From the office of Councilman Peter Cunningham:
=&0=& A couple of events of interest this weekend: Jubilee Center Fundraiser, Jersey City Lacrosse clinic, and supporting Michael Lenz for council… —– Many of you know about the Jubilee Center, and the great work they do for Hoboken’s children in public housing. The Jubilee Center is an after school and summer safe haven for children in Hoboken’s public housing neighborhood. The Center provides quality after school programming for over 70 students from K-6th grade, it provides needed activities full time during school breaks throughout the year. In addition to education and activities, the Jubilee Center provides warm meals to its students daily. Tonight at the Elks Club, 1005 Washington Street, parents of our community will host an annual fundraiser to benefit of the Hoboken Jubilee Center. The event starts at 8pm and ends at 11pm and includes an open bar, light food and dancing. Dinner in advance would be a good idea, so make it a night out! The price of admission is $50 in advance (either register at Rubee’s Closet at 1028 Washington Street or online at the Jubilee Center web site atwww.jubileecenterhoboken.org) or $60 at the door. —– We all know the over programming of our children is a constant challenge, however, lacrosse is a great team sport and potentially another outlet or choice to add to the mix for consideration. I spoke to the organizers recently, as well as the City’s Director of Health and Human Services (Hoboken’s Recreation), about promoting lacrosse in Hoboken and throughout Hudson County. This Sunday Jersey City’s St. Peter’s Prep will host a lacrosse clinic for boys and girls by Jersey City Lacrosse (local non profit) with the assistance of Steven’s Institute players and coaches. The clinic is Sunday at 2pm at St. Peter’s Prep field at sussex and van vosrt streets, one block south of Grand. The following note provides additional details and their website for registration. Hope to see you there. Hello Jersey City Lacrosse Folks: We are looking forward to the upcoming clinic on Sunday. Among some familiar faces, there will be assistant coaches and players from Stevens Institute of Technology’s Men’s Lacrosse team and possibly players from the Women’s lacrosse team as well. A few practical details: 1. Rain: forecast for Sunday is 68 degrees and 30% chance of a “few showers” so we should be OK. However, please check your email on Sunday at 12 noon to see if there is a cancellation (in that instance we will try to reschedule.) RAIN on SUNDAY: Check your email at 12 noon 2. We will have both boys and girls lacrosse sticks available for purchase for $25.00 — that price is at or below store/online prices and all proceeds go to Jersey City Lacrosse. 3. Please remember to dress your children appropriately for lacrosse and the weather. We look forward to seeing you and/or your lacrosse playing children on the field at St. Peter’s Prep at 2 pm Sunday! Best, Jersey City Lacrosse=&1=&Occhipinti for Council announces:
Occhipinti calls on Lenz to return $4,600 to Hoboken taxpayers Hoboken 4th ward city council candidate Tim Occhipinti called on Michael Lenz to return $4,600 in incentives he receives for opting out of the county health plan and having Hoboken taxpayers pay for his health benefits. Lenz, who, in addition to making $24,000 as a part-time city councilman, makes approximately $70,000 at his county patronage job. He switched to the city health benefits plan when he was appointed to the city council. At last week’s debate, Lenz refused to disclose how much he collected from this scheme. The facts are that Lenz saves $1,000 by not having to pay for county health benefits (the required 1.5% of his approx. $70,000 salary), and then collects an additional $3,600 from the county’s incentive program, which provides payments to those who choose to opt out of the county health plan. (This information obtained via Open Public Records Act request from Rita Holleran, Office Services Manager, Hudson County Personnel Division, 201.795.6255.) “Michael Lenz should give this money back to taxpayers,” said Occhipinti. “For a man who preaches to everyone else about ethics, this is especially shady. This is a cynical manipulation of public benefits, but it’s a perfect example of the real Michael Lenz. Do as I say, not as I do. Give the money back, Mr. Lenz. Do the right thing and write a check to the taxpayers of Hoboken today.” Occhipinti holds a private sector job and pays into his company health benefits. He said he will join several other current council members in not taking city health benefits. “I’ll save taxpayers $23,000 my first day on the job by not asking them to foot the bill for my health benefits,” he said. “Michael Lenz is costing taxpayers close to $115,000 in salary and benefits. On top of that, he gets to put $4,600 in his pocket. When you think of so many people struggling just to meet their COBRA health plan payments, this is just wrong. He once called himself a reformer? That’s not reform. That’s business as usual.”=&0=&: The Lenz for Council Campaign offered this response: =&2=&
City of Hoboken announces:
=&0=&=&1=& Individual Share of Municipal Taxes Decreased by 9.0%The 2010 Transitional Year budget recently adopted includes a 5% reduction in the municipal tax levy, the largest permitted by law during a transitional year. At the Wednesday, October 20 Council meeting, Councilman
http://edmecka.com/articles/hoboken-city-council-debates-missing-parking-meter-revenue.html
This video classic is not to be missed. Share it with your friends who ask you what is wrong with Hoboken – because it’s all here.
Councilman Mike Russo makes his choice known for the fourth ward special election on November 2nd confirming the endorsement posted at the Mike Russo Civic Association on Adams street. From the window you could read in green letters: Vote for Occhipinti.
| Endorsement for Tim Occhipinti at the Association on Adams St. |
Councilman Mike Russo demonstrates why grandstanding is more fun than math. In yesterday’s City Council meeting, he claims a five percent decrease in taxes is actually a four percent increase. While the fabrication is being thrown out like so much hot air, Councilman Russo gets into a lather sufficiently to coin a new term: Politrickin.
(There’s some political whoring going on here alright.)
Councilman Mike Lenz breaks down the attack and tosses the lie aside like so much garbage.
Last night’s City Council meeting was the finale leading to the fourth ward special election on November 2nd and the battling and “polititrickin” was in full evidence. Wait, what was that word? Polititrickin. Is that a real word? Well not in the dictionary but it was coined by Councilman Mike Russo who voiced his concerns and it should become a famous word in the Hoboken lexicon.
| Councilman Russo – endorsement of Occhipinti ‘not political’ |
That wasn’t the heart of the entertainment for the evening. The big news last night wasn’t any of the city business or the face off in the regular Russo attack on Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs, that’s all old hat and a side show. (Councilman Russo asked him how many permits have been turned in related to the Hertz Connect Corner Cars program. When the answer of 23 came up and now over 800 Hobokenites signed up, the Councilman quickly lost interest.)
UPDATE ON SINATRA DRIVE NORTH, CASTLE POINT PARK AND SINATRA PARK
While making progress on reconstruction of the collapsed walkway at Castle Point Park and Sinatra Park, the Zimmer Administration remains in regular contact with Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise regarding the status of the collapsed road on Sinatra Drive North.
County Executive DeGise has assured Mayor Dawn Zimmer that the County will fix the road for the long term to ensure that it does not collapse again. The County today announced that the nearly century-old timber relieving platform supporting 15 to 20 feet of sand and soil and the Sinatra Drive roadway near 14th Street experienced catastrophic failure due to a combination of age, marine life infestation and load stresses. The County will completely replace the timber platform with a new concrete structure. According to the County, the $1.7 million project will be completed in May, 2011. The County has also said that they will replace another section of the road just north of the collapse built upon a newer timber platform unless further investigation proves that the newer platform is sound.
City of Hoboken announces:
CITY INTRODUCES 9/11 MEMORIAL PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL PLAN
The City of Hoboken today is unveiling the conceptual plans for the City’s 9/11 memorial. A public hearing is scheduled for November 30th at 6 pm in the basement conference room of City Hall to discuss the proposal.
“I’m very thankful to the 9/11 Memorial Committee and the Parks and Quality of Life City Council subcommittee for their efforts and the progress we have made,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I want to specially thank Community Development Director Brandy Forbes. We were at risk of losing state funding for the memorial, and without her strong advocacy, we would have lost more than $250,000. It is my goal to have, by the 10th anniversary of the attacks, a permanent memorial to properly remember and honor those Hoboken residents who were lost.”
Tonight the City Council once again has a long agenda and whenever there’s a meeting leading into an election, there’s sure to be plenty of flotsam and jetsam strewn about. In addition to the the Hoboken Journal, word comes that Perry Klaussen of Hate411 will be broadcasting the meeting. That can only mean one thing: Perry wishes to reward his little minion and give him a platform to spew out the biggest lies that will be repeated by same in ghostwritten fashion shortly thereafter.
Now what possibly could have led to Klausfurher handing this consolation prize to his little minion? Well MSV exposed yet another lame operation when the dimunitive Hoboken411 minion was seen in the first row last Wednesday practically mouthing the lines of his new underling, word for word like a stage mom.