- Mortgage Fraud: A 33-year-old Jersey City man has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a $40.8 million mortgage-fraud scheme involving at least four New Jersey men.

- Guilty Plea in ’09 Killing: A 26-year-old Jersey City man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to conspiring to kill a rival gang member in April 2009, and to illegally possessing firearms.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The weather has finally cleared up, just in time for some free outdoor events tonight. There’s a free concert featuring M. Josephine, Nick Ciavatta & the Sea of Otters and Dujuana Sharese with Spacious Curtis at Groove on Grove (6 pm), and a free screening of Toy Story 3 in Van Vorst Park (8 pm). Also not to be missed is the opening of the newest show by Jersey City painter Robert Piersanti, POPulation, at Club H (6:30 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Rutgers & Sports: In an environment of fiscal strain confronting state governments, Rutgers University is emblematic of rising tension over funding of athletics at the expense of academics.

- State Police & Minority Recruits: Lawyers for the NAACP will meet with Attorney General Paula Dow and State Police Supt. Rick Fuentes next week to discuss why just five black applicants were selected for the new 123-member trooper recruit class that began Monday.

- NJ & Kids: New Jersey remains one of the best states in the nation to raise and educate children, according to the latest Kids Count survey to be released today.

- Energy Master Plan: With the Christie administration yet to end hearings on a draft Energy Master Plan, Democratic lawmakers already are threatening to reverse a decision to scale back New Jersey’s renewable energy goals.

- Carl Lewis: Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno has refused to certify former Olympic track and field star Carl Lewis as a candidate for state Senate.

- Supermarkets Bill: A group of proposed laws designed to ease the path for supermarkets to open in New Jersey is being touted by the New Jersey Food Council as a way to bring quality foods to residents who currently are unable to get them.

- Images of Alleged Rapist Released: Security images of a suspect in two Jersey City rapes were released yesterday morning by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The Loew’s plays host to the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy’s 2011 Preservation Awards ceremony (6 pm), while the Jersey City Free Public Library’s annual fundraiser is at Puccini’s (6 pm). Con Vivo Music puts on a free classical performance at St. Paul Lutheran Church (7:30 pm), and Mr. Langham plays a free show at Made with Love (8 pm). And last but not least is the latest installment of Uptown Crew’s open mic at Moore’s Lounge (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- School Funding & the Budget: Lawmakers are setting out on a possible collision course over spending, facing a $500 million bill from the state Supreme Court for the state’s poor school districts, with six weeks left to crank out a budget.

- Race to the Top Redux: New Jersey is among nine states eligible to compete for $200 million in a third round of Race to the Top, a federal competition that the state narrowly lost last fall due in part to a costly application error. MORE from NJ Spotlight.

- More Mexicans in NJ: New U.S. Census figures show that Mexicans account for the largest increase of Hispanics in New Jersey.

- NJ CEOs on the Economy: New Jersey’s chief executives are more upbeat about the state’s economy than previously, but many plan to cut costs this year, a survey released Wednesday says.

- Amusement Park Safety: Despite New Jersey being home to roller coasters and water slides with names such as Wild One and Screamer Slide, it’s become safer to go on rides at amusement parks here, according to statistics from the state Department of Community Affairs.

- School to be Named After DiNardo: Jersey City public schools will rename the old School 17 for fallen JCPD detective Marc DiNardo, who was shot and killed during a fierce gun battle on Reed Street in 2009.

- Spectra Pipeline: Mayor Healy reaffirms his opposition to the proposed natural gas pipeline in a Star-Ledger op-ed.

- Hal Turner: Harold C. “Hal” Turner, the incendiary Hudson County shock jock and blogger convicted for threatening federal judges, has landed in an Indiana prison where he says he is being housed with terrorists who will have no qualms about killing him once they find out he served as an FBI informant.

- Gun/Drug Sentence: A 35-year-old Jersey City man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following his conviction on numerous gun and drug charges.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The International Institute of New Jersey’s American Dream Celebration at the Loew’s, which acts as a fundraiser for the group, honors U.S. Representative Albio Sires and Professor Kassahun Checole (5:30 pm). Hamilton Health & Fitness hosts a grand opening party (6 pm), while the Iron Monkey hosts a Meet the Brewer night with a representative from Flying Fish Brewing Co. (7 pm). And Art House Productions launches into its final weekend of performances of the original comedy Murder on Ice with a show tonight (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Nuclear Power: The Oyster Creek nuclear power plant was relicensed properly by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and shouldn’t be shut down because of the meltdowns at similar reactors in Japan, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday. MORE from NJ Spotlight.

- Medicaid Cuts: The Christie administration is expected to propose cutting the maximum income level of Medicaid from $24,645 to $5,317 a year for a family of three; the state estimates that about 23,000 people in the coming fiscal year would be prevented from enrolling in Medicaid and its spinoff program, New Jersey FamilyCare.

- Special Education Funding: The state will continue to underfund the aid it is supposed to provide to school districts for costs associated with special needs students.

- Endangered Historic Sites: The nonprofit Preservation New Jersey has released this year’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places.

- Bear Hunt: New Jersey’s next bear hunt has been set for December, one year after the first hunt in several years caused statewide controversy and criticism

Although the street stretches barely 400 feet in length between Monticello and Bergen Avenues, it has long been plagued by the drug trade. And while police have been working to make the area safer, a number of local residents feel that more still needs to be done, and are disappointed by the slow process of ridding the neighborhood of crime.

One of those residents is Steve Cunniff, who owns the Imago Beauty Group salon in The Basilico, a relatively new condominium building on Bergen Avenue that was hit by several stray bullets during the 2009 shootout. Now he’s organized a “Peace Rally to Take Back Bergen Ave and Reed Street” for this Friday evening.

“I have lived in this neighborhood for my whole life. I have seen a lot of changes, but what I have always loved is the diversity and the energy of the area,” he says in an email. “Over the years, we have lost a sense of community and unity. It is my hope that we can begin to restore that and bring pride back to our neighborhood and encourage families and businesses to invest and live here in an area that is not defined by crime and fear. These grassroots events are a beginning and I hope to jump-start the community to become more active.”

He says the recent arrests of several drug dealers on the block was part of what spurred him to organize Friday’s rally, which Ward B councilman David Donnelly, Ward F councilwoman Viola Richardson and several other local officials are expected to attend.

“While we applaud [the arrests], we need consistent pressure from the police to curb the excessiveness of these activities,” Cunniff says. “The police and politicians need to see that we who live and work in the area are united, and we do care and we do vote. The more they see us, and the more visible we as a community become, the more help we can demand from the powers that be.”

Cunniff, who also runs an Imago in Hoboken, says his salon and The Basilico are just one part of a newfound sense of investment and development in the neighborhood. But he says they still face an uphill battle with entrenched criminal elements.

“There are a lot of good things going on here, but at the end of the day, the crime — and specifically the open, blatant, arrogant, undeterred drug dealing and all that comes along with that — is what is defining our neighborhood,” he says. “I hope to eradicate that in the months to come. We need a lot of help from our elected officials and the police. They have both been extremely helpful recently and we as the residents and business leaders have to do our part. That is the basis of the grassroots movement.”

THE DETAILS
Peace Rally to Take Back Bergen Ave and Reed Street; Friday, October 15 at 5:30 pm; in front of The Basilico, 673 Bergen Ave.

- Three More Charged in NJCU Theft: Three people were charged in federal court in Newark yesterday with helping the former office manager for a student government organization at New Jersey City University cash checks she allegedly stole from the school. And a federal judge has set bail at $100,000 for four of the five Jersey City residents charged in the theft.

- Mini-Golf Raises $80K for Museum: The Golden Door Mini-Golf raised about $80,000 for the ailing Jersey City Museum before it closed down for good this Tuesday.

- More Library Cuts: The Jersey City Free Public Library is scaling back hours and closing most of its branches on Saturdays due to budget cuts. More cuts could be coming, pending possible layoffs and furloughs; a staff reduction plan that has been submitted to the state Civil Service Commission currently awaits approval.

- Jail Food Service Contract Debated: The Hudson County Board of Freeholders last night debated the merits of a food service company that is set to get a nearly $12 million contract at the Hudson County Correctional Center before ultimately awarding the contract. The scrutiny of Aramark comes after the company had problems at Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital, resulting in a $75,000 settlement with the county last year and an agreement that the company would not bid on future contracts.

- Bankruptcy Filing for JC Firm: Jersey City-based ITS Recovery Group, which was established to help Ponzi victims recover money by taking a tax loss, recently filed for bankruptcy

- Fraudster Sentenced: An Oradell man who embezzled $1.1 million from the accounts of eight elderly clients while working for Jersey City-based firm PrimeVest Financial Services has been sentenced to more than 5 years in federal prison.

- Schillari Fundraiser: Many of Hudson County’s heavy political hitters came out last night for a fundraiser for the Hudson County Democratic Organization-backed sheriff’s candidate, Frank Schillari. He is squaring off against incumbent sheriff Juan Perez this fall.

- Habitat’s First JC Home: Habitat for Humanity of Hudson County held a ceremony yesterday to dedicate its first house, at 476 Ocean Ave.

Today’s Best Bets:

- 58 Gallery hosts an opening reception for Jersey City painter Kirk Bray’s new exhibition, In the Moment (7 pm). Made with Love’s Rosh Hashanah communal dinner features live music from jazz guitarist Nobuki Takamen (8 pm). And Kagero plays a free live show at Bar Majestic (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- ACLU to Ask for Investigation of Newark Cops: The American Civil Liberties Union will ask for a federal investigation of the Newark Police Department today, saying it routinely violates residents’ civil rights through excessive force and false arrests.

- Nuke Plant Cited for Water Leaks: PSEG Nuclear is under attack by critics for decades-long water leaks from concrete containment buildings at the Salem nuclear generating station in South Jersey after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission put their practices under review.

- Christie’s Reform Package: Gov. Christie yesterday unveiled a new ethics-reform package, and much of it targets the Democratic-controlled legislature. He is pushing, among other things, a ban on elected officials holding more than one public job, a requirement that lawmakers disclose conflicts of interests on votes, and a revival of his executive order expanding pay-to-play restrictions to public-worker unions — that order has previously been rejected in court.

- Supreme Court Gets a Temp: Appellate Judge Edwin H. Stern has been named New Jersey’s newest Supreme Court justice, temporarily assigned to fill a vacancy on the state’s highest court by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.

- Christie on the Trail: Gov. Christie is embarking on a seven-state campaign swing for fellow Republicans that includes a trip to Iowa, the state that kicks off the presidential nominating season.

- NJ’s Extreme Weather: Environmentalists, climatologists and other experts say the extreme weather occurring in the Garden State offers persuasive signals to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

- Chamber Looks for New Leader: The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce says it will launch a nationwide search for its next president and chief executive following the resignation in June of its longtime leader, Joan Verplanck.

- ‘Skewed Sense of Priorities’: Times sports columnist George Vecsey contrasts the lavish new Meadowlands Stadium and the fact that the poorest in New Jersey are facing massive cuts to public services, suggesting not a direct correlation but simply “a skewed sense of priorities in all of us.”

- Murder Conviction Overturned: An appellate court has reversed the felony murder conviction of a 30-year-old Jersey City man who had been convicted of using two women to distract a man with sex during a burglary and then killing him when the plan went awry.

- Funding for Parades & Festivals Cut: City budget cuts have diminished the funding for each of the numerous parades and festivals the city puts on by 80 percent in 2010, and organizers are worried about deeper cuts next year.

- Chiappone’s Assembly Seat: The Insider takes a look at the first real test for new Hudson County Democratic Organization leader Mark Smith — appointing a replacement for disgraced Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone, who pleaded guilty last month to campaign finance fraud.

- Moment of Silence for DiNardo: The JCPD will hold a moment of silence at 9:14 pm tonight to honor Detective Mark DiNardo, who was fatally wounded on July 16 last year during a shootout on Reed Street with robbery suspects. The time tonight represents the moment DiNardo was declared brain dead.

- ‘Deplorable’ Conditions in Apartment: A judge has ordered a Hudson County Corrections officer to pay $3,100 in damages to a man who was living in a Bramhall Avenue building owned by the officer, in an apartment city officials say was illegal. The judge called the conditions “deplorable” and said “the apartment was unfit for human habitation.

- Manzo Opposing Kagan’s Supreme Court Nod: Former Assemblyman and perennial mayoral candidate Lou Manzo, who was arrested and charged in last year’s federal corruption sweep, appears in a video on The Justice Integrity Project website urging the the U.S. Senate to deny confirmation to Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

- Restoring Victorian Homes: From his Jersey City office, designer and craftsman Robert J. Olsen has restored Victorian houses here, as well as in Bayonne, Teaneck and Clifton. He talks to the Record about his work.

- Neurologist Charged: A Bergen County neurologist with a practice in Jersey City was indicted Thursday by a state grand jury in connection with a prescription drug trafficking and Medicaid fraud ring.

- Woman Charged After Leaving Kids Alone: A 20-year-old Jersey City woman has been charged with endangering the welfare of her two toddlers and her 7-month-old baby after leaving them at home alone for hours Saturday night into Sunday morning while she allegedly went clubbing in Manhattan.

- Heights Home Boarded Up: Jersey City fire officials have boarded up a two-family house on Zabriskie Street after finding animal and human feces inside the apartments and the house in complete disarray.

In Statewide News:

- When Will Tax Cap Go Into Effect? The 2 percent property tax cap rushed into law this month by Gov. Christie and state Senate president Steve Sweeney won’t apply at all to this year’s property tax bills, and many questions remain admittedly unanswered when it comes to figuring how the new cap will work when it does go into effect for next year’s budgets.

- Senate to Take Up ‘Toolkit’: Meanwhile, the state Senate today will begin considering nearly three dozen bills designed to help towns, counties and school districts contain costs; an essential part of the property tax cap plan.

- Slow Progress on Recycling: New Jersey adopted the nation’s first mandatory recycling law in 1987 and set an ambitious goal, five years later, of recycling at least 50 percent of our household trash and other garbage. We’re not there yet, and we’re actually further away from the goal than we were in 1995, when recycling of municipal solid waste peaked at 45 percent. Less than 38 percent was recycled in 2008, compared with the national average of 33.2 percent. Hudson County was one of the worst-performing counties, at 29.5 percent. Advocates say several bills in Trenton, including one that would impose a 10-cent, refundable deposit on plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans, along with increased spending on education and enforcement, would get New Jersey closer to the 50 percent recycling goal.

- Prison Population Declines: The state’s prison population fell 14.8 percent from 2000 to 2009 without any need for such drastic actions, according to new federal statistics. New Jersey is one of only six states to reduce the number of prisoners over the decade.

- NJ Businesses Getting Immigration Compliance Warnings: In the past 10 months, federal immigration officials have warned 25 businesses in New Jersey that they may face fines if they failed to ensure that their employees are eligible to work in the U.S.

- DEP’s Priorities: Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has unveiled his environmental policy priorities for the Christie administration and his plans to make the agency what he describes as more consumer friendly.

- The Declining Horse Racing Industry: A special governor’s commission is expected to release its recommendations soon on what to do about New Jersey’s horse racing industry, which lost tens of millions of dollars last year and the year before that. Despite the heavy losses, they support thousands of jobs and generate millions in revenues — including $5 million in profits expected from off-track wagering this year and another $3.3 million in account wagering.

- Businesses Betting on Clean Energy: Public and private companies across New Jersey are committing their own capital, or that of large investors, to building wind and solar farms and developing other types of renewable power, as well as smart-grid and energy-storage technologies.

- Turnpike’s Reforestation Plan Thrown into Limbo: A program to replace trees damaged or removed by the Turnpike widening project in Mercer, Burlington and Middlesex counties has been thrown into limbo after a state Department of Environmental Protection official confirmed that funds for potential replantings will instead be used to operate state parks.

- Aiding Workers Affected by Outsourcing: New Jersey will receive more than $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to assist workers who have lost their jobs as a result of outsourcing and foreign trade.

- Future World Cup Games and NJ: Rutgers University’s Yurcak Field and the Hyatt Regency Hotel New Brunswick are both included in the USA Bid Committee’s bid proposal for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

- Special Needs Registry: In order to better comply with federal requirements, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management has implemented a new online registry for residents with special needs.

- Hit-and-Run Kills Queens Man: A 33-year-old Queens man died after being struck by a vehicle while crossing State Highway 139 at Bevan Street early yesterday morning. Later in the day, Jersey City cops charged a 23-year-old Bergen County man in the incident. When confronted by police about the incident, the suspect reportedly said: “Holy shit! I killed that guy?”

- Undersheriff Drops Lawsuit: Hudson County Undersheriff Frank Schillari is dropping his law suit against Sheriff Juan Perez, who fired Schillari abruptly earlier this year after Schillari announced his intentions to run for Perez’s seat. The two are facing off in the general election for sheriff this November.

- Goldman Agrees to Huge Fine: Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to settle civil fraud charges that accused the Wall Street giant of misleading buyers of mortgage-related investments. As part of the deal, Jersey City’s second-largest employer will pay the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fines of $300 million, while giving rhe rest of the money to those who lost money on their investments. The fine is the largest against a financial company in SEC history.

- Fewer Copters Overheard Soon: The Port Authority grounded its helicopter fleet Thursday, admitting that the $3.7 million it spends every year on security flyovers is a waste of money in tough times. The agency’s two helicopters spend most of their time flying Port Authority cops over airports and bridges to check security twice a day, Monday through Friday. A year-old authority study obtained by the Daily News found 90 percent of the 228 security flights from August 2008 to April 2009 found no unusual activity.

- CASID Wants to Limit Food Trucks: Central Avenue Special Improvement District’s president and Board of Trustees say they want to “dramatically reduce” food truck and ice cream vendor licenses, while prohibiting them from stationing within Special Improvement Districts or other business districts.

- Coptic Group Works with Homeless: A group of Coptic Orthodox young adults known as Jesus Christ for Jersey City, or JC4JC, spend most Sundays doing outreach to the Journal Square-area homeless.

- Synergy’s Mel Gibson Signage Goes Viral: We’re big fans of the quirky signs at Synergy Fitness on Newark Avenue (disclosure: they are written by JCI contributor Joe D’Allegro), and so we were happy to see this week’s Mel Gibson sign make the web rounds yesterday, on prominent national sites like the FAIL blog, Jezebel and Andrew Sullivan’s blog.

- Reality TV: 35-year-old Jersey City native Javis Dortch is one of the bachelors wooing former Apprentice star Omarosa on the TV One series The Ultimate Merger.

- Lane Closures on 1&9: Beginning tonight, the New Jersey Department of Transportation will close a lane in each direction in order to create a new work zone on the western side of Tonnelle Avenue from Spruce Street to just north of the Tonnelle Circle. Once the new work zone is established, Route 1 and 9 will continue to maintain two traffic lanes in each direction.

In Statewide News:

- New Report Tackles Budget Woes: A new report from the New York Federal Reserve Bank finds that New Jersey’s heavy reliance on personal income taxes contributed to revenue shortfalls during the recession. The bank also says the state may have to consider options such as establishing a “rainy day” fund or temporarily raising taxes on high-income household to prepare for the withdrawal of federal stimulus money (we’ve received $10.1 billion in the last two years).

- Gas Line Through Highlands Approved: The Statehouse Commission has approved a deal permitting a controversial natural gas line to run through several state-owned forests and parks in northern New Jersey, but increased the price to $180,000 amid protests over the $45,750 flat-fee the state was supposed get in return on a 24-year lease. MORE here.

- State Orders Oyster Beds Removed: New Jersey environmental officials have issued a notice of violation to the NY/NJ Baykeeper, directing the nonprofit group to pull its experimental oyster beds from contaminated coastal waters.

- Rutgers Approves Tuition Increase: Rutgers University’s Board of Governors have decided to raise undergraduate tuition at the school by 4 percent in September.

- Council Action: The City Council this week approved issuing nearly $67 million in bonds to build a new complex on a 19-acre site on East Linden Avenue that would house the Municipal Utilities Authority, Jersey City Incinerator Authority, and Department of Public Works. It also introduced an ordinance that would allow the city to bond $7.65 million in its efforts to purchase the 6th Street Embankment from developer Steve Hyman. Look for more details on both of these issues and the rest of the council business later today in our Council Report.

- Private Firms & Medical Marijuana: Hudson County’s Mingleridge LLC has proposed a plan for private firms to compete for a franchise to grow New Jersey’s medical marijuana.

- Tall Ship Comes to LSP: New Jersey’s Tall Ship is coming to Liberty State Park in July, offering the public a chance to board the 82-year-old ship for a 2.5-hour ride — and even help sail it.

In Statewide News:

- Budget Keeps Moving, Property Tax Caps Debated: New Jersey’s divided state government struggled closer to finalizing a budget Thursday, while a controversial plan to tighten the cap on annual property tax increases sailed through its first hearing.

- Senate Panel Puts Family Planning $ Back in Budget: The Senate budget committee has approved a bill that would restore $7.5 million to continue subsidizing uninsured women’s health and family planning services eliminated in Gov. Christie’s proposed budget. But Christie says he is still against putting the money back in the budget.

- Cheaper Energy Costs: For the first time in several years, consumers have the option to shop around and find a supplier who will sell them electricity at a cheaper price than their electric utility.

- Library Funding Restored in Budget Compromise: The latest proposed 2011 budget would restore $4.299 million in funding for the state’s 304 libraries. Initially $10.4 million had been cut.

- Feds Say State Police Slow to Act in Nuke Emergency: Federal officials are criticizing the New Jersey State Police for mistakes they made last month during an emergency drill at the Salem Hope Creek nuclear plant in southern New Jersey.

- Christie Vetoes Unemployment Measure: People fired for gross misconduct will not be eligible for unemployment benefits and businesses will get a one-year reprieve from higher taxes under a conditional veto issued Thursday by Gov. Christie.

- Bill Would Look at NJN’s Future: A resolution that would create a task force to study the future of New Jersey Network and protect the investment by taxpayers in the operation was approved Thursday by the Assembly Budget Committee.

Photo: Vanessa Cubillo

As the Jersey City Board of Education’s last public convening of the school year, Thursday’s meeting doubled as a showcase of the past ten months of student and teacher achievements in the Jersey City Public Schools. And yet the drama did not end when the student performers and their parents went home — several high stakes issues, most notably the future of Superintendent Charles Epps’ contract, elicited impassioned pleas from concerned community members for whom the performances and award ceremony were but a preamble to the night’s main event.

“I want you all to see what Jersey City Public Schools are doing,” Epps said of the performances and award ceremony, which were followed by votes on over a hundred agenda items. All of these were approved, with the exception of three items — related, respectively, to the award of a bid for window washing services, speech language services for non-public school children, and examination and classification of non-public school children — issues that were tabled and will be voted on at a later date. The floor then opened to community members, the first several of whom had come expressly to support Epps.

Epps’ contract is up for renewal in 2011, and his continued tenure as superintendent was put into question in May, when board member Angel Valentin released a statement urging the board to support a national search for a replacement.

Jersey City Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari was first to the podium. He suggested that board members had not followed procedure in deciding when and how to review the superintendent’s contract, and that racism was among the motivations for the national search.

“I know overt when I see it and I know covert when I see it,” Tayari said.

Rev. Rudolph Daniels praised Epps’ accomplishments in the Jersey City Public Schools as “unparalleled and unsurpassed.” Emphasizing the superintendent’s lifelong ties to Jersey City, Daniels asked: “Why do we have to search? The search should be over.”

Community activist and retired social worker Virginia Miller, like Daniels, praised Epps for his involvement in the Jersey City community.

“I see Mr. Epps every day; the kids see him every day,” she said. “He attends funerals. He goes to Ocean Avenue, to MLK.”

Echoing Tayari, she hinted that race might be a factor behind the move for a national search.

“There is a rumor floating around, Mr. Valentin, about who you are looking to fill the superintendent position,” Miller said. “And guess what? That person does not look like me.”

As of now, it remains unclear when or whether the board will resolve to conduct a national search for a new superintendent.

Within minutes of these impassioned defenses, Superintendent Epps was himself put on the defensive, as two sets of parents came to the podium to air unresolved complaints against a teacher at School #5 on Merseles Street. “What exactly is it that you want me to do?” Epps asked the first couple, who have been involved in a protracted conflict with their daughter’s teacher. “My concern is for the young lady, not for you and not for the teacher.”

Board members likewise refrained from supporting either the parents or the teacher in the dispute, but when the second complaint against the Downtown school came to light, several said that the fact that neither conflict was resolved in the school before being brought to the board was indicative of a broader problem with the school’s organization and responsiveness. “It’s not just Number 5,” added new board member Sterling Waterman. “People need to feel that they can speak about their child without a sense of retaliation.”

Law Firm Tapped for Labor Negotiations

The board approved a contract with Lyndhurst-based law firm Scarinci Hollenbeck to serve as Special Labor Counsel for “numerous and significant labor and employment matters including collective negotiations with multiple bargaining units, litigation, and legal issues involving personnel.” The contract, which runs from July 1 of this year to June 30 of 2011, covers up to $100,000 in legal fees at rates up to $175 an hour.

Odds & Ends

• The name of Marc DiNardo, the Jersey City Police Department detective who was killed in a Reed Street shootout last summer, will grace the School #23 Annex at 128 Duncan Ave., and Early Childhood Center #13 (at Ege Avenue and MLK Drive) will be named in honor of Bishop Ralph E. Brower and Alice J. Haskins.
• A total of 555 suspensions were handed out in the district in May, up from 422 in April. Of those, 161 were in the high schools and 394 were in the elementary and middle schools. The high school figure represented a 17 percent decrease from May 2009; in fact, each month of this school year has seen fewer high school suspensions than the last school year. But the elementary/middle school figure was a 12.7 percent increase from May 2009, when there were 344 suspensions. On the whole, though, elementary/middle school suspensions continue to be down from last school year — May was only the second month that the number had been higher than the previous year’s.
• Sixty-six students dropped out of the school district in May, a slight uptick from the 64 in April, but down from the May 2009 figure of 75. Of the 66 dropouts, 40 were in 9th Grade, 20 in 10th, and 3 each in 11th and 12th.

The next public BOE meeting will be held on Thursday, August 26, at PS 11.

- Police Awards Today: Police detective Marc DiNardo, who was killed in the line of duty last summer, will be among police officers and emergency medical technicians honored today at the Police Department’s annual awards ceremony to be held at Michael Anthony’s this morning.

- New CEO at Toll Bros.: Luxury condo developer Toll Bros., which has built several properties in Jersey City in recent years, named company executive vice president Douglas Yearley to replace 43-year CEO Robert Toll, who is stepping down. Yearley oversaw the creation of Toll’s City Living brand, which includes projects in Jersey City.

- Arrest in Perry Murder Case: A 17-year-old boy wanted for the December murder of Alterik Perry on Corcoran Street was arrested on Monday.

Today’s Best Bets:

- There’s never a shortage of beer-nerd events in Jersey City, and tonight is no exception. The Iron Monkey is hosting a “Meet the Brewers” event for Hunterdon County-based River Horse Brewery. The fun begins at 6 pm, and with a $6 price tag for 19-ounce flights, it’s also the best happy hour in town.

In Statewide News:

- The Return of RCAs?: Blue Jersey reports that the fine print in Gov. Christie’s proposed plan on affordable housing set-asides opens a back door to regional contribution agreements (RCAs), controversial payments by wealthy towns to poor cities to relieve them of their affordable housing obligations. Critics say RCAs contribute to a culture of economic and racial segregation in New Jersey.

- Nutrition on the Chopping Block: Nutrition advocates say Gov. Christie’s proposed $5.5 million in cuts to the school breakfast programs could mean hungry, unfocused students in New Jersey’s classrooms.

- Energy Companies and State Discuss Electric Car Charging Stations: PSE&G and NRG Energy have approached the Christie administration about building the infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles, a step that could energize New Jersey’s efforts to promote a green economy.

- College Aid Fund in “Disarray”: A multi-year investigation by the state Inspector General’s office has found that the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, which oversees more than $1 billion in financial aid to New Jersey’s college students, doesn’t have an internal auditor, fails to issue annual reports and operates under a management in “disarray.”

- State’s Most-Endangered Historic Sites: Trenton-based Preservation New Jersey has released its annual list of the state’s ten most-endangered historic sites. On the list this year are all the state’s historic diners like the Tunnel Diner on 14th Street, which Preservation NJ says “are being abandoned, demolished, and relocated out-of-state at an alarming rate.”