Do you encounter reckless drivers in Hoboken?

A few days ago – a pedestrian was killed right outside Hoboken. The driver was arrested (various DWI charges), plus it was already a rainy morning on top of it. While that was apparently a blatant criminal act in bad weather, what about simple reckless drivers in Hoboken?

One Hoboken resident who is a parent with children – details a precarious vehicular situation he was in this past weekend that did NOT involve inclement weather or booze.

Letter: Focus on bad drivers instead of parking tickets

“This past Mother’s Day weekend, I was at the corner of 14th and Sinatra, ready to head west on 14th with my two and four year-old children. I looked both ways, reminding the kids the same, and as we took our first step into the crosswalk, a black sedan comes speeding up Sinatra, blowing right through the stop sign and turns left at what had to be 30 miles an hour. If not for such a bright, clear day, I might have taken more steps into the cross walk. And perhaps been hit, or worse, my kids.

This is not a parking lot stop sign, mind you, but a official one. The driver then sped to the front of the Zeni Nail Salon on 14th and Hudson.

I picked up my kids in each arm, and ran to the nail salon to confront this dangerous driver.

A fairly young guy, he seemed completely blasé about the fact that he blew through a stop sign in a heavily pedestrian area, and could have killed myself or either of my small children. He seemed to care NOT ONE BIT when confronted with a rattled parent at the danger he puts people in.

The rage at his self-important attitude also fueled my anger at the town for wasting an awful lot of manpower chasing down parking violators when they could make a whole lot more money giving out tickets to jerks like this who put residents in danger.

I’m not saying that late at night, when the streets are empty, you can’t do a slow roll through a stop sign if you are aware of your surroundings, but this was the middle of a Sunday with lots of people out enjoying the afternoon.

And just so he could make a nail appointment!

Why is it that the city has no desire to monitor some very dangerous corners? Basically every stop sign near Maxwell Place, the Shipyard and the Hudson Tea Buildings are a danger zone. Will the town be satisfied if some kid on a bike or a parent walking legally gets mowed down?

Just two weeks ago a mother and child were hit-and-run by a driver near the Brandt school.“

Agree or disagree?

Technorati Tags: DWI, Entitlement, hit and run, Hoboken, New Jersey, NJ, pedestrians, Reader Mail, Reckless drivers, stop signs, Texting

Halo around then Sun – does that mean stormy weather for Hoboken?

For an extended period this afternoon (including as I type this) there is / was a distinct rainbow halo around the sun. Doesn’t happen too often – and when it does, draws everyone to blind themselves by it’s mystique.

Why does it happen though? High cirrus clouds.

The thin cirrus clouds four or five miles up are extremely cold, and contain billions of small ice crystals, which in turn refract the light much in the same way a normal rainbow forms in the mist after a summer shower.

According to old weather folklore, people would often say when there’s a “ring around the moon, means rain soon.” Because these high clouds were often on the leading front of the next stormy system.

So what does that mean for us here in town? More Hoboken flooding? Or just on and off spring rain showers? Hope for the best!

(Thanks Ron for the photo.)

Technorati Tags: flooding, Halo, Halo around the sun, Hoboken, New Jersey, NJ, rainbow, Weather

Letter: Zimmer governs by headlines only

1st Ward Councilwoman Terry Castellano prepared this letter to the editor, detailing the problems mounting in Hoboken, along with our apparently inept Mayor Dawn Zimmer. With flooding promises going unfulfilled and property taxes on the rise – the sentiment is growing, and not just in political circles.

“The term “Government By Headline,” defines the Zimmer Administration. Ask yourself, two years as a Councilwoman, four years as Mayor and what has changed? We have been inundated by press releases, useless robo-calls, headlines, all in an effort to mask the many Zimmer failures.

Using the media, an ineffective office holder can disguise a lackluster tenure. Reviewing the campaign promises, there are no new parks, streets are filthy, parking is still a disaster. We flood worse than ever and are being sued, spending millions of taxpayer dollars, due to Dawn’s failed eminent domain land grab in the Southwest.

• What has changed? We have a revolving door Administration, Business Administrators, Finance Directors, Corporation Counselors, Parking Directors, and Environmental Services Directors, all come and go. When they leave, many become consultants and remain on the payroll. nice way to garner hefty campaign contributions.



• What has changed? Legal bills have risen by millions. Presently we have an in-house Corporation Counsel with three attorneys. We employ 15 to 21 law firms, according to Corporation Counsel when asked at a recent Council meeting. At least five of the firms handle outstanding litigation, meaning employees are suing for wrongful termination, defamation and other situations that should never have happened, if not for an Administration that is either ignorant or just arrogant, or both.
• What has changed? We are now an employment agency for out of work Attorneys. Place an ad in the legal journal, “need extra contracts, come to Hoboken, we will fill your pockets”. Another opportunity for the Mayors war chest.
• What has changed since Hurricane Sandy? Zimmer was all over the City, posing for photo ops, exploiting the tragedy. She grabbed headlines by portraying the City as a national disaster (thanks Dawn) making recovery much more difficult. Her trip to Washington D.C., was another grab at a headline and what did that accomplish? Dawn was reprimanded by a Senator for speaking on the wrong topic. Did we get any extra aid? The answer is NO, Dawn got publicity. The true heroes of Sandy were the volunteers, public safety personnel, and the residents, who came together, we became one City.
• What has changed? The Hoboken University Medical Center deal did get the taxpayers released from their obligation. There is much speculation on how that deal was struck. There is an ongoing law enforcement investigation. The truth of that deal will come to light soon, the who, what where and when questions will be answered.

I know we have a very intelligent public, who can see right through this sham of an Administration. When they asked themselves, What has changed ? I know they will come up with the right answers.

Theresa Castellano
First Ward Councilwoman

Technorati Tags: Dawn Zimmer, flooding, Government by headlines, Higher Taxes, Hoboken, hoboken mayor, Hoboken411, Letter to the Editor, New Jersey, NJ, photo ops, Reader Mail, Terry Castellano

Hoboken reval meeting tonight

Talk about a political football. The Hoboken reval (revaluation of properties for taxation purposes) has been kicked around so long – the city is now over two decades overdue. And tonight, the city is holding a special “council meeting” over at the Hoboken High School auditorium at 7pm.

Appraisal Systems was hired by the city to be the company to perform said “revaluations.” Whether they are truly objective – or figure out a way to subjectively “adjust” the values in Hoboken in favor of what Mayor Dawn Zimmer and her cronies want remains to be seen. How transparent, fair and honest this process will be could quite possibly be a mystery unless you’re a fly on the wall of the secret back room.

However – one Hoboken resident shines a little more light on the shenanigans at city hall…

Letter: Hoboken reval another Zimmer pie in the sky

“In 2009, Dawn promised Hoboken Revolt that the reval would be done right away. But she didn’t take action on the tax maps for over two years into her term.

Now four years later she’s finally holding a public meeting to talk about the reval?

A few thousand yuppies voted for her based solely on her promise for a reval. They were so sure that she would bring their property taxes down. I’m sure they feel duped despite all the good news spewing out of her spin department.

The property tax revaluation is right up there with her flood protection sea walls and six acre park in the southwest.

It’s all pie in the sky. She’ll promise any kind of pie to get elected.”

Isn’t it interesting how politicians strive to “schedule” their real world civic obligations according to election timetables?

Technorati Tags: Appraisal Systems, Hoboken, Hoboken Reval, Hoboken Revaluation, New Jersey, NJ, property tax revaluation, Property Taxes, Property Value

PATH elevator still out of commission in Hoboken

We don’t need a reminder that Hurricane Sandy did quite a bit of damage here in Hoboken last year. But many Hoboken411 readers are wondering when the PATH elevator will return?

Does anyone know?

In touring the terminal yesterday, we noticed quite a bit was still out of commission, including practically every retail location. That leads one to suspect that it’s just part of the overall rehabilitation of the entire facility.

Either way, there are quite a few commuters that might have difficulty navigating the stairs either due to injury or old age – and are eager to have the elevator back in operation.

Hopefully bad luck doesn’t strike three years in a row with another late season hurricane!

Technorati Tags: Hoboken, Hurricane Sandy, Lackawanna, New Jersey, NJ, PATH, PATH elevator, PATH train elevator

Pier 13 in Hoboken now a source of controversy

For the first time last summer, Pier 13 by the Shipyard Marina was converted into a seasonal hangout. Beer and wine on tap, lunch trucks, and seating for hundreds. Complete with a grassy area and front row views of New York City.

While there was some initial flack from neighbors for the noise, they eventually toned it down, and even kept very modest hours (until 10pm).

However – from what I understand, the controversy brewing is that the owners of the property (and the marina), want to maintain this area as “private” and discontinue access to the public. (Correction: Vice versa. Marina wants it to be open, but city wants to shut it down, claiming ordinance violation). There is even a petition circulating online begging the Hoboken Planning Board to allow Pier 13 to be open to all residents and locals. The board meets tomorrow night (May 7th) at 7pm in the basement of city hall.

But someone who has no emotional attachment to this situation might ask: What right does the public have to private property? Can a “mob” of people essentially demand, take and use what is not theirs? And who decreed that “all waterfront property shall be public?”

And of course, once something becomes “public,” then the cost to maintain such a thing is involuntarily passed on to the public in the form of taxes.

So should Pier 13 come back again this year as a social venue?

Technorati Tags: Hoboken, New Jersey, NJ, Pier 13, Poll, Private, Public, shipyard marina