In a party line vote with a Southwest Park the stakes, the City Council voted 5-4 allowing for the use of eminent domain in additional negotiations to pursue almost an acre of land on Block 12.  The property is currently under the control of a single owner who runs a surface parking lot on the location.

Tim Occhipinti who voted for the use of eminent domain in the Southwest just last year reversed his position and voted no to the ordinance.

Occhipinti spent much of his initial comments blaming Mayor Dawn Zimmer for failing to deliver on a Southwest Park six acre concept plan and said he would not support voting in favor of eminent domain.  Last year Occhipinti voted for the City to use eminent domain in negotiations as part of the initial process to identify land for a park in the southwest. Read More...

Post meeting – Link to recorded meeting is also available here.

The Southwest Park idea, a dream for residents of the fourth ward comes to a final ultimate vote for all the marbles tonight. About a year ago, the concept of eminent domain was put forward by the mayor, a generic request asking for a tool to make negotiations serious. Tim Occhipinti in a rare occasion learned he was going to held accountable for supporting a park in the Southwest the mayor was urging support for and became the fifth vote. Read More...

In a comment on MSV yesterday, Councilman Dave Mello wrote:

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Today’s ballot for the Democratic Primary

Talking Ed Note: A real ballot from today’s primary above, the Republican ballot will feature presidential nominee Mitt Romney on top.

And wait who’s that off the line for Hudson County clerk against Barabara Netchert?  Why that’s Hoboken’s Paul Lichstein who’s worked on Tim Occhipinti’s campaign and also is a college classmate of the 2010 2nd ward council candidate Franz Paetzold.

Would ya look at that.

Election Notes: There’s one race with two heads butting hard in the 9th Congressional and Max Pizarro writes that one candidate is questioning 2,000 absentee ballots re: vote-by-mail  votes of the other – all out of Patterson, NJ. Read More...

From the desk of Council Vice President Peter Cunningham:

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Tim Occhipinti who holds the fourth ward council seat is forced to choose between developer donors or a Southwest Park Wednesday night and eminent domain is a binding tool on the table as part of the council vote.

The last vote on eminent domain to bring about finality in negotiations to Block 12 almost a year ago put him in a position where a meaningful vote lay before him – the fifth of nine deciding if the City would reach this final point this week.

Occhipinti who has hailed himself for “Timmy Pocket Park” on lower Jackson Street, an effort he had no hand in delivering is poised to actually have an accountable role again where such a park could be built in the Southwest for the fourth ward. Read More...

Back in the fall of 2009, a full all out scramble was on in a winner take all race for mayor. Hoboken was splintered with candidates and whoever came out on top no matter how small a percentage would take the crown.

Frank “Pupie” Raia who is a legend in his own mind put out an unintentionally hilarious video on parking.  If you put aside his contention angle parking would double the space in town, you could certainly enjoy it.  (It’s not even legal or possible in many places.) Read More...

Office of the Mayor announces:

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Dear Friends,

The battle for Hoboken wages on, we’re a town where the shooting never stops and MSV is in the middle if not initiating fire.  There’s good news with an election for mayor and three critical at-large council seats up next spring – Reform has never been stronger in countering the forces of the old, dark ways. MSV has been on the front lines with a growing audience reaching tens of thousands of visitors a month.  Since 2009, the impact has been strong from the first ever interview with the late fiscal state monitor Judy Tripodi on taxes going down and the results on the mayoral election to breaking/reviving the Michael Russo FBI video story, to voter fraud and corruption of every variety with numerous exclusives along the way. This website is a responsibility to both you and Hoboken as a whole.  Please consider what you can to help Da Horsey continue to engage the battle.   MSV will be working to keep you abreast of big developments as summer heats up and expect more special premium content features to come to you directly via email. Suggested premium content/site support donation is $75.  However, all support is greatly appreciated. This War Horse is counting on you as we approach a hot summer.   Best, Da Horsey, SmartyJones smartyjones@me.com

Will trample corruption for carrots

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Outstanding Secret Garden Tour This Sunday  Click on image for more information, or to buy tickets online Secret Garden Tour, Sunday, June 3, 9am-4pm The 15th Annual Secret Garden Tour is an annual rite of spring! Ideal growing conditions this year mean the gardens are at their peak. The 10 gardens selected for the tour offer a wide range of different styles and challenges. One garden offers amazing views of the Hudson and Manhattan — if you can take your eyes off the beautiful sandstone patio bordered by interesting flowers and ornamental plants, or the charming 2-story playhouse in the corner. Another garden boasts a giant boulder that couldn’t be moved, so it was converted into a fountain! Two gardens were patiently cultivated by local artists with unique aesthetic visions. Several others were transformed by top-notch designers from neglected or paved-over yards into magazine-worthy “outdoor rooms.” There are child-friendly, low-maintenance gardens and gardens that prove there’s a lot that can be done in back yards without much space or sunlight. Click here to read more or buy tickets to this Sunday’s annual celebration of spring.The guided tour takes about two to two and a half hours to complete, leaving the Museum every half-hour between 9 am and 4 pm. Advance tickets are $20, day-of-tour tickets are $25. Museum members pay $20. Volunteers are needed to lead tours. Contactvolunteer@hobokenmuseum.org for more info. click on the book cover for more information Surrender When Leaving Coach…Poet Joel Lewis on June 2, 4pm Join us Saturday, June 2, at 4 pm for a free reception celebrating the publication of Joel Lewis’ fourth poetry collection, Surrender When Leaving Coach. One of the poems from the collection has been reproduced on a large banner as part of the Museum’s exhibition, “Driving Under the Hudson.” Click here for more information. A social worker by day, Lewis has taught writing at The Poetry Project, The Writer’s Voice, and Rutgers University. He also edited Bluestones and Salt Hay, an anthology of New Jersey poets, as well as Reality Prime, the selected poems of Walter Lowenfels, and On the Level Everyday, the selected talks of Ted Berrigan. Robert Edwards and Vanessa Perea and combo play second Wednesdays at the Museum this spring Jazz Combo Returns to the Museum June 13, 7pm Trombonist Robert Edwards and vocalist Vanessa Perea will return with their jazz combo to the Hoboken Museum on June 13 at 7 p.m. for the last of three performances this spring. Admission is $7, or $5 for Museum members, and includes light refreshments. Don’t miss this talented ensemble, who infuse American standards with swing and a little funk! Edwards and Perea perform mostly standards, including songs favored by Frank Sinatra—think Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Irving Berlin—infused with Brazilian and funk influences. Click here for more information.  Play Ball! Celebrate Hoboken’s Baseball History  Click on the poster for more information “Birthplace of Modern Baseball” Celebration, June 16, 1pm Calling all baseball fans! On Saturday, June 16, at 1 pm the Flemington Neshanocks will take on the Hoboken Nine, playing by Alexander Cartwright’s 1870s rules in period-appropriate uniforms, in a competitive game at Stevens Dobbelaar Baseball Diamond. The event commorates the June 19, 1846, game that put Hoboken on the map as the birthplace of modern baseball. For more information, click here, or on the poster at left. Hotdogs will be available, of course! The event is free. Kid Stuff! Uptown Storytime and Family Fun Day Spring Family Fun Day is Sunday, June 10, 12pm Round up the whole family for crafts, a puppet show and hotdogs at the Museum’s Spring Family Fun Day, June 10 from noon – 4 pm. This event will offer several all-ages, hands-on activities including a performance by Puppet Heap, museum scavenger hunt, free hot-dogs from Tony and Neil’s Hotdog Cart, and a hand-puppet making activity for kids and their parents For more information, call the Museum at 201-656-2240 or send an email to Robin Westervelt, Education Curator, ateducation@hobokenmuseum.org Penny Metsch enthralls her fans Uptown Storytime Every 1st & 3rd Thursday, 10am Toddlers and their parents or caretakers are invited to join librarian and Museum trustee Penny Metsch every other Thursday morning at 10 am for the popular Uptown Storytime. Penny chooses old favorites and new books sure to please kids ages 2 – 5 years. Suggested donation for adults is $2; free for members. Mark your calendars: Upcoming Storytimes are June 7 & 21!  Fire Department Museum Open Weekends, 12-5 pm Family fun at the Fire Dept. Museum! Hoboken’s other best-kept secret is the Hoboken Fire Department Museum, at 213 Bloomfield Street. Come see how generations of fire fighters have battled fires in this dense urban environment. Memorabilia, including photos, hats and equipment, are arrayed floor-to-ceiling, and the fire fighters welcome visitors to climb up on the vintage fire truck. Admission is free for children, $2 for adults. The Hoboken Historical Museum is happy to help the department staff the Museum on weekends from noon to 5 pm. Read More...