The countdown clock on the right showing common sense in the form of Jen Giattino is not the only one in Hoboken that matters.  Tonight will be the last of the Beth Russo hydra before the town can breathe deeply and move forward on any number of fronts.  Of course the sniping isn’t going away, after all that’s the original Beth Russo hydra trademark.

So MSV has been hunting for an old clip when Councilwoman Beth Mason tried to put her favorite website Hoboken411 on the town payroll.  Finally hitting pay dirt, it’s a reel from the not so distant past. Read More...

In a story on the meeting last night at the Hoboken City Council, the failure of Beth Mason’s special meeting to advance her witch hunt on City Hall emails and the mayor’s staffers is now overshadowed by the latest revelation – Beth Mason admits to speaking to the FBI. 

According to a review of the non-meeting last night at City Hall, Hoboken Patch reveals Beth Mason has been in contact with the FBI.  While the story glosses over the particulars of that discussion with no answers from Mason to its details, the story focuses on Mason’s complaint that other people in Hoboken City Hall may have more information on the criminal investigation than she. Read More...

This is no doubt going to be the question of the week, of the month, of the summer for a lot of folks if the rumor that’s reached MSV proves true.  Not gristable with two independent sources, we’ll have to chalk it up for now as rumor but it did come from different places.

The latest criminal melodrama in this town will be escalating.  Whether it leads to more summer time hijinks brought to you courtesy of the Boys of Summer in Newark (and/or Paula Dow’s AG Office) or not is of course entirely dependent on them and their professional timetable. Read More...

Frank “Pupie” Raia attended the Hoboken Democratic meeting last night or rather we both hung around outside Room 84 before, during and after the reorganization meeting.

As a number of photos were taken, Raia posed and invited others to wave for the camera or would pose and ask for a picture. Here’s one we obliged but later another was declined as the ‘victim’ looked less than enthusiastic.

Raia made jokes what seemed like every few minutes asking people to wave for the camera. At points, some did and later Raia approached Franz and said, “Aren’t you happy to be on our team? We’re happy and nice,” later adding something along the lines about corruption not totally clear. As Franz Paetzhold was standing less than two feet away, MSV is not sure he was thrilled with Raia’s line of questions toward him. Franz was friendly enough to extend an invitation for a beer later but based on the incident below, we said it’s best not to do so this time with the “Real Dems” group. We agreed to huddle next time at the Hudson Tavern. Read More...

From the desk of Councilman Dave Mello

Tonight, June 13, 2011, a special meeting of the Hoboken City Council was called by Council President Mason. The notion was posed to the Council members, in a June 8th memorandum from Councilwoman Mason, that a five member majority of our City Council confirmed the call for this meeting and felt it was needed. The five members included Councilman Russo, who did not attend this meeting.

Since only four of those five confirming members bothered to show up for the meeting, I made the decision to leave the meeting, as I never felt the meeting was warranted. Councilwoman Marsh left the meeting at the same time.
— Read More...

Councilwoman Beth Mason’s meeting ended suddenly when Councilmembers Dave Mello and Carol Marsh left the closed session.

Council members voting for closed session before the quorum and the official meeting halted were Tim Occhipinti, Nino Giachhi, Terry Castellano and Beth Mason.

No action can be taken without a required five voting members present.

Talking Ed Note: Outside City Hall, a reporter asked Councilwoman Beth Mason about the meeting saying, “It’s a fail right?”  Beth Mason replied no, but she seemed less than pleased with the outcome to put it mildly. Read More...

Michele Russo made the nomination and Matt Callichio seconded.
The ‘Real Dems’ have taken Hoboken Democratic Committee.

– Posted at full gallop

Jennifer Maier the Environmental Services Director has been replaced by an interim as of today.

One of the difficult aspects of running a department in Hoboken is the lack of standards and unlike some of her colleagues who have written up people for not doing as required, it may have not been the case with Ms. Maier.

One of the reasons she was brought in was her grant writing ability.  Dealing with people not doing as asked may have been more taxing.

She also may not have enjoyed the bullying by the clownish antics of Councilman Mike Russo, even though it wasn’t directed at her, the second pay cut in the position passed by Beth Russo certainly was. Read More...

City of Hoboken announces:

Mayor Zimmer has appointed Tom Atkins, who has more than three decades of municipal management experience, to take over day-to-day operations of the department on an interim basis beginning on Tuesday, June 14. He served as Municipal Manager of Scotch Plains from 1980 through 2008 and as Borough Administrator of Metuchen from 1975 to 1980. Read More...

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