The Jersey City Independent "

- Fare Hikes Eased for Bus and Light Rail Riders: NJ Transit plans to reduce its proposed bus and light rail fare hike to 10 percent, down from 25 percent, while restoring some services, though the plan to increase commuter train fares by 25 percent remains intact as the agency heads toward a vote on the plan on Wednesday. If approved, the new fares — and the service cuts — will go into effect May 1. Meanwhile, the Tri-State Campaign’s Kate Slevin highlights “a few issues and angles that haven’t made it to the front pages” regarding the fare hikes and service cuts.

- UEZ Concerns Heard in Trenton: Municipal officials and business owners from New Jersey’s cities told the state Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee yesterday the many ways budget cuts to the 26-year-old Urban Enterprise Zone program will hurt. Gov. Christie’s proposed budget withholds more than $91 million from the 37 municipalities within 32 designated zones. The program will remain intact, still giving tax breaks to businesses in certain areas of the state and allowing them to charge half the state’s 7 percent sales tax rate. But Christie’s budget would keep all the sales tax, instead of returning half to the towns as is currently the case.

- Cops Pin 3 More Murders on Teen: The 19-year-old Jersey City man charged, along with two women, in the murder of a 27- and 25-year-old couple on Easter Sunday has now been charged in three additional Jersey City homicides. The man reportedly picked up the additional charges after being interrogated regarding the first murder charge, but it is not clear from news reports if he confessed. Investigators say they have recovered a shotgun they believe was used in all of the killings.

- Hope for Eroding Waterfront Parks? Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Bob Martin says he will investigate whether there is funding to address erosion issues at Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

- Award for Jersey City Home: Couple Nicole Robertson and Richard Garber were recently honored by the American Institute of Architects’ New Jersey chapter for their 1,600-square-foot home Greenville home that was built for $250,000. Judges called it “inventive with a limited budget.”

- Construction Firm Fined for Fire: New York-based Addon Construction was cited for performing a welding job without a permit after sparks from repairs to a fire escape ignited trash between buildings on Montgomery Street and Washington Boulevard yesterday afternoon.

- JC on TV: The HGTV reality competition show Battle On the Block was shooting near Hamilton Park recently; Kanibal Home’s Kristen Scalia was asked to be a part of the program, and she says “it was amazing.” (Look for the episode to air in May or June.)

- Clock Fixed: Dislocations notes that the clock at the Grove Street PATH station, which was incorrect for quite a long time, has been fixed.

- HCCC Rewards a Big Grant: On Thursday, Hudson County College will officially name Room E505 in the Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center the “Pioneers’ Room” as a thank-you for a $50,000 donation to the college’s foundation by the West Hudson Chapter of the Pioneer Boys and Girls of America.

Today’s Best Bets:

- A five-day free run of the musical comedy Urinetown at St. Peter’s College kicks off tonight (8 pm), while there is free live music on tap at two Downtown venues: Fiesta Flamenca is at Bar Majestic (8 pm), and Tip Canary and the McMickle Brothers are at Lucky 7′s (9 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Christie Urges Residents to Vote Down School Budgets: Gov. Christie is asking voters to reject school budget proposals in districts where teachers have not agreed to a wage freeze — the majority of districts statewide.

- A Hidden Cost of Budget Cuts: As Gov. Christie proposes massive spending cuts in all kinds of state agencies, those agencies lose the ability to qualify for millions more dollars in federal funding. Meanwhile, a new poll finds that 32 percent of those polled say they are satisfied with the governor’s budget plan, another 32 percent say they can live with it, but 44 percent say they’re dissatisfied. And only 25 percent say the budget spreads the pain evenly. The same poll finds that registered voters are more likely to blame Christie for impending teacher layoffs than either the teachers’ unions or local school boards.

- Foster Kids Unprepared When Leaving System: Two-thirds of New Jersey’s oldest foster children haven’t completed a “life skills” course that would help them to live independently and qualify for financial assistance, according to a New Jersey Child Welfare Citizen Review Panel report released Monday.

- Christie Will Keep Parks Open: The Christie administration has reaffirmed the governor’s commitment to keeping state parks open this summer, but says that will be accomplished by taking money from the state’s Shade Tree and Community Forest Preservation License Plate Fund, which replaces trees destroyed by state construction projects.

- Pressure on Christie to Fight Health Care Reform: New Jersey conservatives are trying to ratchet up the pressure on Gov. Christie and Attorney General Paula Dow to join a number of other states in challenging the constitutionality of the recently signed federal health care bill.

- The Snowstorms’ Impact on Toll Revenue: New Jersey Turnpike officials say they lost an estimated $8 million in revenue because of three winter storms during the first month of the year. And that doesn’t include the cost of plowing and salting.

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