News

Sign of the Times

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Keeping with the photo series, “Sign of the Times” (the first installment actually was the first post when this site was yet being contemplated) the latest above is less than obvious. Not having the camera in shoot mode as I turned off Washington St. today, a person crossed my path on the right and went into the street and leaned over. As I passed I looked to see what the person was in fact picking up off the ground. It was a stubby cigarette butt. Not a full one, not a half, not even a third, perhaps it was a quarter. Read More...

News

Neighborhood greetings with the Chief

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The Hoboken Police Department is holding a community meeting this Wednesday for residents in the area of Willow to Washington St. from 8th to 12th streets.

Come to the gymnasium of the Wallace School (11th and Willow) at 7 p.m. to meet new Hoboken Police Chief Anthony Falco. There will also be an opportunity to meet Hoboken’s Community Policing unit.

As many know, this approach has proven very successful in rooting out deep rooted criminal problems. Burglaries have been an area of strong concern and this is an opportunity to discuss that among other related issues. Read More...

News

Grist for the Mill

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

August is usually a quiet time of the year in Hoboken but not in 2009. The sidewalks are swimming with more political consultants than tourists on Fifth Avenue. With all the uncertainty of who may be next to follow Acting Mayor’s Dawn Zimmer’s bid for the winner take all November special election, there’s a feeding frenzy of insider activity for the flavor of the moment or is that the paycheck of the month? The game of musical chairs is well underway and an adviser to a king has to step lively before all the seats are taken. Summer season is truly over when Labor Day passes and the guns begin firing anew. Read More...

News

“Quality of Life Coalition” meeting this Wednesday

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

This Wednesday, the Quality of Life Coalition will feature Councilwoman Beth Mason discussing her ideas for the 19 block area in the northwest section of Hoboken.

There have been numerous ideas to date including a town museum, another hotel, convention center to a minor league ballpark. But what we really want to know is how many condos can we fit in with any plan?

Or as one officer said to me a few years ago, “If everyone in this town flushed the toilet at the same time, this whole place would be under water.” So how many condos will the Rockefeller Group be putting up in their rumored 40 story monstrosity? Maybe we can get them to throw in a ferris wheel in a little park next to it? Sound good? Well let your voice be heard on Wednesday evening. Read More...

News

Wounded Warriors hosted in Hoboken

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Hoboken Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Fire Chief Richard Blohm along with proud Hoboken veterans hosted Iraqi veterans from the “Wounded Warriors Project” Sunday with a luncheon at the Hoboken Fire Museum on Bloomfield followed by a visit to Carlo’s Bakery of “Cake Boss” fame.

Please click on the title to link directly to the Wounded Warrior Project. Any contribution would be greatly appreciated. Short of that, please hold them in your prayers and also the active military serving our nation in Afghanistan and Iraq and around the globe. Read More...

News

It’s Friday

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

As we head into a fine August summer weekend, Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer makes a hire for a right hand man who will wear multiple hats, states intention to diversify the role and holds off an additional hire thus cutting the previous Cammarano mayor’s office expenditures further.

Note the hysteria you will hear from the usual cast of characters. You know a mayor doesn’t have a right to select one paid assistant at 35K pro rated to November.

How many trained police officers can we retain just from the savings in the mayor’s office from the last short lived administration alone? Read More...

News

Joe Taino – “Pick Up the Pieces”

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading


Ye gods of the blues threatened but never let go with the tears from the sky.

More on the show to come: Click on the title for Joe’s rendition of Average White Band’s “Pick up the Pieces.”

The complete song includes some funny moments from the audience.

More on Joe at: http://www.joetaino.com/

News

Smoking on the Water at Sinatra Park

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading


Back in the day, I once met a girl who lived in Brooklyn and took her out on a date in the East Village. Oddly, she didn’t know about the Village and had never been there which I found to be quite remarkable. After dinner, we were walking on Second Avenue and I remembered a blues bar off 13th street and said let’s go in and so we did. That was my introduction to the Joe Taino Band and let’s just say it was a rousing success and a pleasure all around.

Flash back to the present and Joe Taino is a staple in Hoboken playing late Saturday afternoons at Scotland Yard down near the PATH and often hosting scores of musicians who come from all over for jam sessions. Had the pleasure of seeing him in an abbreviated set there last year and he played a rendition of Jimmy Hendrix’s “Hey Joe” that was better than any other I’ve heard in memory and that includes Michael Powers over at Terra Blues, another local legend. (Michael Powers has been nominated for a recent Grammy for his original album “Prodigal Son” which is also highly recommended.)
http://www.michaelpowers.com/ Read More...

News

Horse Sense: Given half a chance…

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Americans are known for their positive optimism, their embrace on self-reliance but on the downside a miraculous ability for short term memory in the voting booth. As Hoboken has appeared in the national spotlight twice now in recent weeks, it’s a fair question to ask what’s next? And what should a new acting mayor do with such a short time before the November election?

Well slashing your own salary is hardly a bad start. Remaining consistent on moving the zoning board nominations from the power of the mayor’s office to City Council is an obvious home run too. Although it looks simple now, the removal of such a mayoral delicacy should generate great appeal to all residents looking for a fresh start to the town’s governance. The follow through on returning those powers to the City Council since they had been legally impounded in 1993 is a great step for obvious reasons. Read More...