The Jersey City Independent "

NOTE: This story has been updated. Christ Hospital CEO Peter Kelly last night defended his decision to sell cash-strapped Christ Hospital to the for-profit California hospital chain Prime Healthcare Services, making his remarks to the roughly 100 people who had gathered at an often heated community meeting to discuss the pending sale. The lightning-rod for-profit [...]

At 4:30 pm, just as the State Office Building at 438 Summit Avenue in Jersey City was closing for the day, the deputy coordinator for the Hudson County chapter of MoveOn.org was standing outside, flanked by a dozen supporters.

Leon Gast’s return to Jersey City last month was bittersweet. The city’s only native Oscar winner made the weekend trip from his Woodstock, N.Y. home for the first annual Golden Door International Film Festival. For two days and all across town, his four-decade career was celebrated: with a lifetime achievement award at the Landmark Loew’s [...]

The nearly month-old Occupy Jersey City movement is more subdued and better organized than it was at its start. Last night’s general assembly at Journal Square attracted a fluctuating crowd of about 40 protestors, but no police. There were no barricades and those occupying overnight were few. Those who did were outnumbered by the surrounding homeless population.

Monday’s first Occupy New Jersey general assembly at the Grove Street PATH plaza was more subdued and more productive than last week’s attempt at an occupation of the Goldman Sachs building at 30 Hudson Street, which brought out hundreds of police, private security, protestors, and media, and ended the same day with a brief march on City Hall.

By 10:30 pm last night, Alexander Waight was home, recording a post-mortem for yesterday’s Occupy New Jersey protest in Jersey City. “Good evening brothers and sisters,” he began, speaking into his camera. “As you know, Occupy New Jersey was not as successful as we thought it would be, but it was still successful in the long run.”

If you don’t see Grove Street PATH stop staple Louisiana Spice Truck on the sidewalk next week it’s not because chef Jessie Dardar’s been driven away by another ticket blitz. After months rehearsing desserts like bacon creme brulee, Valrhona brownies and rose and lychee macarons, the Roanne and Paris trained chef has been invited to debut his dessert truck, La Petite Temptation, at next week’s opening of the Whitney Biennial.

High school juniors and seniors from around New Jersey descended on Hudson County Community College (HCCC) yesterday, wielding kitchen knives and business plans. They were there to compete in the New Jersey Restaurant Association’s (NJRA) third annual ProStart Student Invitational Competition, where students fight it out for a chance at a trip to the Nationals, [...]