The following is a guest submission by Hoboken resident Sue Pregibon. The letter below has previously been submitted to Hoboken City Council members.

Is City Hall going to approve selling marijuana citywide and in uptown Hoboken?

Dear Council Members: As the State continues to revise and rethink the components of the marijuana bill, there is no doubt that they will pass some form of it.  Whatever the law ends up to be, legalized and/or decriminalized, every municipality and person in the State must abide by it.  Of course, there will be those that are against it and those for it, but this is not the discussion that we should be having here in Hoboken.  The discussion MUST be about whether we as residents, taxpayers and businesses want to allow the Mayor to proceed in opening marijuana dispensaries here in Hoboken.  These are two totally independent issues.  If the State passes the law, it has no bearing on the municipalities right to sell or not to sell marijuana.  This has to be made clear.  As of last week, there were 40 cities in the State that proclaimed that they will not allow marijuana-related industries or stores to open in their towns.  These include Weehawken, Secaucus, North Bergen and Union City.  We do not know how “Senator Brian Stack” will vote on the legislation, but “Mayor  Brian Stack of Union City” and his City Council has already made clear that this is not going to happen in his backyard.   Only 4 cities have declared willingness to be guinea pigs in this experiment:  Newark, Asbury Park, Atlantic City and Jersey City.   These cities hold in common: higher crime rates, high unemployment and a much different level of socioeconomic disparity. This is not Hoboken.  Last week the residents of Hoboken overwhelmingly voted to bring back runoff elections.  The referendum on the ballot gave everyone, not just the Mayor or the City Council,  the opportunity to vote for what they deem fair and right for Hoboken.   In the past, decisions as important as this, have gone through rigorous vetting by those representing major stakeholders. Well advertised public meetings that allowed community groups such as the Quality of Life Coalition, Hoboken Clergy Coalition, The Chamber of Commerce, Board of Education, Hoboken Family Alliance, Stevens Institute, Board of Realtors, Hoboken Shelter, and every resident of Hoboken to be fully informed and their opinion is taken into account. There were numerous public and stakeholder meetings during the re-examination of the Master Plan.  Input was collected and much of it was implemented into the final version.  There were numerous changes in zoning throughout the city, but never was it mentioned that this administration had any intention to rezone our commercial and residential areas to include marijuana-related businesses.  The prudent action would be to wait until the next re-examination of the Master Plan or place this question as a referendum on the ballot for the next election. Even more disturbing, is the fact that the majority of our population is unaware that this is happening.  The Governor’s intent is in the news, but the Mayor’s initiative has been behind closed doors. Now we have a supposedly public meeting, where no announcements or invitations or agendas have been extended. It will be held the week of Thanksgiving when everyone is looking forward to celebrating and giving thanks for our blessings.  I think that this City Council can do better.  Your constituents will always have the last word, whether it be praise for your actions now, or at the polls next November. 

The following story comes courtesy of the Hudson County View:

Still looking to preserve Union Dry Dock as a family-oriented park site, Hoboken officials held a press conference earlier today revealing that an engineering study indicates another option on the southern side of the city is a better choice for a ferry maintenance facility. =&0=&

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The aftermath of the crushing landslide Hoboken referendum to bring back runoff elections doesn’t mean only majority elections will return to Hoboken.

A voter rebuke of the destructive “win at any cost” tactics in last year’s winner take all mayoral election punctuated with the final manipulation of the Mile Square electorate courtesy of the Ravi Terror Flyer is one message sent.

Days after the landslide vote where by an almost three to one margin voters actively chose to bring back runoff elections; the mayor’s office and Ravibots began a desperate spin campaign to alter the perception Mayor Ravi Bhalla is not a lame duck who dreads facing a one on one runoff. Read More...

Official release:

  Dear friends,  

PSE&G will be beginning underground electric transmission work in Southwest Hoboken that will begin tonight, November 12^th and continue through November 20^th.  According to the City of Hoboken community alert, PSE&G have stated the work will be completed between the hours of 7pm and 5am, Monday thru Friday at the intersections of Newark St. and Grove St. and Newark St. and Madison St.  Read More...

On a crisp sunny day at Elysian Park, approximately 100 people gathered in observance of Veterans Day and the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day, the end of World War I.

Over 116,000 Americans died among 4.7 million in what was called The Great War, the predecessor to World War II. More than half the deaths came about due to disease with the terrible trench conditions and an influenza epidemic.

US Veteran Mark Villamar leads a salute at the conclusion of the ceremony in honor of all Veterans who have served the United States.

=&0=&: Among those in attendance, master of ceremonies: US Veterans John Carey and Mark Villamar, Freeholder Anthony Romano, Mayor Ravi Bhalla, City Council President Ruben Ramos, City Council members Peter Cunningham, James Doyle, Jen Giattino, Tiffanie Fisher, City Clerk James Farina, Asst. City Clerk Jerry Lore, former councilman and Hoboken Housing Authority Chair Dave Mello, former mayor Dawn Zimmer, former State Senator & NJ Majority Leader Bernard Kenny and the former first dog of Hoboken, Buddy.

Official release:


Veterans Day 100 Year Commemoration of World War I at Elysian Park – Sunday at 11:00 am

Dear friends and neighbors:

A few upcoming events I wanted you to be aware of including one that is tomorrow (Sunday): Read More...

Official release:

United States Attorney District of New Jersey

HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, WOMAN ADMITS CONSPIRACY TO PROMOTE VOTER BRIBERY SCHEME 

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hoboken, New Jersey, woman today admitted her role in a conspiracy to promote a voter bribery scheme, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Lizaida Camis, 55, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to Count 2 of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to use the mail to promote a voter bribery scheme during the 2013 municipal election in Hoboken.  Read More...

Official release:

  Dear friends and neighbors:

I first want to extend a huge congratulations to Ailene McGuirk, Tom Kluepfel and Malani Cademartori in being elected (and re-elected in the case of Tom) yesterday to the Hoboken Board of Education!  We have seen so much progress and increase in enrollment in our public schools over the last several years, and at the direction of our Superintendent Dr. Christine Johnson.  And I am 100% confident that Ailene and Malani will only add to the efforts that Tom and the rest of our Board have championed.  The future of Hoboken district schools never looked brighter!   Read More...