The Jersey City Independent "

- Shakeup at Liberty Humane: The entire board of directors of Liberty Humane Society resigned last night, alleging mismanagement of finances and citing a loss of control over the Liberty Humane Society’s decisions. Animal advocates had been upset by the board’s vote last month to cap the number of dogs housed at the shelter at between 45 and 57 — fewer than a contract with Jersey City says they should have.

- Bonding for Potential Embankment Purchase: The City Council has narrowly approved a $7.7 million bond ordinance to fund the potential acquisition of the 6th Street Embankment. Now comes the real question: will developer Steve Hyman, who owns the land, sell it? That remains far from certain. Speaking of the Embankment, the Times has a piece about other cities across the country trying to reclaim elevated rail lines for park use, all inspired somewhat by NYC’s High Line.

- Rockaway Township Angry About Jersey City-Owned Reservoir: As crowds flock to swim in the Splitrock Reservoir in Rockaway, the township is upset with Jersey City over the lack of enforcement. Rockaway claims it cannot, by law, stop people from swimming there, a point Jersey City contends.

- Bridge Stops in Jersey City: Sitting atop two barges, the new 350-foot Willis Avenue Bridge arrived at the Weeks Marine facility early yesterday morning for final prepping before it is installed over the Harlem River next month.

- St. Peter’s College Meets Fundraising Goal: St. Peter’s College says it has ended Fiscal Year 2010 by exceeding its $2 million Annual Fund goal, a feat that has not been accomplished since Fiscal Year 2007.

- NJCU Gets First-Ever Golf Coach: Charlie Auletto, current assistant baseball coach at New Jersey City University, has been appointed the first head coach of the Gothic Knight men’s golf team. The program will begin play in Fall 2010 and its first schedule and roster will be announced in September.

- Park & Sixth Comfort Food: The new deli/food store on Grove Street near the corner of 1st Street hopes to open sometime this summer.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The Ricky Powell photography exhibition we previewed earlier this weeks is set to open with a reception at 58 Gallery (7 pm). Elsewhere, the free outdoor Summer Dance Fest series begins with a performance at Grundy Pier (6:30 pm), The Hope Center in the Heights holds a benefit concert for the arts space (7:30 pm), the Warehouse hosts a free screening of The White Ribbon (8 pm), and Manouche Bag does its weekly jazz thing at Madame Claude’s.

In Statewide News:

- State Health Insurance Costs Going Up: The day after Gov. Christie signed a new law establishing a 2 percent cap on municipal budgets that includes an exemption for rising healthcare costs, a consultant to the New Jersey State Health Benefits Commission recommended that 360 local governments pay healthcare insurance premiums in 2011 that are 11.7 percent higher, a slight drop from last year’s jump of 16 percent, but still a big increase for towns and cities to absorb. MORE here and here.

- Medical Marijuana Inches Closer: Sen. Nicholas Scutari says he now supports the idea of having the state’s supply of medical marijuana initially grown by Rutgers University, and he is now working with the Christie administration to modify the law to put the system in place.

- Bill Would Suspend Licenses of Repeat Cellphone Ban Violators: Sen. Dick Codey has introduced a bill that would suspend the licenses of three-time offenders of the state’s ban on driving while talking or texting on a handheld device. A parallel bill has been proposed in the lower house by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano.

- NJ Transit to Try Out Quiet Cars: A pilot program to start after Labor Day will ban cellphones and other noise from the first and last cars of certain weekday express trains on the Northeast Corridor. The agency also approved a $1.79 billion operating budget Wednesday — which includes fare hikes that went into effect in May — and a $1.35 billion capital program that includes the purchase of at least 100 additional multilevel rail cars and rail infrastructure improvements.

- NJ’s Progress on Federal Health Care Reform: The state is “rapidly moving ahead” with the implementation of the historic health reform act, a massive task that could call for 60,000 pages of regulations by the time it’s done.

- Court Rules on Warrantless Police Searches: The state Supreme Court has ruled protective sweeps on private property must be cursory and conducted only when officers reasonably suspect someone there seeks to harm them. Experts say the unanimous decision both expands and limits police power.

- PSE&G Lowering Gas Rates: PSE&G says it is lowering gas bills again, only five weeks after its last decrease, because of an abundance of cheap natural gas supplies that should save gas customers money next winter.

- Proposal Would Double New Jersey Spill Fund Liability: Industry representatives say that the state’s onshore petroleum and chemical industries will be punished for BP’s oil rig spill in the Gulf of Mexico if a new bill being considered Thursday by the Senate Energy and Environment Committee is passed.

- Sharks! They’ve been spotted close to shore at two New Jersey beaches this week.

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