Sunday, January 26, 2020
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Weehawken resident Charu Suri fuses Jazz and Sufi music
Hudson Report, January 2, 2020
By Daniel Israel
Standing at the intersection of jazz and Islamic Sufi music is Charu Suri.
Born in Madurai, India, Suri began learning the piano at age of 5. By age 15, she’d won an international piano competition.
Suri says her love and feel for music inspired her to continue playing piano.
“I just love music, it was basically everything that kept me going,” Suri said. “It was the vehicle that kept me inspired and motivated.”
Suri said music brings her comfort when she needs it. She always turned to music when she had a bad day.
“It was the one thing in my life from a very, very early age that made sense to me.” Suri recalled. “It was the only thing that made complete sense.”
To attend Princeton University, Suri moved to New Jersey, settling in Weehawken. At Princeton, she composed several pieces for orchestra and chamber orchestra, but never recorded commercially until recently.
From the classics to jazz and Sufi
While Suri has been a pianist for most of her life, she didn’t always play jazz. Trained as a classical pianist, Suri recalls her natural transition into jazz followed by her jazz-sufi music fusion.
Her sound came from longing to do something more modal. For most of her career, Suri had been playing western classical harmonic music using tonal music.
“I wanted to create something more modal because it was very nostalgic, more ancient sounding, and I love the ancient sounds,” Suri said. “I majored in the classics in college and also did music, so I’ve always been drawn to history and to historical sounds.”
“The use of the raga scales to create jazz work was something that has been on my mind since I listened to the modal experiments of Miles Davis,” Suri said, referring to the albums “Kind of Blue” and “Bitches Brew” by Davis.
Suri said her musical inspirations beyond Davis include Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck. She describes them as her triumvirate of inspiration, alongside Oscar Peterson and Canadian pianist Kris Davis.
These jazz artists, in addition to her Carnatic music upbringing in India, laid the groundwork for Suri to breakthrough into jazz-Sufi fusion music. Carnatic music is a style native to southern India that focuses on voice, with instruments mimicking singing.
“I discovered [Peterson’s] work fairly late because I wasn’t a jazz musician,” Suri said. “I was a classical musician, and I just fell in love with his virtuosity because I’m a virtuoso performer on the piano, or I like to think I am. But he made everything make sense; it wasn’t too over the top, but just right.”
Suri’s first album, “Lollipops for Breakfast,” was scored for a traditional jazz trio and won a Global Music Award. Her next traditional jazz album, “The New American Songbook,” has been well received, Suri said.
The album, featuring vocals by Danielle Erin Rhodes, focuses on traditional jazz. Suri said she’s always loved Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
Then Suri met Apoorva Mugdal, her vocal counterpart throughout the album “The Book of Ragas.” The duo connected through a gig, and Suri discovered that Mugdal was a specialist in ghazals, or Arabic poems, and Sufi music. This is where Suri began her journey into newer, fresher jazz.
Sufi music is traditional devotional prayer music based on Sufi Islam and its poems. Suri had heard of the music, but never thought it was possible to create jazz using it.
“The journey of ‘The Book of Ragas’ was one of discovery,” said Mudgal, who chose the text and improvised sargams based on the musical framework. A sargam is when a vocalist sings a musical note instead of the words of a composition.
Suri said her favorite piece so far in her career is from “The Book of Ragas.” The composition is titled Raag Kalyani, featuring guest guitarist David Ellenbogen.
In Indian translation, Suri explained that Kalyani means “Queen of Indian ragas.” Kalyani inspired the piece “Raag Kalyani,” written in response to the quiet beauty of the countryside, with the sounds evoking a deep sense of calm and peace.
The poetry is “Ae Ri Aali,” a traditional bandish, or composition whose lyricist is not known. It embodies the yearning for the beloved in this surreal peace-inducing raga.
“It’s very, very peaceful because the core of Carnatic music and Hindustani music is to find that peace.” Suri said of the composition. “When you listen to the ‘Raag Kalyani,’ just at the end after finishing it, you are so at one with yourself. It’s a momentous journey from the beginning to the end. That raga is what people turn to for the ultimate experience or for peace.”
The album artwork was created by Upasana Asrani, an abstract artist based in Chennai, India. A friend of Suri, Arsani’s works are a reflection of a journey of self-discovery expressed throughout “The Book of Ragas.”
“The album artwork has been receiving a lot of praise, and that has been done by my longtime high school friend, who is an amazing artist herself,” Suri said. “I think she nailed the moods of the ragas in the cover. My other friends who have seen it say that they are getting the spirit and the vibe of India just from the cover.”
Making history at Carnegie Hall
Suri became one of the first Indian-American women to premier at Carnegie Hall with her double bill “Book of Ragas” and “The New American Songbook.”
“First of all, to perform at Carnegie Hall is a dream,” Suri said, describing the surreal nature of her performance. “But to perform one’s own music at Carnegie Hall is sensational.”
She hopes to inspire other jazz musicians to follow their passion and pursue their dreams through her performance.
“A couple of people have written me and said this is just a wonderful inspiration,” Suri said. “I think jazz in India is definitely taking off, but it’s very hard to find female composers and female jazz artists in India. I didn’t know of any growing up. Maybe it’s my own ignorance, or maybe this will inspire more women.”
Suri said that she and her band received a standing ovation, demonstrating that the audience enjoyed the show as much as she enjoyed performing.
“Honestly, [it was] a thrilling experience,” Suri said. “It’s very intimate. Weill [Recital Hall] is perfect for jazz. I felt completely connected to the piano, and to the audience. It was very freeing and not stuffy, and the Steinway concert grand there gets tuned daily, so the tones were velvety and perfect.”
During the show, Suri said that she was trying to just have fun, noting that she didn’t want her performance to feel like a “stuffy experience.”
“For me, it was the best stage I’ve performed on, and a lot of audience members felt the same way,” Suri said. “You can hear just about everything. My band was really thrilled to play on that stage.”
2020 World Tour
Next stop, India.
Suri said she plans on taking her music home during a potential 2020 tour, first making stops in Miami for Valentine’s Day as well as Chicago.
“We’re looking at September for a tour to India,” Suri said. “Right now it’s tentative, but we are looking at Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore which are great music cities. We 1000 percent are going to tour India and take our albums, ‘The Book of Ragas’ and ‘The New American Songbook’ on the road.”
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Weehawken Luxury Apartment Project Secures $100M in Financing
GlobeSt.com, 5-Dec-19
By John Jordan
The Harbor 1500 riverfront apartment project has secured $100 million in financing from M&T Bank.
The 236-unit apartment building extends 765 feet into the Hudson River, developed by Hartz Mountain Industries and The Maxal Group. The financing came in the form of a $100-million syndicated loan from M&T Bank for the project that was completed in July.
The Harbor 1500 project marks an additional phase of Hartz Mountain Industries’ Lincoln Harbor Complex, which features a recently constructed Whole Foods Market, residential and office space as well as retail, hospitality, and service businesses. Apartments at Harbor 1500 are now available for lease.
Formerly serving as an office building and pier that provided warehousing and transshipment, the redeveloped Harbor 1500 property offers approximately 30,000 square feet of amenity space including a sky pool, spa, BBQ with bar seating, sunset lounge, fitness center, indoor and outdoor yoga studios, cinema screening room, children’s playroom, as well as rooftop decks offering views of the New York City skyline and George Washington Bridge.
“Having developed over 1,500 residential units over our history, we’re committed to providing residents with well-located, luxury rental communities that offer shorter commutes and a wealth of amenities,” says Gus Milano, president and COO of Hartz Mountain Industries. “We are excited to have closed on this financing with M&T Bank and The Maxal Group, which brings us another step closer to fulfilling that commitment.”
Monday, January 21, 2019
Weehawken resident donates $10 million to Palisades Medical Center
Hudson Reporter, 17-Jan-19
By Mike Montemarano
John C. Meditz has donated $10 million to Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center, the largest gift to date.
Hackensack Meridian Health is the parent company of Palisades Medical center. Meditz serves on the boards of both Hackensack Meridian Health and Palisades Medical Center.
Meditz, a Weehawken resident, is co-founder of Horizon Kinetics, investment advisers.
The Weehawken residents’ contribution will go toward expanding the Palisades Medical Center Emergency Department.
“I am committed to making a positive difference on behalf of Palisades Medical Center’s patients and their families as the medical center expands even further though Hackensack Meridian Health,” Meditz said. “It is my pleasure and privilege to do what I can to help.”
“We are deeply grateful for John’s motivational leadership and inspirational generosity,” said Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert C. Garrett. “John cares deeply about leading by example in order to elevate and enhance the health and well-being of others.”
Years of service
Meditz was appointed to the Palisades Medical Center Board of Governors in 1997, serving as chair from 2009 until 2011. He helped establish the Palisades Medical Center Foundation, which relies on volunteers and contributions made by residents and local businesses to establish new clinical programs.
Meditz is currently on the boards of two foundations that raise funds for healthcare services: The Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation and the Palisades Foundation.
In 2014, in recognition of Meditz’s role in establishing the hospital’s philanthropic arm, Palisades Medical Center renamed its main building the John C. Meditz Medical Pavilion.
“John’s leadership and outstanding example will strengthen our outreach as we work to fund our strategic priorities,” said Joe Burt, Palisades Medical Center’s vice president of Development.
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Friday, November 16, 2018
Snow Causes Commuter Chaos at Port Authority
NYT, 15-Nov-18
By Patrick McGeehan
The snow that fell as forecast on Thursday caused havoc for commuters, whether they were trying to get home by train, bus or car. Even travelers at local airports experienced delays.
By 5:30 p.m., officials at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan were advising commuters to take trains or ferries. With few buses able to get there, the terminal became so overcrowded that access to its second and third floors had to be blocked. The line of people waiting to get into the terminal stretched for a full block, all the way to Seventh Avenue.
Train service in New Jersey and on Long Island was also delayed as the wintry weather froze switches on the rails.
New Jersey Transit warned that train delays could last for as long as an hour and suggested taking ferries or the PATH train to get across the Hudson River. By 8 p.m. N.J. Transit told commuters at Port Authority that delays for buses could be as long as three hours.
“Listen, we’re getting clobbered,” New Jersey Gov. Philip D. Murphy told News 12 New Jersey. “No forecast — none — predicted this. This is slower, it’s deeper, it’s colder.”
Mr. Murphy said his own commute, which would normally take 45 minutes, had taken closer to three hours.
“The plows are out, I’m on the Turnpike and it is relatively clear,” he told the television station. “But admittedly, it depends on what road you’re on.”
The waiting areas in Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan also became dangerously crowded, commuters reported.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said on Twitter that some subway lines were delayed because of snow-related switch and signal problems.
At 6 p.m., Marlyne Page, an executive assistant who works in Midtown, had already been in line for an hour but was still a block away from the entrance to the bus terminal and the bus to Passaic. “And this isn’t even a real storm,” she said. “Someone didn’t plan.”
She was wet, cold and quietly furious, but exuding calm. “I’m not going to explode, because what would be the point?“ she said. “Unless someone cuts in front of me.”
Many commuters wondered how a minor snowfall that came as no surprise could disrupt the transportation network in the nation’s biggest metropolitan area. Drivers complained that they had not seen any plows or salt trucks. Some complained of being stuck for hours on the roads.
The Bayonne Bridge was closed in both directions for more than an hour.
“We had several vehicles that had difficulty getting up the incline,” said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority. “We had to do heavy duty salting and sanding to get it safe.”
The incline of the bridge was raised two years ago to allow for bigger container ships to pass under.
In a tweet, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that plows and salt spreaders would be out all night to clear roads before the morning commute. “First storm of the year hit hard and right at rush hour, downing trees and causing delays,” he wrote.
Representative Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat, expressed his frustration on Twitter and demanded answers from public officials about how such a meager snowstorm was able to undermine the city’s transportation systems.
“Moms are stranded with their kids, people are running out of gas,” he wrote. “This is unacceptable.”
Max Rose, a Democratic Representative-elect for New York, tweeted that there was “no excuse” for this kind of response to an expected snowfall. “I may not be sworn in, but I will be demanding answers,” he wrote.
The storm had not caused widespread power failures. At 8 p.m., PSEG reported 260 failures on Long Island that affected about 5,600 customers. In New Jersey, PSEG reported that about 1,600 customers had lost power.
On social media, many travelers complained about being unable to leave Newark Liberty International Airport because of infuriatingly slow transportation.
Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said ground transportation to and from the airport had been “severely curtailed” by traffic stemming from icy roads. He said that AirTrain Newark was up and running, but its service was less frequent because of icy tracks and that N.J. Transit trains that connect to AirTrain were significantly delayed.
Other travelers reported that they could not even get off the planes. One said he was stuck on a plane at Newark Airport after being diverted en route to La Guardia. He said the tarmac was crowded with a sea of planes.
In Newark, officials closed off several highways late Thursday night because of icy roads and collisions. Routes 280, 78, 21 and 22 were closed for the night, according to a news release from the Newark Police Department.
Schools throughout the metropolitan area had trouble getting students home on the clogged, slippery roads. In West Orange, N.J., the school district had to order buses to “shelter in place to address the road conditions.”
At 6 p.m., school officials tweeted out a picture of an auditorium filled with middle-schoolers, adding that “snacks are being provided, as well as activities and entertainment.”
Monday, November 12, 2018
Monday, November 5, 2018
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Weehawken fencer brings home a 3rd national title
The Jersey Journal, 20-Jul-18
By Adrienne Romero
At just 13 years old, Lola Possick already knows what it's like to be the nation's best.
The Weehawken teenager won her third national fencing championship earlier this summer when she bested a field of 115 fencers from around the country at USA Fencing's 2018 National Championships and July Challenge in St. Louis.
"You're in the moment," she said. "It's really fun and you're just in the moment and there's so much adrenaline that you don't wanna think about anything else."
Lola secured her championship by placing first in the Youth 12 category (for fencers born between 2005 and 2008) at the tournament, but also competed in the Youth 14 and Cadet categories. She took home fifth place out of 163 fencers and third out of 151 fencers, in the Youth 12 and 14 categories, respectively, earning an "A" ranking in the process.
Fencers are given one of six letter classifications (A, B, C, D, E, U) with A being the highest and U (unclassified) being the lowest. Reaching "A" classification has been Lola's greatest accomplishment so far, she said.
"That was a really big deal," Lola said. "'A' is the best you can get so I'm really, really happy about that."
Along with earning the highest letter rating, she also walked away with the No. 1 spot out of the Youth 12 Woman's Saber. Saber is one of the three types of fencing; foil and epee being the other two.
However, it wasn't Lola who first picked up the sword in the family – it was her older brother, Owen.
"He was looking for a sport and he just tried everything. He tried swimming, he tried basketball, and then the fencing camp at my club in Jersey City, and he really liked it," she said. "Every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday I had to go there. I'd watch him fence for like two hours."
When she was 7, she followed her in then-12-year-old brother's footsteps into the fencing world at Cobra Fencing Club in Downtown Jersey City. She brought home her first national championship in 2015 at just 10 years old under former Olympian Steve Kaplan.
Lola recalled how "unexpected" capturing her first national title was because she had just turned 10 and was a year younger than the oldest fencers at the competition.
"I was aiming to get third and then I just happened to make it to the finals," she said. "I actually had to compete against my teammate and then I (won) 10-9. So that was very, very close. That was really fun."
She then successfully defended her trophy at the Summer National Championships in Dallas in 2016.
The Hudson County native now trains at the Advance Fencing and Fitness Academy in Garwood under Jerome Guth, who is a French national sabre champion as well as a former Penn State University and Olympic qualifiers coach.
During the summer, the 13-year-old dedicates much of her time to training camps, preparing for her next challenge. However, it's not the training or winning that captures Lola's heart the most – it's traveling and making new friends that she enjoys most about fencing.
"You get to travel so much and you meet lots of new people, you just kind of get connected...," she said. "Now, I just kind of know everyone, so we all kind of know each other."
She now has her sights set on cracking the Top 20 rankings in the 16-and-under division, which would qualify her to participate in international competition. She's currently ranked No. 22.
"That would be really exciting because I've never gone outside the country for a tournament," she said. "I've gone outside the country for a training camp – I've gone to Italy and Spain and that was really, really fun."
Monday, June 11, 2018
Weehawken High School Prom Cut Short After Yacht Collision in Hoboken
The Jersey Journal, 24-May-18
No serious injuries were reported after a dinner cruise yacht with dozens of promgoers aboard bumped a smaller unoccupied boat from behind Thursday night at a Hudson River pier in Hoboken, according to officials and witnesses at the scene.
Weehawken Superintendent of Schools Robert Zywicki posted on Twitter that the high school's senior prom was taking place on the Cornucopia Destiny, a 111-foot yacht, which he says was still docked before the crash into the smaller yacht, the Cornucopia Sundancer, a 95-foot yacht.
He said staff and administrators were on board with the students, and they were being bused to the Weehawken Elks Lodge following the crash. All were checked by EMS and there were no injuries, he said.
No word on if their prom will be rescheduled.
A video posted on Twitter shows the larger yacht slamming into the back of the other yacht docked at the 14th Street Pier. The smaller yacht then slams into the pier, knocking down a lamppost.
The Hoboken Fire Department said on Twitter that no injuries were reported, but Hoboken police, Hoboken EMS, and New Jersey State Police were on the scene.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Weehawken Schools Superintendent Earns 'Thought Leader' Honor
The Jersey Journal, 23-May-18
By Ron Zeitlinger
Weehawken schools superintendent Robert R. Zywicki has been named a "District Thought Leader" by Future Ready Schools (FRS), the first superintendent from New Jersey to earn the distinction.
The honor, which installs Zywicki as a member of the FRS Advisory Team, is conferred on educators who have demonstrated expertise and proven track record of implementing digital learning practices in their school districts.
"A recognition like this is indicative of the forward progress the Weehawken Township School District is making," Weehawken Board of Education President Richard Barsa said in a statement.
Zywicki is just one of 16 superintendents across the country to earn the recognition.
Future Ready Schools is a non-profit organization dedicated to maximizing student-centered learning opportunities and helping school districts leverage technology to prepare students for college and career.
As a member of the FRS Advisory Team, Zywicki said he "hopes to help promote the adoption of the Future Ready Framework in other districts, so they too can leverage technology to meet the needs of all learners."
The Weehawken school district has also been named an "Innovative District" by the International Center for Leadership in Education for the second year in a row, one of only 10 districts nationwide so named this year. The International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) is an educational research center that studies the nation's most rapidly improving schools and districts.
In November 2017, Weehawken was one of only three districts in New Jersey to have all their schools certified as Future Ready by NJIT and the New Jersey School Board's Association.
In November 2017, Weehawken was one of only three districts in New Jersey to have all their schools certified as Future Ready by NJIT and the New Jersey School Board's Association.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Who's running for school board in Weehawken?
Three incumbents battle for seats against two challengers
Hudson Reporter, 1-Apr-18
by Hannington Dia
The Weehawken Board of Education will hold its annual elections on April 17. Three incumbents are running to keep their three-year spots on the nine-person board. They are up against two challengers this year.
The incumbents include Board President Richard Barsa and board members Jennifer Bolcar and Meg Carson. Their challengers are Monika Sikand and Elizabeth Chan.
Mayor Richard Turner is supporting the three incumbents, he said. "They’ve done a fantastic job, the whole board.”
Richard Barsa
Board President Richard Barsa is running for his 10th term. A Weehawken High School graduate, as is his son, Barsa is running again because he wants to help the district continue its upward trends.
“Our kids have coding and computer science in every school,” Barsa said. “We have made tremendous progress.” Though he is happy with the district's technological advancements, Barsa also feels it could still do better in giving students skills to become contenders in the digital age.
“Our children need to master 'hard and soft skills' so that they can connect and compete in a dynamic global economy,” Barsa said. “The days of memorizing facts and 'doing school' to just pass a test are over.”
To that end, the district has introduced career academies where graduates work on a career-focused set of courses, he said.
Jennifer Bolcar
Jennifer Bolcar will be running for her first official term this year. She was appointed to a vacancy on the board last year. She has children in the Daniel Webster and Theodore Roosevelt schools.
“I am excited about the direction our schools are taking,” Bolcar said. “I want to be a part of the continued growth and transformation.”
Bolcar was also enthusiastic about the district's blended learning program and student strides. “Our AP participation is skyrocketing and our children are becoming more engaged,” she said. “I think it is important to keep this momentum going.”
Bolcar does see a few issues.
“Adjusting to the increased use of technology has been a learning curve for some of our students and parents,” she said. Today, “as a parent, reviewing your child's progress might mean sitting down at your laptop or smartphone now, as opposed to reviewing paper worksheets.”
But though some students and parents aren't entirely tech savvy yet, Bolcar believes their growing pains are necessary.
Meg Carson
Like Bolcar, Carson was also appointed to the board through a vacancy, so this will be her first time running. She has a son in the sixth grade and a daughter in third grade at the Roosevelt School.
She has been heavily involved with the PTA and helped run activities with students such as gardening. Carson is an educator at New York's Museum of Natural History and a science and music teacher at Kaplan Co-Operative Preschool in Hoboken.
“Most of my adult life has been spent working with children so it made sense for me to work with my local school board,” Carson said.
As her colleagues did, Carson lauded the schools' improvements, and just feels that there's more room for further improvements.
Monika Sikand
A Weehawken resident since 2005, Monika Sikand is confident in the district. “If the district had irreconcilable weaknesses I would not be sending my kids to Weehawken schools,” she said.
So why is Sikand running to replace one of the three incumbents? She, like them, wants to improve the schools by bringing her “strengths, skills, and our community’s voice” to the board. And while she applauds what the district has done, she has some ideas of how to build on that, if elected.
“Perhaps, we need to take a look at the guidelines for class size and current student–teacher ratio in the classrooms,” she said.
She also wants to see expanded summer internship opportunities and strengthened career and college guidance counseling for high school students.
Sikand also feels that the evaluation system for programs, events and teachers' professional development could be strengthened.
As Weehawken High School has seventh and eighth grade students, she would like to evaluate this setup to see if it is optimal for those students.
Sikand is an assistant professor at the City University of New York (CUNY), as well as an adjunct faculty at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.
“My own experiences in education and service to my college in CUNY can help me better understand the insider challenges in administration and make improvements utilizing our strengths,” she said.
A mother to a Pre-K student and second grade kids in the district, Sikand also volunteers much of her time to after school activities at Daniel Webster School.
She is a native of India and immigrated to this country in 2005, the same year she moved to Weehawken.
Elizabeth Chan
Local designer Elizabeth Chan—the second challenger to the incumbents—would like to see better communication between students, teachers, and parents.
Chan, who has one daughter at Daniel Webster, and another seven-month old daughter, said she would push for a student mentorship program if elected.
“Some of these kids don't know what they want to do with their lives moving forward,” she said. Chan would also be interested in a food education program to bring awareness about healthy eating. “I'm a big advocate for healthy, clean living,” she said. “It would be great to see about making our own food.” The high school is working to place a greenhouse atop its roof, which helps, she said.
Weehawken schools today
The district has three schools. Daniel Webster serves pre-K to second grade; the Theodore Roosevelt School serves grades 3-6; and Weehawken High School serves grades 7-12. It is also working to acquire the Woodrow Wilson School, which was recently returned to Weehawken after a 19-year shared services agreement with Union City.
Since 2016, the Weehawken School District has become a 1:1 district, meaning every student has access to a Google Chromebook and blended learning programs, mixing traditional teaching with educational apps.
With this in place, Future Ready Schools-New Jersey designated the district as “future ready” last October.
Last year, the district was also named an “Innovative District” by the International Center for Leadership in Education.
That same year, data site Niche ranked Weehawken schools the best in Hudson County, 79th in the state, and in the top 14 percent nationally.
The improvements have shown in student performances. In 2017, the district achieved a 98 percent graduation rate, a 15 percent increase since 2015, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Zywicki.
The district's achievements were accomplished on a tight school budget-$26.5 million for the 2016-17 school year. The total budget is $28 million for the 2017-18 year.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Mayor Turner Seeking 7th Term
Hudson Reporter, 31-Jan-18
By John Heinis
28 years after being elected, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner (see 25 years of Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner) will be seeking another term, his seventh in a row, on May 8th, with two new council hopefuls joining his five-person slate.
“There’s a lot in this town that we have done, and there’s a lot in this town that we continue to do, there’s a lot in this town that we will do, together, as a team,” said 2nd Ward Councilwoman Carmela Silvestri-Ehret, who served on the board of education for 16 years before running for council.
“Because remember, it is a team concept. You do need to have a team that works together and we work together with other teams with the town – and that’s what makes this town so special.”
Turner noted that 2nd Ward Councilwoman Rosemary Lavagnino was on the planning board for 14 years before running on his “Weehawken and You” slate, a slogan that hasn’t changed. She is now a 20-year veteran of the governing body.
“Actually, we have a very strong, sustainable and resilient community. And as Carmela said, we are a team approach, and it’s just not governmental people: it’s also all the residents that form the committees and they help us, make us, what we are today,” added Lavagnino.
New to the team are Raul Gonzalez, a social worker by trade, and Davis Curtis, a retired North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue captain.
Gonzalez is aiming to replace 3rd Ward Councilman Robert Sosa, also the current deputy mayor, while Curtis looks to succeed Robert Zucconi – a councilman-at-large.
Turner, who first took office on July 1st, 1990, said it’s currently a tough time to govern and is therefore happy to be running with a group of such committed individuals.
“These are really tough times to lead communities … especially a community like Weehawken with development issues .. all day-to-day stuff. Remember, Weehawken is in Hudson County and Hudson County is the densest, per person, per square mile, area in the country,” the mayor said during a press conference earlier this afternoon.
“So you’ve got lots of issues and you need lots of experience to solve some of these problems.”
Turner pointed to keeping taxes stable, maintaining the level of township services and preserving the integrity of the waterfront as top priorities for the next four years.
As of this writing, no one outside of Turner’s slate has filed to run for mayor and/or council.
The Weehawken municipal elections are on May 8th.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
WNY Artist Completes Weehawken Tribute Mural Under Route 495 Bridge
Hudson Reporter, 24-Dec-17
By Hannington Dia
On a recent freezing afternoon, artist Raul Rubio of West New York was focused on finishing his latest mural, nestled under the Route 495 helix bridge to the Lincoln Tunnel in Weehawken. He just needed a few extra touches to capture the iconic New York City skyline.
“This is twilight,” Rubio said, of the orange tinge covering the city's buildings on the mural. “When night comes, that's when all the tourists come and park in Weehawken to see the city light up.”
For those taking jitney buses from Hudson County to the Port Authority bus terminal for work, or driving into Midtown, Rubio’s now-finished work will definitely light up the commute.
More vibrant for the morning rush
The colorful piece features five “tributes” to Weehawken. They include a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, who died after a duel on the town's waterfront in 1804; images of children playing in a local playground, the town's Soldiers and Sailors monument on Boulevard East, the aforementioned New York skyline as seen from the Jersey side, and, of course, the Weehawken Water Tower.
The painting, which took Rubio three weeks to complete, was a brainchild of township officials and him.
“I talked to [Mayor Richard Turner] and the town's manager, Giovanni Ahmad,” Rubio said. “We came up with a concept of how to bring the image of Weehawken to this mural.”
The mural's location was strategic, part of Mayor Turner's ongoing plans to beautify the town. Before, the space was drab and lifeless, a spot begging for human hands to create images to remember.
“This is going to bring light to this path, because it’s been neglected for a while,” Rubio said of the sidewalk area by the mural. “Now when you pass by, you won't see a dark, eerie place. You'll see something nice and beautiful instead, that gives a sense of pride to the community, that says, 'We're part of Weehawken.' ”
Discovering a true calling
A full-time graphic artist since 2003, Rubio owns a small studio in Hoboken and lives in West New York. In the coming months, he has murals scheduled for Newark, Hoboken, and Jersey City. But his reach is international. Rubio also has works in Spain, Paris, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Israel, to name a few.
He realized he wanted to create art for a living when working as a waiter for Scully on Spring in Lower Manhattan in the early ’90s.
The restaurant had a showcase for artists, with work for sale.
“I put up some paintings, and maybe after a day or two, three paintings sold,” he said. “And I said, 'Hey, I have something. So let me keep on pursuing this.’ From there, I kept on getting shows, and that was the time I realized I could do this as a living.”
Art in Hudson
He sees the development in Hudson County as great for artists, especially given how municipalities have warmed up to murals and programs with graffiti artists.
Today, cities such as Philadelphia and San Marcos, TX, have enacted beautification programs with artists to prevent graffiti vandalism (Rubio has worked with the Jersey City Mural Arts Program, and has another mural on Grand Street.)
“The art scene is picking up—everyone's jumping into the mural projects,” he said. “Every county wants to do a mural project now. Graffiti's getting accepted now. It isn't being looked down on as vandalism anymore. It's an art form developing the streets.”
Rubio, who says he used to engage in the practice of “bombing” -- where artists paint many surfaces in a given area -- calls graffiti an “in your face” art people can no longer ignore. “That's what graffiti's about,” he said. “It's in advertising, in clothing, it's an urban style.”
Before he got back to finishing that Big Apple skylight, Rubio promised that “You're going to see my work around town.”
He had a message for local residents. “Support the arts,” he said. “Just support the arts.”
Rubio can be reached at sueworks@gmail.com.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Pool, Rink, New Parks Coming to Waterfront
Weehawken Reporter, 21-Jan-18
By Hannington Dia
The Township of Weehawken approved last month a 3.5-acre expansion of its waterfront recreational area, which by summer 2019 is set to include new pools.
According to officials, the entire project will be completed by the end of 2019. It will include a six-lane lap pool, a recreational pool, infant pool, splash park, and an 11,200-square-foot ice-skating rink/multi-purpose pavilion.
It will be situated next to a pre-existing 10-acre waterfront park, and will be connected to a two-acre land plot to be used for passive and active recreation, such as music concerts and infant parks.
The township hopes to open the pools by summer 2019, and the entire expansion by the end of the year. The six-lane and recreational pools will be handicap accessible.
The lane pool will include bleachers on one end for viewing, and the recreational pool will include a slide and whirlpool area.
To accommodate younger ones, the infant pool will be 14 inches deep at its maximum.
Previously, the township had a pool, which was underused and fell apart in the early 1990s. Today the town’s Recreation Department uses the space for batting cages. The town contracts with West New York for its residents to use their pool in summer, free of charge. Weehawken also has an arrangement with Hoboken’s Stevens Institute of Technology, allowing residents to use their pool free of charge as well.
The skating rink will be available for ice hockey practice and ice skating in winter. But during warmer months, the township will be able to convert it for roller skating, volleyball, basketball, and regular public use.
The township will also build a new basketball court, which will allow for after-hours access. A tennis half-court will be available for handball, racquetball, and other sports. For those who aren't into sports or swimming, the complex will feature a great lawn, with a sand volleyball court, officials said.
Officials are also planning a pedestrian bridge connecting the Hudson Riverfront walkway to the Lincoln Harbor Park waterfront walkway.
The town's 21-member Waterfront Recreation Committee—featuring both local residents and township officials—played a crucial role in designing the area, according to Mayor Richard Turner. “Myself and the town appreciate the committee’s efforts,” Turner said.
Cost?
Construction will cost $10.5 million, almost none of it from property taxes. Funding will come from waterfront developer recreational fees, the state's Green Acres grant program, and the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund, which is a small component of Hudson County residents’ property taxes.
“We have seven million dollars from the developer's fees, about $1.5 million from Green Acres, and we're getting another million-and-a-half from the county,” Turner said.
Waterfront developers who want to build in town must pay fees towards recreation.
The recreation area's operating budget will come from admission and use fees, he added.
Those who wish to use the complex will have to pay membership fees, the mayor said. The Waterfront Committee is working on a price structure. Non-residents will be allowed under this structure, but they will likely pay a higher fee. This, Turner said, will help prioritize access to residents.
“Anybody who's not a resident, you'll have a different price structure,” Turner said. “There's several different types of regulation you can have to control the influx of people who don't live in town, so that the residents of the town get priority benefit.”
Building out the waterfront
The expansion area is situated next to a 10-acre recreational site that developers funded many years ago.
Real estate company Hartz Mountain—which sold the expansion property to the township in the mid-1990s -- is developing another nearby two acres for town usage, Turner said.
Hartz Mountain owns the 60-acre Lincoln Harbor mixed-use development on the Weehawken waterfront, launched 25 years ago. The development includes the Estuary residential development, the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel, retail shops, restaurants. a marina, and waterfront walkways.
“We're going to have 15 and a half acres on the Hudson River, which I believe is the biggest open space after Liberty State Park, along the river,” Turner said. “It’s going to be a magnificent facility.”
Township officials had their eyes on the area well before they purchased it. But because Hartz originally planned a 75,000 square foot office complex on the area, and Weehawken couldn't afford the $500,000 price tag then, they used Green Acres state funds to buy the space.
“The plan was always pushing for that area to be a recreation site, because we didn't want Hartz Mountain to put a building there, so we had to buy it from them,” Turner said. That purchase officially made the site Green Acres land.
Expanding the waterfront represents a turnaround in the amount of open space in town, according to Turner.
“In 1990, we had 10 acres of passive or active recreation in town,” he said. “Now, with this complex, we'll have 52. And it's all spread throughout the town.”
Weehawken is applying for necessary waterfront permits from the state. Officials will also be holding public presentations on the expansion before the town's Planning Board. But there’s still some time before those presentations. “We have a lot more work to do before we get to that stage,” Turner said. “They probably won’t be until late spring.”
Saturday, January 20, 2018
West New York (NJ) Bans Airbnb
Hudson Report, 20-Jan-18
Short term vacation rentals, of 30 days or less, will be banned in West New York, after the town's Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance at their Jan. 18 meeting. The measure is largely a response to numerous complaints officials received regarding people using Airbnb, the popular short-term rental listing service, in town.
It also is an effort to preserve the town's limited housing stock, given that it is only 1.3 square miles and has an estimated 54,000 residents.
But the agreement didn't come before at least five local Airbnb hosts urged the board to better regulate the rentals, as opposed to banning them outright.
Mayor Felix Roque and the commissioners signaled they would be open to such regulation down the line, but needed to respond to resident complaints now.
"Thank you for educating me a lot about Airbnb," Roque told the hosts, after they spoke. "And there might be a way, down the road, that we could sit down and try to make this a reality for West New York. I saw the bad part of Airbnb. Now, we're seeing the other side. I would love to revisit this, as soon as I get more information."
West New York native Christopher Appelgren struggled to pay property taxes on his family house in town, which he purchased many years ago. Therefore, he began hosting Airbnb users to compensate. "I have to say, it's been an incredible help for my family," Appelgren told the commissioners, during the ordinance's public hearing section. "I think that instead of banning Airbnb, maybe we can look at a solution that can help the town."
He floated the idea of adding an additional tax on those renting their properties to Airbnb users: "It would alleviate the property taxes for the rest of the town, which cost a lot."
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