indictment obtained as a result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police.

“This defendant corruptly exploited his public office, at a high cost to the City of Hoboken,” said Attorney General Dow. “We are seeking a lengthy prison sentence for this flagrant betrayal of trust.”

“In this difficult fiscal climate, taxpayers need to have confidence that government officials will act as honest and vigilant stewards of all public revenues,” said Director Taylor. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute corrupt public officials such as Corea.”

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey J. Manis took the guilty plea for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Judge Hodgson will schedule Corea to be sentenced in February 2012.

In pleading guilty, Corea admitted, among other things, that, while director of the Hoboken Parking Utility, he steered three separate no-bid contracts to United Textile Fabricators to collect, count and manage the coins from the city’s parking meters. He admitted that he made false statements to the city council about the qualifications and experience of the company, which is a coin-operated arcade game manufacturer. He further admitted that he came to believe that United Textile and its owner, Brian A. Petaccio, 51, of Toms River, had stolen a substantial amount of the city’s parking revenues, but did not take any steps to stop the thefts or notify the city.

Petaccio pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2009 to an accusation charging him with second-degree theft by unlawful taking for stealing more than $1.1 million in coins from Hoboken’s parking meters between June 2005 and April 2008. Petaccio faces up to seven years in prison under his plea agreement and also must pay $300,000 in restitution to the City of Hoboken. After an audit in 2007 uncovered parking revenue shortfalls, Petaccio and his company returned approximately $575,000 to the city. However, Petaccio admitted, in pleading guilty, that he diverted an additional $600,000 that was not reported to the city. Petaccio will also be scheduled for sentencing in February 2012.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey J. Manis of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. The investigation was conducted by Detective Peter Layng of the State Police Official Corruption Bureau North Unit and Sgt. Lisa Shea of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau, with additional assistance from Deputy Attorney General Perry Primavera and Administrative Analyst Kathleen Ratliff, also of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau.

Attorney General Dow and Director Taylor noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities: 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division website at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the tipline or webpage will remain confidential.

Here is the link to the press release: http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases11/pr20111219b.html
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John Corea Pleads Guilty to Theft While Director at HPU

Maurice Fitzgibbons passes on - Mayor Zimmer Remarks

Statement by Mayor Zimmer on the Passing of Maurice Fitzgibbons

I learned this morning that Maurice Fitzgibbons passed away. On behalf of the City of Hoboken, I express my condolences to his family and friends. Maurice served the City of Hoboken for many years on the Board of Chosen Freeholders. He was a strong advocate of the arts, with a long history of service to our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. ◦

Maurice Fitzgibbons passes on - Mayor Zimmer Remarks