This story appears in the Spring 2011 issue of NEW magazine.

Title design by Chuck Kerr | All photos by Melanie McLean

Comedy is serious work. It can take years to build up a solid act, and you get paid next to nothing while doing so. A well-established comic can earn $1,000 or more headlining at a college for a weekend, but if you’re not so established and are performing in the New York area, you’ll find many venues pay nothing for weekday shows and maybe $25 for a weekend set. Even worse are “bringer” shows, wherein comics are required to bring several guests into the club before they’re even allowed to perform. (If you’ve ever been accosted by an overly friendly, desperate-looking person outside a comedy club, there’s probably a bringer show going on inside.)

Anyone who’s seriously pursued comedy isn’t in it for money or fame. They’re in it because they have a need to make people laugh. Here are some of the passionate comics plying their trade in Jersey City.

MICHAEL CHE has moved back and forth between New York and New Jersey since he was 10. He currently lives in Greenville and performs stand-up several times a week across the metropolitan area.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I come from a funny family and was always the class clown, so I wanted to do comedy from a very young age. We had a tape of Eddie Murphy’s great comedy album, Raw, and I memorized the entire routine when I was five or six. But I had incredible stage fright, so I always put off getting on stage. I finally bit the bullet in October of 2009 and did a five-minute open mic at Comedy Corner in Manhattan. I’ve been performing ever since.

What do you like about performing?

I like the power you feel controlling the emotions of a group of people. The best is to make them silent when I’m setting up a joke. If they’re talking, I’m not doing my job.

What do you dislike about it?

It takes so long to develop even a few minutes of material that you can get discouraged. Plus, you aren’t going to make much money unless you’re at the top of your game, or get a television writing job. I also don’t like it when people talk to you during a set. Some of them think that they’re helping, but it throws you off.

RAQUEL D’APICE does stand-up throughout the New York metropolitan area and has hosted comedy shows at the Lamp Post Bar & Grille in Downtown Jersey City. She also blogs at theuglyvolvo.livejournal.com. D’Apice lives Downtown with her husband and works as an SAT tutor and waitress. She is co-authoring a cookbook with a friend.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

Ever since I was a little kid and discovered cable, I was obsessed with stand-up and wanted to try it. About seven years ago a friend talked me through my fear and convinced me to sign up for a class at the American Comedy Institute.

What do you like about performing?

I know it sounds cliché, but I love making people laugh. I like when people are happy.

What do you dislike about it?

It’s a struggle to perform. You might have to travel an hour to a club or bar, and then wait around for 40 minutes just to do a five-minute set, and then travel an hour home. I read in Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to be great at something. How long will it take to master comedy if you need almost three hours to practice five minutes? It can be disheartening.

AMY DAULTON lives in the Heights with her husband, Alex Decaneas. The two perform as the sketch group Fantastic Genius. Originally from Virginia, Daulton lived in Los Angeles for six years before moving here in 2005. She works as a retail recruiter when not performing.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I dreamed of being on SNL when I was little, and saw that they pulled a lot of people from the Groundlings (a Los Angeles-based improvisational comedy troupe), so I moved to L.A. in 1998. I was in the Groundlings’ school within six months of moving to California, but very quickly found I didn’t like improv. To succeed at it, you have to relax and rely on others. I’m too intense and too much of a control freak for that. I started doing stand-up that same year, and liked it much better.

What do you like about performing?

On stage is the only time I truly feel like myself. I get very physical and it’s a lot of fun. I’ve performed two hours of stand-up at a strip club in Anaheim, but I was never heckled until I came here and performed in New York – it’s a challenge and makes you a better comic!

What do you dislike about it?

I hate the egos. A lot of comedy comes from pain and these people carry around all this anger and become bitter. Plus, the normal rules of society don’t seem to apply in the entertainment industry. I auditioned for Mad TV and the casting directors were so hyper-critical that I cried for days. Other times, people would come up after a show, heap praise on me, and make all these promises, then I’d never hear from them again.

BRIAN HAVIG moved to a neighborhood near Liberty State Park in 2008 after graduating from Brigham Young University.

He works as an advertising copywriter but performs at open mics almost every night in New York clubs like Comix, Gotham, and Broadway Comedy Club.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

My grandfather was a dentist, but he had a knack for telling jokes and making people laugh, and we loved it. So I came to value having a sense of humor really early on. In high school I was a big drama geek and at one point wrote a one-act comedy that we produced for the whole school. Then in college, I produced a sketch group called Divine Comedy. It’s the only thing I miss about college, really.

What do you like about performing?

Life in general sucks, so giving people a few moments of escape is very gratifying. Plus, you do stand-up by yourself. I like that because I’m the captain and commander of my own material.

What do you dislike about it?

I hate open mics – but it’s like going to the gym, you do it to stay sharp. Usually everyone in the audience is another comic and doesn’t laugh because they’ve heard your material before or they just don’t care. But when you do get a laugh, that’s when you know you’ve got a good joke.

CALISE HAWKINS has appeared on Comedy Central and was a finalist in the Stand-up for Diversity Competition. She performs regularly throughout the area and at the Village Lantern in Manhattan. Hawkins lives with her daughter in Downtown Jersey City.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

My ex-boyfriend said he wanted to do comedy, so I was going to go with him and wrote all this material to say on stage, but in the end he was afraid to perform, so I went without him. That was in February of 2004 at a place called B3s in the East Village. At the time, I saw Man on the Moon, the movie about comedian Andy Kaufman, and I felt a real connection to him. He didn’t really care to fit in with the world, and I identify with that.

What do you like about performing?

I like the instant gratification. If you’ve figured out what’s funny, you’ll instantly know. I had originally run away from college to the city to be an actress, but acting is a lot less instant. I also like a lot of the people I perform with – Hannibal Buress, Sean Patton, Victor Varnado and others. They’re great guys.

What do you dislike about it?

Sometimes, people in the business get upset if someone else has any success. It creates stress.

EVAN JONES is the youngest comic on the list at 21. Jones grew up in California and Germany but now lives Downtown. Though a certified personal trainer, Jones is trying to make his living through comedy and is in a troupe called Pillowfight After Dark that makes short videos.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

In 2008, I was going to New York Film Academy for acting and took an improv class. Then, I found an ad for a stand-up class at Comix Comedy Club and took that too. I like acting and improv, but stand-up comes more naturally for me. I perform a lot at Stand-Up NY and the Village Lantern in Manhattan. I try to do two or three shows a week.

What do you like about performing?

I like that it’s my show – at least for however long I’m on stage. I don’t have to meet any writer’s standards or director’s standards. Improv comedy is good too – the performers are more tight knit than stand-ups, but it’s harder to express yourself as an individual.

What do you dislike about it?

I try to avoid bringer shows, but open mics are hard too. They’re filled with other comics and can be cliquey, especially in Manhattan. Shows in the outer boroughs and Jersey City can be better because they have more real people.

RICH KIAMCO lives on the West Side, next to Lincoln Park. He performs at colleges across the country and gives lectures and workshops on bullying, hate crimes, and overcoming adversity. He produces and hosts comedy shows in the area at venues like Pint (formerly Star Bar) and Art House Productions. Nationally, he co-produces a comedy/lecture tour that raises funds for charity. He’s appeared on The Howard Stern Show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and is a frequent guest on OutQ’s The Focus Group on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Kiamco received the Overall Excellence Award at NY International Fringe Festival and Best Solo Show at the Montreal International GLBT Theatre Festival.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I first did stand-up in the laundry room of my dorm at the Fashion Institute Of Technology. They had a talent show there, and I killed! My first big break came a year later when I became the costume designer for comic Judy Tenuta. I came out to her as an aspiring comic, and began to perform as her sidekick along with her friends in the industry, such as Emo Philips.

What do you like about performing?

Racism, homophobia and misogyny! Sometimes when I’m performing, I can feel the homophobia and hatred directed at me as a gay Filipino, or I’ll witness mistreatment towards women in the room. Comics have to win people over, and always tell the truth about what’s going on. Being different gives me something to play with. I would not want to be a straight white male comic, because I’d get lost in the crowd. Everyone has to deal with stuff. Everyone has to make their shortcomings into assets.

What do you dislike about it?

Racism, homophobia and misogyny.

RICHIE REDDING moved to the Downtown area from Sweetwater, N.J., last year. He performs in New York almost every night, but does shows across the region and as far south as Miami. He makes his living through stand-up.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I got up and performed at an open mic outside Philly eight years ago, on the day before Thanksgiving. It was the day I got fired from my first real job, and it felt like a good time to try something different.

I had wanted to perform ever since I was little. I was lost in a mall in South Jersey when I was about nine, and as I was trying to find my mom, I ran into a group of nicely dressed men in one of the stores. One of them asked me, ‘what are you doing?’ and I said ‘being kidnapped.’ All these men started cracking up, and I felt really good about that. My mom found me then, and as she was taking me away she told me that the man I ran into was Jay Leno.

What do you like about performing?

I love it when a crowd is there to have fun and I can go in whatever weird direction I want.

What do you dislike about it?

It’s torture when a crowd is disengaged and either texting or talking amongst themselves.

PHIL RIVO has acted in several of Troma Entertainment’s B-movies, and co-wrote the second and third installments of the Toxic Avenger series. He books an annual comedy show at Temple Beth-El called All Points Borscht, performs benefits for the historic Barrow Mansion and has hosted stand-up at the Lamp Post Bar & Grille. Rivo works as a real estate agent and lives near Hamilton Park.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I started doing stand-up for a student-run Gong Show we had in high school, in Berkeley Heights. I was always needy for attention, be it love or shock value.

What do you like about performing?

I just like hearing the sound of my own voice and the silence that immediately follows it. Seriously though, stand-up is an escape from being a father, husband, dog owner, and a generally upstanding member of the community. I can’t talk about my scrotum in the real world.

What do you dislike about it?

Heckling doesn’t bother me at all, but I like dialogue much more than jokes, so I prefer emceeing to actually performing stand-up. It’s more in-the-moment. That said, there are some good comics out there. You forget it’s Jersey City.

RYAN RUMMEL performs across New Jersey and in New York City. He has hosted shows at The Lamp Post Bar & Grille and does podcasts with fellow Jersey City resident Ralph Santiago. Rummel graduated from St. Joseph’s College in Philadelphia in 2007 with a degree in business.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I took a class at Carolines three years ago. The class is basically designed to make your balls drop, and at the end you get to perform in the club. When I was growing up, I used to admire my friend’s brother because he was so funny. I’ve always admired people who can make you laugh.

What do you like about performing?

It’s an adrenaline rush. Getting people to laugh at the stuff they shouldn’t be laughing at. It’s just interesting to see what the audience will laugh at or will boo at. Plus that reaction is always changing. I try to check out a new open mic once a week. You have to assume no matter how funny the material is, the audience is not there to laugh. They are there to practice. Just have fun with it.

What do you dislike about it?

Open mics get cliquey but bringer shows are the worst – the producers are basically having us do their work for them, and since whoever you bring is expected to buy expensive drinks for the honor of watching you do a five minute set, your friends are getting screwed over as well.

JOSHUA SANKEY has lived in Downtown Jersey City for the past six years. A working comedian and actor, Sankey has appeared in Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Saturday Night Live and a myriad of commercials for everything from Hallmark to Spike TV.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

It was 1998; I was living in Philly and working my first full-time job out of college at an internet start-up. The thought of spending 40 hours a week in an office for the rest of my life didn’t appeal to me. I had never done any theater, and had never even thought of stand-up, but I saw an ad for a stand-up class in Philly’s City Paper and decided to go for it. The class taught me joke structure and I dabbled in comedy for the next few years, before I decided to quit my job in 2002 and just drive across the country to get into the comedy scene. I performed in 35 states over two years that way, just starting with guest sets, then asking to emcee and feature. I got on stage wherever and whenever I could.

What do you like about performing?

It’s a natural rush. When your jokes are hitting, everyone is having a good time and forgetting about their lives, and you’re in charge of it.

What do you dislike about it?

You really have to put your personal life behind you. The audience doesn’t care, and you can’t bring the crowd down.

ANTON SHUFORD lives in the Journal Square area after moving here from Philadelphia in May. He makes his living performing stand-up and tours up and down the East Coast regularly. Shuford averages about 10 shows a week, mostly in New York. A U.S. Navy veteran, his last regular job was bartending at a Philly comedy club called the Laff House.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I wanted to do comedy ever since I saw Robin Harris, Eddie Murphy and Ellen Degeneres perform on HBO’s One Night Stand when I was a kid. I first got on stage in 2002, at an open mic in Philly. I was working as a substitute teacher at the time.

What do you like about performing?

I like everything about it. It’s just you, up on stage with a microphone. I do a lot of shows where I’m not even paid, but I don’t mind it. The great Walter Peyton once said that he liked football so much, he’d have played it for free. I feel that way about stand-up.

What do you dislike about it?

Well, I don’t like being judged.

MELISSA SURACH ran a show called Babyhole in Hoboken and Jersey City for four years; she does comedic performance art at Art House Productions and has written humor pieces for the New York Press.

Her surreal humor videos can be found at Funny or Die and on YouTube. Surach works at a wine store, has blogged about beer for the Star-Ledger and is a contributor to the Jersey City Independent.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I went to school at McGill University and wrote for the school humor magazine there. Eventually, I became its first female editor-in-chief and we branched out into sponsoring improv and sketch comedy shows.

What do you like about performing, and what do you dislike about it?

I don’t like performing stand-up. I don’t have the time to develop material, and it’s not what I’m best at. I prefer humor writing and doing sketches on video.

Between the wine store and the blog entries I’ve done for the Independent and the Ledger, I’m basically a semi-professional drinker. How awesome is that?

JASON YOUNER has lived in the Harsimus Cove neighborhood for 10 years. He produced and hosted a comedy show at the Stockinette Knitting Cafe on the second Friday of each month before the cafe closed this year, and also performs with Art House Productions. He has a day job working from home organizing digital marketing events.

How did you first get into comedy, and when?

I was always the cut up in class – sounds like a cliché, but I really was. I was given an opportunity to perform at a funky boarding school in the Berkshires called the DeSisto School when I was a misguided youth. I was a huge fan of comics like Bill Hicks, Bill Murray, Andy Kaufman, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, so getting up on stage was a thrill for me.

What do you like about performing?

I love having an outlet to put my energies towards. I love the excitement and anticipation of a gig, not knowing what direction it’s going to go in. Each performance is like a journey. There are no “bad” gigs. I take something from every experience.

What do you dislike about it?

I dislike doing the same material over again, therefore, I always try to do new stuff. It’s more work, but it pays off in the end because each gig is an adventure. I used to do open mics in the city, but got burned out from all the crap that you have to deal with.

UPCOMING COMEDY SHOWS IN JERSEY CITY

• Tuesday, May 24 (Tonight!): Fine Distilled Comedy, a brand-new monthly comedy series, launches at Dorrian’s on Washington Boulevard (8 pm).
• Saturday, June 4: The Laugh Tour comes to Art House Productions; this installment features Comedy Central’s Louis Katz, with Ben Kissel and Rich Kiamco. Also appearing: Charles McBee, Samatha DeRose, Abbi Crutchfield, Kelley Lynn and more (7 pm).
• Tuesday, June 14: Shut Up & Laugh makes its regular appearance at the Lamp Post on the second Tuesday of each month (9 pm).

Surach would like to offer the spot to anyone in the community who is unable to attend the class for financial reasons. In particular, Surach is reaching out to teens in Jersey City public schools who may be interested in the class.

Please contact Art House Productions at (201) 915-9911 or info (at) arthouseproductions (dot) org to take advantage of the offer.

Why stop the BabyHole series now? What led you to make that decision?

In addition to the series, I’m working three jobs and don’t have enough time to devote to it. Also, I feel that considering the lack of quality Jersey City venues, it got as big as it could and couldn’t grow any bigger. Besides, it’s not the only comedy show in town anymore. Stockinette, Michael Anthony’s, etc. can keep the comedy torch burning. I’d like to develop a new show, more about me, instead of showcasing other performers.

Is the series going to continue with new folks running it, or is it completely going away?

I’m not sure. Some people have expressed interest in taking it over, but as far as I know they haven’t started looking for a new venue or booking it. I think it might just be better to start up a new show somewhere else in Jersey City, a clean slate. One of the problems with the Lamp Post, besides having an awkward layout with no seats, stage, or multimedia capacity, is that they now want us to start at 10:30 pm, which for most people is just too late to go out on Tuesday nights.

What’s been the hardest thing about doing this kind of show in Jersey City?

Finding a good venue has definitely been the most draining. Still, despite the limitations, there’s been a lot of great people who work in the venues. Joe, the bartender at the Lamp Post, is amazing. He tries really hard to keep the music and performance alive in this town. If it weren’t for him, BabyHole probably would’ve died two years ago, because there’d be nowhere for it to go.

It’s also difficult keeping up with booking and promoting while working several jobs. It doesn’t help that most publications like the Reporter and The Onion won’t print it in their event listings because of the “controversial” name or the Jersey stigma.

What’s the most memorable BabyHole memory you’ll take away from the experience?

Well, in light of the hate mail, and random girls trying to fight me at parties because they think the name is offensive, I’d say it is my newfound persecution complex. But as far as positive experiences go, probably this year’s Stop Raping People, our annual Women’s Day Benefit. Proceeds went to The Global Fund for Women and WomenRising, Inc. It was a packed show. Thomas Francis Takes His Chances performed, along with some really great female comedians like Leibya Rogers, Raquel D’Apice and Rosie Rebel. It was a really good show, and the best Stop Raping People yet. I was very proud of it.

Other than writing for JCI, what’s next for you?

I’m applying to grad school for creative writing, working on my manuscript and entering writing contests. I’m also applying for grants in writing and performance, and talking to Thomas John Carlson about starting a Writer’s Workshop at the Jersey City Art School, or possibly at another venue. I’m going to develop a new live show — starring me, of course. I haven’t got the script together yet, but it’ll probably involve me wearing a prosthetic hump, taking off my clothes and stealing babies. Of course, I’d like to finish my public access show as soon as I get a fancy new computer.

“We all know that bachelor/bachelorette auctions have the potential to be stuffy, incredibly awkward events,” says Art House executive director Christine Goodman. “So we thought, why not put a new spin on it? Let’s have fun, embrace the ridiculousness, and help our participants promote themselves.”

In addition to Fulop and Surach, the “JC’s Most Eligible” event will feature musician Kelly St. Patrick, Holly Tienken (Bag the Habit), Kirk Bray (Billykirk), Dennis Whittinghill (Damaged Wear), photographer Virginia Kamenitzer, DJ Jesse Amoroso, Eli Kent and visual artist Hiroshi Kumagai. Local restaurants will donate gift certificates for the winning pairs. (For regular updates on available bachelors and bachelorettes, as well as restaurant sponsors, check out Art House’s website.)

“Bid on someone you find interesting. Bid on someone you want to have a conversation with, learn from, break bread with,” Goodman says. “Then who knows? Maybe the sparks will fly!”

There is no cover for the auction, and Judy’s Goodies will provide baked goods.

DETAILS: Saturday, April 24, at 8 pm at Art House Productions (1 McWilliams Place).

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- None of Hudson County’s state senators say they plan to exercise their power of senatorial courtesy to block Gov. Christie’s nomination of former Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler as state commissioner of education.

- A 21-year-old Jersey City man, the second wanted in the execution-style murder of a Jersey City man earlier this month, surrendered to a judge yesterday morning.

- Jersey City firefighters are mounting a “boot drive” to collect donations for the Haiti relief effort, and Mayor Healy says he’s looking into other ways the city can help out.

- Gov. Christie says he remains opposed to increasing New Jersey’s gasoline tax — one of the lowest in the nation — but won’t rule out NJ Transit fare hikes or service cuts.

- NFL star and Hudson County native Kenny Britt, who was arrested a week ago, is coming under more scrutiny after posting bail of approximately $165,000 for a friend from Jersey City two days later. The friend, Albert “Albee Al” Robinson, was appearing in front of Hudson County Superior Court Judge Fred Theemling on charges of hindering the prosecution and possession of a firearm in connection with a murder in Jersey City in December. In a statement, Britt says the two “are childhood friends” and that he is not “condoning any of his past actions.”

- Exchange Place restaurant American Masala (which our Michelle Weber gave a very positive review) has reportedly been torpedoed, with the restaurant’s chef gone and the name changed to 95 Greene.

- The HudsonJewish organization is holding lively salons is held the second Wednesday evening of every month at the C.A.S.E. Museum (80 Grand St.).

- Melissa Surach’s latest “Hey! It’s Jersey City.” video takes a look at the Lamp Post.

In statewide news:

- New Jersey’s unemployment rate hit 10.1 percent in December, slightly higher than the national rate of 10 percent, and the highest rate the state has seen in 33 years.

- Gov. Christie got to work yesterday, signing eight executive orders to, among other things, reduce labor unions’ political donations, temporarily freeze some state spending and encourage business growth. He says he and his team are looking at how to close an unexpected $1.2 billion budget gap; he promises not to raise taxes, but says furloughs or layoffs of state workers are possible. A push back against that idea from the unions is beginning to take shape.

- New Jersey’s residential foreclosure fillings jumped 29 percent at the end of 2009 from 2008.

- Gov. Corzine made a bunch of last-minute appointments before he left office, placing dozens of Democratic loyalists on state boards that in some cases will allow them to maintain and boost their public pensions.

- A couple of drug dealers tell the Daily News they are worried that New Jersey’s new medical marijuana law might take a bite out of their profits.

- A new report finds that one in eight New Jersey children lived in poverty during the height of the recession in 2008, creating a surge in demand for government programs that helped people feed their families and pay their utility bills.

- Superior Court Judge Lee Solomon, a former prosecutor, will reportedly be named as the new president of the state Board of Public Utilities today.

All photos: Steve Gold

Despite a relatively light agenda, comments from the public pushed Wednesday’s City Council meeting to just over two hours. The council considered three first read ordinances, six second-reads and 41 resolutions. Ward D councilman Bill Gaughan was absent.

Melissa Surach Gets Her Award

Melissa Surach curtsies as she accepts her award from the council

Jersey city comedienne and JCI contributor Melissa Surach was the welcome highlight of a slow council night as she accepted an award, one she has not been shy about asking for. The council unanimously passed a resolution honoring Surach’s “many contributions to the arts in Jersey City and her dedication to her hometown,” with the crowd getting a good chuckle as Ward E councilman Steven Fulop read the name of her public access show, Melicious Bottomvomit, into the record. Surach, dressed in a diaphanous turquoise gown and a tiara resembling the Statue of Liberty’s crown, was all smiles as she accepted her award, but indicated she was not completely satisfied when she asked the council to consider renaming Jersey Avenue in her honor and erect a large bronze statue that would be visible from New York.

Frequent Flyer Night

Yvonne Balcer gets tough with the council on the subject of taxes

Almost all the community members who addressed the council on Wednesday were familiar to regular attendees of council meetings. Bernice Davis was the notable exception: she called the attention of the council to the block of Pine Street between Communipaw Avenue and the dead end, which she claimed has not been paved in 25 years. Ward F councilwoman Viola Richardson agreed with Davis, calling the condition of the street “deplorable.” Richardson stated that she has made Vipul Patel — who heads the Division of Engineering — aware of the issue, but asked Council President Mariano Vega* to follow up.

Others who addressed the council included John Seborowski, who continued his calls for Vega*’s resignation, and gadfly Yvonne Balcer. In stark contrast to the contentious caucus on Monday where the issue of abatements was front-and-center, Balcer was the only person to discuss them at Wednesday’s meeting. Recalling that the city’s waterfront was developed before the widespread use of abatements, she disagreed with the notion that abatements keep municipal taxes low, and handed the council a spreadsheet showing how her local taxes have risen since 2005, the year Mayor Healy took office.

First Reads

All three first read ordinances were passed unanimously with virtually no comment from the council members. The first permits the Ambriola Company to construct a mountable curb on the sidewalk adjacent to their property at 2 Burma Road. The second allows the owner of the office building at the corner of Columbus Drive and Marin Boulevard to install decorative safety bollards along the road around the east side of the building; and the third gives the owners of 782-784 Ocean Avenue to construct two stoops on that property.

Odds and Ends

* Like the public comment portion of the meeting, the public hearings on the six second read ordinances drew comment from familiar faces, including Yvonne Balcer and John Seborowski. Four of the second-reads passed unanimously, one passed with a single abstention and another was tabled. The first, which made its third appearance on the agenda this week, authorizes an $8.7 million bond issuance to guarantee funds for the construction of the Marion Greenway on the PJP site; it was tabled pending approval by the local finance board. Ward F councilwoman Viola Richardson abstained from voting on the sixth ordinance, which approved a tax exemption for an affordable housing project, because it hadn’t gone before the Tax Enhancement Committee. Although council president Vega* had requested it go before the committee prior to its second reading, the committee has not convened recently. You can read about the other four ordinances here.

* All 41 resolutions passed the council; only three did not receive a unanimous vote. Ward E councilman Steven Fulop voted against a resolution to approve up to $75,000 for a contract with Domenick Carmagnola to represent former police chief Robert Troy, who is named in several workplace harassment complaints. Fulop claimed that suits and settlements against Troy have cost the city nearly $1 million, a figure he called “excessive, to say the least.” Fulop also lodged the lone nay against the reappointment of Fire Department director Armando Roman, saying he “would like to see a change” there, and he abstained on the vote to reappoint Department of Housing Economic Development and Commerce director Carl Czaplicki, who is named in the federal criminal complaint against political consultant Joe Cardwell. “There is a cloud that still looms,” Fulop said. The directors of five other city departments were reappointed by unanimous vote; Department of Public Works director John Yurchak was not recommended for reappointment by the Mayor, but will serve in an ‘acting’ capacity for the time being.

* Over $271 million in emergency appropriations were approved for the fiscal year 2010 budget to increase or create various line items.

* A total of $65,000 was transferred out of various budget line items into others.

* The council refunded real estate taxes worth nearly $363,000 and discounted an outstanding mortgage debt by nearly $41,000.

* The council passed a resolution supporting an application by the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC) for a Pathway out of Poverty grant from the federal Department of Labor.

* Another grant application was authorized, this one to the federal Department of Transportation for a TIGER grant to be used in support of the Jersey Avenue extension project. A copy of the application is included in the resolutions document starting on page 31; that’s good readin’ for all you wonky folks who want to know what the city’s planning for that project.

* The city was authorized to spend up to $155,000 to support the operation of the Afro-American Historical Society Museum for the current fiscal year, although only $20,000 is currently available for that purpose.

* The Mayor’s appointment of ten municipal prosecutors and three part-time prosecutors was approved.

* Six resolutions were approved that authorize or amend program contracts for affordable housing projects and/or projects funded by federal stimulus dollars and HOME funds.

* The city was authorized to issue letters of insurance indemnifying Liberty State Park and Camp Liberty for the purposes of the Fire Department’s Family Day Picnic, as well as to De Maximis for Fire Department training at their facility.

* A street closing at Exchange Place on September 27 was authorized for a festival to be held by African Americans in Action.

* The council voted to support a pre-application to the state Department of Environmental Protection to approve an easement in the Oak Street Park.

What are we buying?

The council approved the following purchases on Wednesday:

* Nearly $231,000 to Dell Marketing for software licensing and maintenance.

* Up to $75,000 to attorney Thomas Jardim to represent the city in a civil-rights lawsuit against two police officers.

* $30,000 to Mirna Ruiz to settle her trip-and-fall lawsuit against the city.

- Melissa Surach has a little preview of her soon-to-be-aired(?) public access show.

- MG of Twists and Turns reports the sad news that the vintage blinking neon sign over Boulevard Drinks in Journal Square has been replaced with plastic.

- Nutley poet Anthony Buccino loves Jersey City so much he filled a book with poems about us. Now he waxes melancholy about a change in his daily commute.

- Tris McCall has a slightly unbelievable story about Mayor Healy. It’s probably true, because why would Tris lie? But even if it’s not true, it should become local legend, because it’s awesome.

- Draw & Quarter is investigating the origins of some street paintings recently found around Downtown. And Twists and Turns points out some street art in the Heights.

- Zac Clark reviews PJ Bond at Automata Chino.

- Anyone recognize this vintage cigarette machine? Looks like the Flamingo Diner to me.

- Jersey City Construction has a cute photo of a crappy place for a way-finding photo. Also, get in on their poll, which you’ll find in the right rail: “What is the most likely of the rumored things coming to Jersey City for 2009?”

- It’s “Urban Trash Week” at WFMU. Check out this post for a look at how Georgy Girl is putting her garbage to use in her city garden. Still to come: composting! It’s gratifying to know some of us still get excited about compost.

- The comments on this post at New York’s Sixth air out some rumors about the retail that might be going up at Hamilton Square.

- Melissa Surach is asking for your help in assembling her Jersey City Ghost Tour.

- Frank & Erik actually talk about Jersey City! They discuss personal space issues on the PATH (44:01), and Channel 51, our fair city’s public access teevee (46:26). It’s not much, but it’s a lot of Chilltown relative to the rest of what they do.

- JC street artist Pappi is at it again: go check out his V-day Flags installation at the corner of Third and Monmouth Streets (not Third Street and Newark Avenue as reported by JC Register) before the Genesis Educational Center or someone else takes it down. In our humble opinion, it’s not nearly up to the level of some of his earlier stuff, but we’re glad he’s still doing his thing.

- Speaking of street art, Life Vicarious has video of JC native KAWS’s appearance on CBS Sunday Morning. Not a very penetrating segment: if you’re a fan you likely won’t learn anything new here. Serena Altschul speaks … way … too … slowly, and the graffiti-artist-made-good of the moment hardly needs more press, but it’s cool to see him profiled on such a stodgy program. Watch til the end to see his take on the show’s venerable sun logo.

- LV also reports this week that Rev. Janet Broderick, the Rector of Grace Church Van Vorst, will be moving to a new parish in March.

- Draw & Quarter went to the wine & chocolate pairing event at LITM on Tuesday. Here’s James’s mixed review. This week, he also has mini-reviews of Golden Cicada, World of Style, and Brennan’s Flowers.

- Melissa Surach skewers late-night phone ‘dating’ ads in a new sketch video. Don’t be a hater; just take a 40-second break and have a laugh.

- Tris McCall will be doing a weekly show on NJ internet rock station BlowUpRadio. Tuesdays from 10-11 p.m.