The Jersey City Independent "

- We’re a little late on this one, but CNN.com did a report earlier in the month on the lack of construction jobs in Jersey City.

- James Joyce, one of the men allegedly attacked by Susan Kolb’s dogs earlier this year, is filing a civil lawsuit against the Downtown resident. Kolb tells the JJ that Joyce is exaggerating. The criminal case is still tied up in court.

- A frustrated mom whose son is enrolled at School 3 wants to know why playground equipment hasn’t been replaced, months after fund-raisers were held to do just that. The president of the Hudson County PTA says she’s auditing the funds. Apparently, the Journal‘s reporter and photographer were kicked out of the School 3 PTA meeting this week by the school’s principal.

- The CEO of Honeywell, which for years contaminated Jersey City’s western riverfront, received compensation last year valued at about $30.8 million, up nearly 55 percent from 2007, according to the Associated Press.

- In advance of tomorrow night’s opening of Beth Achenbach’s photo exhibit at Art House Productions, Jeff Theodore talks to Achenbach about her work. The exhibit, “In Search of Mother Nature,” is a celebration of Women’s History Month and will begin at 8 pm tomorrow. The band double-breasted is slated to perform as well.

- The annual Book Blast! event for kids 3 to 8 years old will be at the Newport Centre Mall tomorrow from 12-2 pm.

In statewide news:

- NJ is not required to hire in-state contractors to work on projects bankrolled by the stimulus package, leaving open the possibility of hiring some out-of-state firms.

- Gov. Corzine and other state Democratic leaders are calling for assemblyman Joe Vas to resign. He was stripped of all committee memberships and leadership posts in the Assembly yesterday. Vas was indicted Wednesday on 11 charges of bid-rigging, theft, misconduct and tampering with public records while mayor of Perth Amboy.

- Last year’s 3.7 increase in residential property taxes is the lowest in NJ in nearly a decade, but on average, property taxes topped $7,000 for the first time.

- A new report from the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University says most of the new green jobs that will be created in the years ahead will be in the area of energy efficiency, like conducting energy audits and weatherizing buildings.

- A survey of 351 NJ nonprofits released this week by the Center for Nonprofits shows that the organizations are facing a rising demand for services coupled with a shrinking amount of funding as a result of the recession. Meanwhile, nonprofit arts groups in NJ continue to struggle. Many are cutting back on performances this season.

- Paterson’s needle-exchange program has curtailed the street trade of dirty syringes and successfully drawn more than 150 drug addicts into treatment since its inception more than a year ago, the mayor and program officials say.

- The Attorney General’s Office has filed lawsuits against three companies it claims preyed on the mortgage woes of residents and investors to reap millions of dollars.

- State Senator Ray Lesniak says he’ll file a lawsuit against the federal government in an attempt to overturn a 17-year-old ban on sports betting.

- A new Rasmussen Reports poll has more bad news for Gov. Corzine’s re-election quest. In the poll, he trails potential GOP rival Chris Christie by 15 points, and even trails another Republican hopeful, Steve Lonegan, by 8 points.

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