Hoboken High School is doing an encore performance of the critically acclaimed play Saturday, “Fires in the Mirror” on the events surrounding the Crown Heights Riots in 1991. We remember this time well as it was an ongoing blight over the course of days. We’d note that the so called “Reverend” Sharpton denies any role causing the riots but many people remember his bringing in protestors by bus into the Crown Heights neighborhoods and leading marches that led to not the “subsequent death” but the murder of a student from Australia Yankel Rosenbaum who was stabbed to death after an auto accident killed a seven year old boy, Gavin Cato.
The Mayor’s office released the statement announced at the beginning of the Budget Workshop on Saturday. Unfortunately, technical problems with the audio interfered, so here it is in its entirety.
This is not your run of the mill elected official statement. It’s worth a close look, a very close look. It’s the biggest policy statement out of the mayor’s office since the election and it specifically covers several critical issues to Hoboken.
Saturday’s day long Budget Workshop offered some useful moments and Claire Moses of Hoboken.patch.com captured some of the important late highlights but we’ll suggest you take a look at the tape yourself. Scroll over to the 2:47 mark and listen to Finance Director Nick Trasente explain the underlying importance in examining the essential area of “the amount to be raised” and it’s eight percent drop. Go on and continue right to the end here to see an important exchange among Council members.
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On Saturday at the City Hall Budget Workshop a discussion among City Council members on the public safety division led to questions on the Public Safety Audit for the Hoboken Police Department.
Director Susan Jacobucci of the NJ Division of Local Government Services responded to MSV’s questions last week and today on the police audit’s availability and its delay. In an email reply early this afternoon, the Director replied:
“At the present time, I am completing the final edit of the document.
Please understand that the Division has had one resignation and one
maternity leave of people dealing directly with the report. This is one
of six reports I am currently finalizing.”
A few days back MSV took note the US flag over Stevens by their athletic field was missing in action. Previous to that the US flag appeared damaged and shortly thereafter disappeared entirely from atop the flag pole. Knowing there’s readers from there, maybe someone will drop an email and let us know if a replacement is on its way. That flag display is undoubtedly the highest point in the whole town. We’re looking forward to seeing Old Glory fly again.
Anyone one doesn’t have the proper genetics re: birther credentials in Hoboken has heard those popular words at one time or another, sometimes even from our elected leaders in the City Council. Here’s another in the classic series brought to you by the Wile E. Coyote, Eric Kurta. His summary follows this 1993 video on a Board of Education outcome not pleasing to then Mayor Anthony Russo and the Birthers.
And yes, that is the now Councilman Mike Lenz adjourning the meeting after the vote.
Now who else can you spot of note in the video?
In November 1993, the Choice for Change reform majority on the Hoboken Board of Education voted to hire an individual from outside the district to become the new principal of the Demarest Middle School (I only remember that his last name was Diaz). Back then, most of the kids at Demarest were Latino and many had parents who spoke little or no English. Conferences between parents and the principal often had to be held with the school janitor translating (he was supposedly the only employee that could translate). Mr. Diaz came with great qualifications and was highly recommended as someone who had turned problem schools around. He was also Spanish-speaking, an added bonus given the school population.
Many locals took offense, however, at his hiring. Larry Sciancalepore was the favorite in-district candidate of the Hoboken born-and-raised crew led by the recently-elected mayor, Anthony Russo. Seconds after the Board voted to hire Diaz (00:26), Sciancalepore’s son let it all hang out, espousing the sentiment that was quite common then – and still is, to some extent – among Hoboken’s born-and-raised community.
“This is OUR town! Get out of our goddamn town!”
Diaz was hired, but Anthony Russo would gain control of the Board of Ed the following April and Diaz was let go. Sciancalepore took the position, but had difficulty performing and eventually stepped down after suffering a heart attack.
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This clip is from a European show, a version of the “Got Talent” series popular in many countries now. This artist from the southern region of Ukraine took up artistic expression with the use of sand instead of a paintbrush. What became an original means of creation expanded into storytelling, and moving art as she moves from one scene to another.
In this clip, she tells the story of Nazi Germany’s invasion and destruction of the lives of ordinary people in World War II. Civilian losses were estimated in the three million range not even a decade after Stalin’s man made famine in Ukraine killed 7-10 million.
For this performance, Kseniya Simonova earned first prize of $70,000.
Just across the way in Jersey City, things are steaming up and the pressure must be building with our neighbors under the corruption trial spotlight. The noose is tightening without a doubt, in methodical fashion the Feds are squeezing the lemons and will be moving on Hoboken soon enough.
Here’s our kitten, Leona Beldini who purred herself all the way to the Burlesque Hall of fame, inducted in 1995 as Hope Diamond:
Someone get Bill Clinton on the line to reminisce about a diamond called Hope. Photo courtesy of the Hoboken Journal .