Hudson County Feeding the Rental Appetite: Hudson County rules the rental housing market in New Jersey, with the largest amount of Class A rental units and the highest average rental rate in the state–and the market is expected to grow rapidly, especially on the waterfront where several new projects in Jersey City are already underway.

Jersey City School’s Contest Helps ‘Kindle’ Student Interest in Reading: The Al-Ghazaly School, a nonprofit private school, has started a successful Kindle contest to get students to read more–some students now read 2 books a week and vie for the highest book report grades to compete for the device.

Former ‘Soul Train’ Dancer from Jersey City Remembers Longtime Host Don Cornelius: Jersey City resident Stephen McMillian commuted to Los Angeles once a month as a dancer for Soul Train; he remembers telling former host Don Cornelius, who died this week, that he admired him for being a trailblazer for African Americans, and discusses his experiences working with Cornelius.

In Statewide News:

New Jersey Assembly Committee Approves Bills Meant to Increase Port Authority Transparency: Yesterday, an assembly committee approved four bills intended to increase transparency at the agency and legislative control over it.

New Jersey Assembly Panel Advances Gay Marriage Bill: The New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee approved the marriage equality bill in a vote Thursday afternoon, promising to escalate the standoff between Democratic lawmakers and Republican governor Chris Christie, who has vowed to veto the legislation.

New Jersey Arts Council Awards Nearly $200K in Fellowships: The New Jersey State Council on the Arts awarded $182,600 in fellowships to 22 sculptors, photographers, poets, playwrights and craft artists yesterday.

School Bus/SUV Collision in Front of Jersey City City Hall Sends Schoolchildren to the Hospital: A collision between a school bus and an SUV has sent a handful of schoolchildren to the Jersey City Medical Center, but there don’t appear to be any serious injuries, according to a witness.

Jersey City Officials Say 911 Delays Amount to ‘Seconds,’ Not Minutes: Some 911 calls intended for Jersey City emergency responders are accidentally diverted to New York City, but the delays are minuscule and there’s not much that can be done to rectify the problem, city officials say.

Jersey City Artist Explores African Culture, Art in ‘Afrocentricity’: Darin DeField’s mixed media collages, photographs and digital prints often incorporate elements African art, as viewers will see in his upcoming exhibit “Afrocentricity” at LITM.

Crime Blotter: As shots rang out on Martin Luther King Drive yesterday afternoon, several residents scurried for cover inside the offices of the Urban League of Hudson County; A Jersey City man armed with a knife was arrested after threatening to kill police officers who responded to his home on a loud music complaint Tuesday evening.

Today’s Best Bets:

New Jersey City University presents Margaret Murphy, A Ten-Year Survey: Decoding the Market Place: coupons, dollar stores, and eBay, a survey of 40 of the artist’s important works over the past decade (5 pm, free).

Instigatorzine, an art and literary magazine takes over Art House’s open mic tonight (8 pm, $5).

In Statewide News:

State Test Scores Reveal Some Gains, Widening Achievement Gap: Budget cuts cost New Jersey school districts $1 billion, with some of the poorest districts paying the biggest price.

Jersey City Police Director to Receive Only $2,200 in Unused Sick Days When he Leaves His Post: The former police officer who has been the city’s police director will receive $2,205 in unused sick time when he leaves the position on Feb. 17, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said yesterday, not $53,000 Jersey City officials previously reported.

Jury to Decide Verdict for Jersey City Man Accused of Strangling Ex-Girlfriend’s Daughter, Lighting House on Fire: The fate of a Jersey City man charged with strangling his ex-girlfriend’s daughter and torching her Stevens Avenue home to hide the crime was in the hands of the jury after closing arguments yesterday.

Hoboken Denies Permit for ‘Shore’ Spinoff Over ‘Public Safety’: Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said Tuesday on the city’s website that a film permit request for a spinoff starring the two “Shore” guidettes had been denied.

Jersey City says Sinkhole in Street that Resident was Inspecting When he was Severely Injured by Hit-and-Run Driver is to be Repaired: A sinkhole on Van Horne Street on Jersey City that attracted the attention of a resident who became the victim of a hit-and-run will be repaired today, city officials said.

Crime Blotter: A Jersey City teen was busted yesterday morning after she kidnapped a friend’s child and took off with the kid in a stolen vehicle; A Jersey City man was charged with making terroristic threats after a couple said he followed them while yelling “Someone is going to die tonight, I’m going to have to kill someone.”

In Statewide News:

New York-New Jersey Agency Eyes Improvements to Terminals at LaGuardia, Newark Liberty: The agency that owns the New York City area’s major airports says it is considering improvements to terminals at LaGuardia and Newark Liberty.

Liberty State Park Pioneer, Audrey Zapp, Dies at 86: The “Godmother” of Liberty State Park, Audrey Zapp, died in Colorado on Thursday. She was 86.

6-Year-Old Boy Sent to Hospital with ‘Accidental’ Burns: A 6-year-old Jersey City boy went to Jersey City Medical Center last night with burns over 10-15 percent of his body, mostly in the upper torso.

Supersounds Record Store at Hudson Mall in Jersey City Going out of Business Tonight after 30 Years: After 30 years in business, first selling vinyl and more recently new and used CDs and DVDs, the Hudson Mall store closes for good at 9 tonight.

Jersey City Handyman Living with Pain and Consequences of Hit-and-Run: In keeping with his instinct to fix things, Tomas Rodriguez had stooped over in the middle of the street to examine the opening to a sinkhole when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in November.

Saint Michael’s Pipe Organ Restoration Concert: Dislocations explores the history of St. Michaels and organ music after Praise Him With Organ, the name of a mostly sacred and but still somewhat secular recital in recognition of the restoration of the rare pipe organ housed in the church on Sunday.

Crime Blotter: A Jersey City man charged with stealing $200 from a friend was found with bags of suspected cocaine soon after the theft on Monday morning; Four Jersey City firefighters saved the day when they saw a 20-year-old being assaulted and robbed by four teenagers yesterday morning; An armed Jersey City teen and a partner robbed a man of sneakers at 9th Street/Congress Light Rail Station on Thursday; A Jersey City woman was stabbed twice in a parking lot during a fight with two sisters Sunday, police said.

In Statewide News:

New Jersey Assembly Panel Passes Bill to Add Fluoride to Public Water Supply: Water companies in New Jersey would be required to add fluoride to the water supply under a bill approved Monday by an Assembly panel at the urging of dentists and public health professionals — despite objections from environmentalists and utility officials.

Gov. Chris Christie Strikes with a Zinger after Segregationist Comparison during Heated Gay Marriage Debate: The verbal feud over gay marriage in New Jersey got more personal Monday when Gov. Chris Christie called openly gay Assemblyman Reed Gusciora “numb nuts” during a Statehouse news conference.

Advocates Conduct Annual County Homeless Count: While this census of the homeless is generally done annually, the 2011 census was called off due to a bad snowstorm that moved through the area on the day the count was scheduled. Thus, the count taken on Jan. 25 is the first one to be conducted in Hudson County since 2010.

MarcAnthony’s Law, Named after Slain Jersey City Cop, Up for Preliminary Vote Today: The state Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee is set to vote today on a bill named for slain Jersey City Police Detective MarcAnthony DiNardo that would toughen penalties for those who injure an officer with a stolen or defaced gun, officials said.

Jersey City, Hudson Agencies Promoting Tourism to Receive State Grants: The New Jersey Business Action Center’s Division of Travel and Tourism has announced that 16 tourism organizations, including a couple in Hudson County, will receive more than $1.4 million in Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) grants for tourism marketing programs.

Jersey City Medical Center Cuts Ties with Aetna: Aetna health insurance members in Hudson County recently received letters from the company informing them that Jersey City Medical Center has cut ties with the company.

Crime Blotter: A Jersey City woman was arrested Friday after police say she stabbed her 33-year-old boyfriend in the back during a domestic dispute; Jersey City cops pursue and arrest two Heights suspects after arobbery near Home Depot outside Holland Tunnel; A Jersey City man was choked and robbed on the street last Thursday; A Jersey City man tried to snatch a gun from an armed robber who confronted him at a stoplight Friday morning, police said; Tires on 11 vehicles parked on Grand Street near State Street in Jersey City were slashed some time between Saturday night and Sunday morning; Squatters may have caused a two-alarm blaze at a Jersey City building.

In Statewide News:

Reviewing Hudson Tunnels and Transit Sites that are Still Considered Top Targets of Terrorist Acts: U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, D-West New York, met with King, D-N.Y., at the Port Authority Administration Building in Weehawken, located at 500 Boulevard East, to discuss homeland security issues Friday afternoon.

New Jersey Schools Take on Dating Violence Policies: In the past few years, violence among children has unfortunately become more prevalent. New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights and the state’s 2002 policy against Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) address some of the issues students face everyday. Now, legislators have their eyes on dating violence in schools.

Christie to the 1%: Please Occupy New Jersey: Garden State Gov. Chris Christie has a message for the top 1% of income earners: Please occupy New Jersey. “I’m going to start going after a lot of these hedge-fund guys who are in Connecticut and New York and say, ‘You’re going to get a better deal with us,’” says the country’s most important Republican not running for president.

Jersey City’s Special City Council Race Candidates Report Spending Nearly $300,000: The 17 candidates in last year’s Jersey City special election to fill two vacancies on the City Council spent nearly $300,000 combined, with the two winning candidates shelling out nearly $100,000 total during the campaign.

Former Jersey City Mayoral Candidate Will Ask for New Corruption Charges to be Tossed: Former state Assemblyman Louis Manzo, a defendant in New Jersey’s largest corruption case, is seeking to have the charges against him dismissed.

Jersey City Man in Stable Condition After Exchanging Fire with Police: The Jersey City felon who was shot four times by police after allegedly opening fire on officers Friday remained hospitalized but in stable condition, officials said Tuesday.

Hudson Freeholders to Study Express Bus Service Between Jersey City and Bayonne: Hudson County is set to take one step closer to connecting Journal Square in Jersey City to Bayonne with an express bus service.

Crime Blotter: Three men posing as repair workers talked their way into a Jersey City home and robbed two residents in their 80s of more than $5,000 in cash and jewelry, police said; A man who flashed a knife during an argument in a Secaucus Road parking lot in Jersey City was forced to flee when the man he was arguing with pulled a machete from his pants; An 82-year-old Jersey City man walking on Clarke Avenue early yesterday morning was attacked from behind, then beaten and robbed by two thugs; Yesterday Jersey City police busted a 33-year-old Newark man they say stole an SUV and then rammed a police cruiser with the vehicle when cops were closing in.

Today’s Best Bets:

One of Jersey City’s newest galleries, WOOLPUNKstudios, hosts an opening reception for Digital Weavings: Works by Pat Lay and Michelle Loughlin (6 pm, free). Meanwhile, there’s a closing reception for ‘Images’ by Eric Schkrutz at Made with Love (7 pm, free).

Uptown Crew presents its bimonthly Open Mic for poetry, music, readings, spoken word, comedy, dance and more (8 pm, $5).

In Statewide News:

Gov. Christie Calls for Restructuring of Research Universities: Governor Christie yesterday outlined a sweeping overhaul of higher education that would create a New Jersey Health Sciences University in Newark to replace UMDNJ, place Newark’s University Hospital under nonprofit management, and fold Rutgers-Camden and its law school into Rowan University to give South Jersey its own research university.

New Jersey gets a D-Plus for Teacher Standards: New Jersey’s report card from a group that seeks to improve standards for educators is dismal: D-plus, 36th in the United States, and making less progress than most states.

New Jersey Ranks Last Place in Business-Climate Rank: The Washington-based Tax Foundation, which advocates for simpler tax codes with lower rates, today released its annual Business Tax Climate Index, which ranks the 50 U.S. states based on how welcoming their tax law is to businesses. New Jersey placed 50th, a position it also held in 2011.

Black New Jersey Leaders to Gov. Christie: Popular Vote is No Way to Achieve Civil Rights: Two of New Jersey’s most influential black leaders, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, blasted Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday for proposing gay marriage be put to a popular vote in November.

Kessler Foundation Awards $250,000 Employment Grant to Jersey City Social Enterprise for People With Disabilities: Kessler Foundation awarded a $250,000 Signature Employment Grant to Hudson Community Enterprises (HCE), headquartered in Jersey City, to advance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

Mom Testifies at Ex-boyfriend’s Murder Trial of Horrific Day Daughter Died in Fire; Jury Sees Grisly Photos: Heart-wrenching testimony and gruesome crime scene photos were presented to the jury today in the trial of a Jersey City man charged with strangling his former girlfriend’s daughter and then torching her room to hide the crime.

Broken Gas Pipe Repaired Near Holland Tunnel: A gas line near the Holland Tunnel was broken by a construction crew yesterday morning, forcing the temporary closure of the westbound tunnel traffic, officials said.

Crime Blotter: After being robbed late Monday by three men, two of them holding silver handguns, a 23-year-old Jersey City man followed the trio until he lost sight of them — but cops picked up the search and busted the alleged perps; A 46-year-old Jersey City woman told cops she was punched in her face after she told a car burglar to hand over her laptop computer; After he was stopped by New Jersey Transit cops for nonpayment of a fare on a Hudson-Bergen Light Rail train at the Liberty State Park Station, a suspect jumped off the train and ran into Liberty State Park.

Today’s Best Bets:

Hudson Pride Connections Center hosts a Card/Game Night tonight (7 pm, $5 donation). Meanwhile, Boca Grande holds its weekly free music Open Mic hosted by Nick Ciavatta (8:30 pm).

In Statewide News:

Senator Sandra Cunningham of Jersey City Proposes Bills to Reform Justice System: At a news conference at the Statehouse on Friday, Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Raymond J. Lesniak announced a package of bills they are introducing to make it easier for some non-violent offenders to get out of a prison and overcome barriers to getting jobs.

New Jersey Third in Student Performance, Non-profit Group Says: A national report card on education in America has ranked New Jersey third in the country for student performance and awarded it a B-minus for state education policy — but the state received mostly D’s for teacher-quality issues, leading the state’s largest teachers union to question the validity of the report and its criteria.

Democrats Make Marriage Equality Their Priority: The Democrats drew a clear line Tuesday when they released the Senate version of the marriage equality bill, honoring a promise to make the issue their first priority.

Jersey City Board of Education Will Look at Pros, Cons of Moving Elections from April to November: Jersey City school officials may opt to move school elections to November to take advantage of state legislation signed into law this month by Gov. Chris Christie.

Repairs Finished on Jersey City’s Natural Gas Pipeline that Ruptured: The pressure in the pipe was reduced sufficiently to allow most of the residents back into their homes at 5 p.m. and repairs to the 20-inch high-pressure gas main were completed by 11 p.m., PSE&G spokeswoman Eileen Leahey said.

Federal Judge Dimisses Jersey City Developer’s Latest Lawsuit Seeking to Void Deal to Sell 7 Condos to City for Nominal Sum: A federal judge in Newark has thrown out a case brought by the developer of a downtown Jersey City condominium complex who claimed the city is forcing him to hand over seven residential units for a dollar a piece.

Crime Blotter: U.S. marshals are on the hunt for a Newark woman who committed a vicious carjacking in Jersey City just over two years ago and was a no-show in court Friday; Despite being cut during a robbery, a 37-year-old Jersey City woman chased a purse snatcher Sunday afternoon until he dropped the stolen bag, police reports said.

Today’s Best Bets:

Meet us tonight at Barcade for the Jersey City Independent/NEW Winter Meet & Greet. The staff of JCI and NEW will be on hand drinking beer, playing video games, and meeting/greeting. There will also be goodies and giveaways.

In Statewide News:

Gov. Chris Christie’s “Historic” Appointments to New Jersey Supreme Court Bring Diversity to All-White Panel: Stressing the importance of maintaining diversity at the highest levels of New Jersey’s judiciary, Gov. Chris Christie Monday nominated an openly gay African-American mayor and a Korean-American assistant attorney general to the Supreme Court.

New Jersey Colleges take Advantage of Law Allowing Partnerships with Private Developers: Several state colleges are partnering with private developers for construction projects thanks to the New Jersey Economic Stimulus Act of 2009.

New Jersey Police Departments Consider Using Stun Guns: New Jersey is the last state in the union to permit police to have stun guns, but in doing so also has established one of the toughest set of criteria in the nation as to how such weapons may be used by officers, according to law enforcement officials.

Two Bills Would Exempt New Jersey from Federal Sports Betting Ban: Two House bills that would legalize sports betting at New Jersey racetracks and casinos were announced Monday by members of the state’s congressional delegation.

First, the article is based entirely on statements by individuals who are known to have their own agendas. All three interviewed were members of the unsuccessful recall committee formed last year in an attempt to unseat me – a committee that failed to garner enough signatures. One has also sought elected office. While we respect the concerns of all of our constituents, it is the job of the press to seek out a fair and balanced report on any story. It does not appear that was attempted for this article, and rather than seeking comments from a resident whose opinion is truly unknown, the reporter skewed an article in one particular direction.

On the matter of perception, the fact is, the police cannot be everywhere all the time. Our officers are patrolling the streets in radio cars, in unmarked cars and in special and tactical units every day, 24 hours a day. Our monthly CompStat meetings help the district commanders direct police personnel to areas that are experiencing any increase in activity or calls for service, and the program is working.

This administration has made public safety priority number one since taking office. We created a gang unit, we hired hundreds of police officers, instituted CompStat, organized a successful Gun Buyback program in 2005 and 2010, instituted powerful gun legislation that has been a model at the state level, and our Police Department has worked closely with law enforcement agencies at the county, state and federal level to rid our streets of the most notorious of criminals. We are reaping the results.

You cannot dismiss out of hand the facts that crime continues to trend downward in Jersey City. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report has crime dropping in most categories for the past several years, and in 2009, we saw crime, particularly robberies, at a 30 year low in Jersey City. Last year, in 2011, homicides dropped from 25 to 19, as reported by the Star-Ledger on Jan. 1, 2012. By comparison, there were 91 homicides in Newark, which also laid off 167 police officers last year.

In Jersey City, we negotiated for several months with our police unions to avoid laying off a single officer. Faced with severe cuts in state aid and a decline in revenue due to the new Great Depression, Jersey City faced an $80 million deficit last year. I made it my priority to not lay off police officers and to also not raise taxes. We succeeded on both matters, which is something our political adversaries do not like. Believe me, if crime and/or taxes were on the increase, the statistics would be heralded as fact written in stone. For the past two years taxes have remained stable, a goal we have set for 2012 as well.

Mr. Fulop, the Downtown Councilman, is also quoted in the article, citing the quote made famous by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, though he cites Mark Twain’s version. Our response is the remarks of Leonard H. Courtney:

“After all, facts are facts, and although we may quote one to another with a chuckle the words of the Wise Statesman (Disraeli), ‘Lies – damn lies – and statistics,’ still there are some easy figures the simplest must understand, and the astutest cannot wriggle out of.”

– Jerramiah T. Healy
Mayor of Jersey City

Bail Set at $500K for Man Accused of Killing 2 People in Fiery Crash: Bail has been set at $500,000 cash only for the Jersey City felon who police say was on drugs when his SUV slammed into a taxi Downtown on Wednesday, triggering a fiery crash that claimed two lives, officials said Friday.

Jersey City Homicide Detectives are Asking Public’s Help in Identifying Killer: Homicide detectives have released additional information about the November murder of a Jersey City man and they are seeking the public’s help in identifying the killer.

Department of Education Approves 8 New Charter Schools, 1 in Jersey City: Applications were approved Friday for eight new charter schools that will open in September in some of the state’s most troubled cities where public schools have been failing–including Jersey City Global Charter School, which will service children from kindergarten to sixth grade, and will have a maximum enrollment of 486.

Battleship New Jersey Coming to Liberty State Park?: A behind-the-scenes campaign to relocate the U.S. Navy’s most decorated war ship from Camden to Jersey City is now underway, a campaign that threatens to revive an old tug of war between north and south Jersey.

Crime Blotter: A 23-year-old Jersey City man was shot multiple times by police officers early Saturday after he fired at two cops and then ignored police orders to drop the weapon, an official says; The manager of a Jersey City beauty supply store was struck in her face during a robbery Friday evening, police reports said.

In Statewide News:

New Jersey Unemployment Rate Drops to 9 Percent: The state’s unemployment rate declined over the month, down by 0.1 percent to a rate of 9 percent in December.

Environmental Coalition Moves to Block Natural Gas Pipeline: In a reflection of the growing opposition to the expansion of energy infrastructure projects, a coalition of New Jersey environmental groups is seeking to intervene in a case involving a natural gas pipeline through northern New Jersey.

Garden State Autism Researchers Get Boost to Advance Work: The prevalence of autism in New Jersey has spurred extensive study, with biomedical researchers looking at everything from behavioral therapy to genetics to discover autism’s causes.

New Jersey Pole Dance Ruling no Big Threat to Free Speech: When a town doesn’t want a strip club in its own backyard, can it force the dollar-bill crowd to move to a neighboring state? Yes, according to a recent ruling by New Jersey’s highest court.

New Jersey Looks to Get a Head Count on Homeless: This week, police, social workers and advocates will scour the state, once again, in search of the homeless.