Author Archive

Furlough Day Will Shut Most City Offices Friday

By Jon Whiten • Mar 11th, 2010 • Category: Blog, News

The furlough day scheduled for Friday, March 12 will close the majority of city offices; the Recreation Department will remain open, as will the police and fire departments.
Here’s the schedule for the remaining furlough days, which will run through June.
The following city offices will be closed on these days:
Friday, March 12, 2010: Administration; City [...]



Thursday Morning News Roundup

By Jon Whiten • Mar 11th, 2010 • Category: Blog

- Not Many Attendees at Spectra Public Meeting: While the proposal to route a natural gas pipeline extension through Jersey City has drawn criticism from a bevy of politicians and some local residents, turnout was light at Tuesday night’s public informational meeting.
- Council Action: An ordinance to make City Council jobs full-time was removed from [...]



Port Authority Phasing Out Older Port Trucks

By Jon Whiten • Mar 10th, 2010 • Category: Blog, News

The Port Authority and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a plan to replace some of the heaviest truck polluters at area ports and completely phase out older trucks in the coming years.
The $28 million program, partly funded by a $7 million EPA grant, is designed to encourage the owners of up to [...]



Continued Economic Woes Help Push Public Transit Use Down in ‘09

By Jon Whiten • Mar 10th, 2010 • Category: Blog, News

It’s the economy, stupid.
That’s why the number of public transportation trips in New Jersey and across the United States decreased in 2009, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which on Monday released its annual report on transit-riding statistics.
The total number of trips across the country fell to 10.2 billion in 2009, a 3.8 [...]



Attention Artists: Free Spaces Available at Everything Jersey City Festival

By Jon Whiten • Mar 10th, 2010 • Category: Arts, Blog

The third annual Everything Jersey City Festival has been scheduled for Saturday, May 22, and the Central Avenue Special Improvement District is looking for Hudson County artists to display their wares. The CASID already offers discounts for artists to rent a booth at the festival ($30); now they will give some away for free as [...]



Wednesday Morning News Roundup

By Jon Whiten • Mar 10th, 2010 • Category: Blog

- Elections Move Criticized: City clerk Robert Byrne told the City Council this week that moving municipal elections to November could create chaos inside the voting booth and potentially create the need for two separate ballots at the polls. The elections move, allowed by a state law passed early this year, is supported by Ward [...]



Kanibal Home Launching Art Classes

By Jon Whiten • Mar 9th, 2010 • Category: Arts, Blog

The Montgomery Street boutique Kanibal Home is rolling out some intimate art classes taught by Jersey City’s own James French.
The classes, which begin this Friday, are open to only 10 people. The first lesson is on Scratchboard Drawing — you can take this one on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 pm, or Tuesday, March [...]



Tuesday Morning News Roundup

By Jon Whiten • Mar 9th, 2010 • Category: Blog

- Full-Time Council? Ward F councilwoman Viola Richardson is introducing an ordinance to make City Council jobs full-time, and another to increase the maximum salary for council members from $22,500 to $90,000 and for council president from $24,500 to $100,000. Both would begin July 1, 2013, and are meeting resistance from the administration.
- Re-introducing Bills: [...]



_gaia Looking for Local Short Films for Lunafest

By Jon Whiten • Mar 8th, 2010 • Category: Arts, Blog

_gaia Studio is looking for local short films by or about women for April’s Lunafest Jersey City 2010 film festival.
Lunafest is a traveling festival of short films by, for, and about women. _gaia needs films from Hudson County residents that are under 10 minutes long, and center around issues concerning the lives of women [...]



Monday Morning News Roundup

By Jon Whiten • Mar 7th, 2010 • Category: Blog

- Help for Transit? U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and other elected officials are set to announce this morning plans for a federal recovery act that would help offset the massive cuts that have come recently to NJ Transit, resulting in worker layoffs, fare hikes and service cuts.
- Cuts to UEZ Funds Hurting Cities: More than [...]