The Jersey City Independent "

- The Reporter has more on the Friends of Liberty State Park’s loss in court last week, and what it means for the group’s ongoing fight against the “Empty Sky” 9/11 memorial being built in the park.

- The City Council’s vote to move forward with the purchase of the Parking Authority building shows that the “city government cannot be trusted,” the Journal editorializes.

- T&M Associates, which recently came under fire for potentially violating Jersey City’s pay to play law, is one of the largest single contributors to municipal and county campaigns this year. The influence of T&M and other companies who receive local contracts is proof to many that pay to play still exists in New Jersey, despite a state ban that covers state contracts. Unlike Jersey City, most municipalities and counties don’t have pay to play laws.

- An Assembly committee plans to discuss a bill today to expedite the payment of accidental death benefits for families of fallen police officers and firefighters; the bill comes after the wife of slain JCPD detective Marc DiNardo had to wait three months for the payments to begin.

- A two-alarm fire in the Heights this weekend sent 12 residents to the hospital and initially displaced 23 families; firefighters also pulled the decomposing body of a 63-year-old woman from the building as they fought the fire. She is believed to have been dead for a few days.

- The Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey is pushing the Hudson County freeholders to create a bicycle lane stretching the length of River Road, a favorite for local cyclists despite its heavy automobile traffic and at times nonexistent shoulder.

- Turns out Hudson County blogger and right-wing radio host Hal Turner was used very often by federal authorities in their post-9/11 battle against domestic terrorism.

- Here’s a gem of a quote from Mayor Healy, from when he met Gov.-elect Chris Christie last week at St. Lucy’s Shelter: “You probably know more about me than I do about you.”

- The Times has a “quick bite” review of Paratha Junction in India Square, which is “already popular for its classic yet modern take on the dense flatbread called paratha.”

- The Hudson County Child Abuse Prevention Commission hopes to collect 6,000 gifts this holiday season, one for every Hudson County child currently receiving services from the state Division of Youth and Family Services.

- Shoppers turned out in droves for Black Friday sales at Jersey City’s malls and big-box stores. (If you’re looking for alternatives to the mall, remember to check out our list of ongoing holiday deals from local merchants and artisans.)

- Kevin Powell talks about his new book and his childhood growing up in Jersey City.

In statewide news:

- We told you last week about some local clergy members mobilizing against same-sex marriage. They’re not the only ones. Late last week, New Jersey’s Catholic bishops asked priests to read or distribute a letter over the weekend weekend asking Catholics to pray that the bill doesn’t pass. Meanwhile, supporters and opponents of the bill are spending hundreds of thousands to launch ads to sway the legislature, but the public may never learn who pays for them.

- A new report on state renewable energy regulations gives New Jersey top marks along with California, Colorado and Oregon.

- The Assembly State Government Committee will consider legislation today that would set lower and more uniform fees for copies of official state government documents. Under current law, document copying fees vary widely, with some state departments and agencies allowed to charge residents seeking information up to $10 per page. Under the bill (A-1095), the cost that could be charged to an individual for public records could not exceed 10 cents per page for letter-size copies or 15 cents per page for legal-size copies. (See today’s op-ed from the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government’s Ron Miskoff for more on this issue.)

- Business groups are excited about the prospects of a Christie administration.

- The day after Thanksgiving was an unpaid furlough day for many of the state’s unionized workers.

- The auto insurance company Palisades wants your holiday photos for a just-launched contest; prizes range from $1,000 shopping sprees to a two-year lease on a new car.

Like what you've read here? Please consider making a donation or becoming a sustaining member. As a grassroots news organization, we rely on community support -- as well as paid advertising -- to survive.