Weehawken resident donates $10 million to Palisades Medical Center

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.

Snow Causes Commuter Chaos at Port Authority

Snow Causes Commuter Chaos at Port Authority, Penn Station and on New Jersey Roadways

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.”

Weehawken Water Tower - History & Walk Through

International Violinist to Perform For The Weehawken Free Public Library

Weehawken fencer brings home a 3rd national title

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."

Rain Doesn't Stop First Annual Weehawken VFW 5K Run/Walk

New Traffic Rule During Rush Hour for Out of Towners

2018 Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5k!

WNY Artist Completes Weehawken Tribute Mural Under Route 495 Bridge

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.

Pool, Rink, New Parks Coming to Waterfront

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.”

Weehawken Day 2017- Saturday, October 7

Save the Date for Weehawken Day 2017- Saturday, October 7, 12 pm-6 pm at Waterfront Park. Join this fun-filled community-wide celebration! Weehawken residents only.

Weehawken Holds Day Drug and Alcohol Free Poster Contest

Weehawken Holds Day Drug and Alcohol Free Poster Contest

Hudson Reporter, 5-Mar-17

By Do the right thing

The winners of the township’s Drug and Alcohol-Free poster contest were awarded their prizes at the Jan. 25 Township Council meeting, when they got up in front of the gathering and described their posters.

At the Weehawken Day Festival last fall, Mayor Richard Turner and the Township Council announced the contest, hoping to encourage students to make the correct decisions about drugs and alcohol.

The contest was opened to fourth grade students at Roosevelt School. Entries were judged on the artist’s ability to create a submission conveying a positive message about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

By providing students with a drug and alcohol-free theme to illustrate, they hoped to not only get students involved, but also to get the children to share their thoughts about the benefits of an alcohol and drug-free life through drawings and messages.

Twenty-seven students submitted entries and the posters were displayed and voted on at the Weehawken Day Festival. Residents were asked to vote for the top three posters that they felt best expressed the challenges young people face today.

The winning posters are:

	First place - Connor McGinley – 110 votes Title: Why Are Dragons Extinct? They Smoked!
	Second place - Alexandra Flores – 98 votes Title: Don’t be a Drinker, Be a Thinker!
	Third place - Aayush Sherchan - 87 votes Title: Don’t Let Drugs Walk Over You

It’s Hamilton on the Hudson!

It’s Hamilton on the Hudson!

Hudson Reporter, 11-Sep-16

By Rory Pasquariello

Tourists flock to historic duel site in Weehawken because of hit play

They’ve come from across the land, from Manhattan to Seattle, to walk to a small historic monument in Weehawken’s bluffs overlooking the Hudson River.

Thanks to the success of the smash Broadway hit musical “Hamilton,” which received 11 Tony awards this year, more people than ever are interested in seeing the picturesque spot where Vice President Aaron Burr killed the former treasury secretary in a duel on July 11, 1804. The event occurred after years of simmering political differences and tensions between the two.

The frequent clashing of great minds took a much different form in the political arenas of early 19th-Century America than today, when having a great mind is no prerequisite to enter such an arena.

People around the world have become immensely interested in the life of Hamilton, one of the country’s founding fathers, thanks to the success of the musical that opened in August of 2015 and is – according to the Richard Rodgers Theater -- sold out through at least next June. (Tickets can be had for $450 on ticketing websites, or sometimes by camping out all night in Manhattan.)

New and old media organizations have increasingly paid homage to Hamilton’s legacy. Ron Chernow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and author of the biography from which the musical is based, has been all over the airwaves, as has Lin Manual Miranda, creator of the musical. It was one of only nine musicals ever to win the Pulitzer.

Attendance at historic sites in Paterson, Weehawken, and Morristown has jumped, but it’s the monument at the duel site that attracts the most attention, marking the sensational ending to a great American life. Hamilton actually died one day after the duel, in the home of his good friend William Bayard Jr. in New York.

Piqued interest

Every year, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner attends the city’s annual Celebrate Hamilton event on July 11. “Each year it gets bigger and bigger,” he said. “The play has renewed interest in the area.” That renewed interest, Turner believes, encourages historical learning. “Hamilton is a great historical figure, and we often forget because most Americans aren’t dedicated students of history,” he said. “It’s nice to have something that comes along that reminds us of the great history we have.”

Lauren Sherman, chair of the Weehawken Historical Commission, said, “I’ve heard of people taking selfies at the monument and some girls crying. Because of the musical, he’s now cool.”

One group of young people with long selfie sticks posing in front of the monument last week were happy to share their thoughts on Hamilton’s legacy.

“He’s the father of modern banking,” said Jim Furman, who is from Manhattan but was visiting friends in Union City. “He’s legend.”

Hamilton is known as “the father of modern banking” because his most impactful contribution to this country was perhaps the establishment of a central bank, which he believed to be necessary to establish stable national credit and promote business. He was like the responsible parent who co-signs his daughter’s credit card just to ensure she goes out into the real world with good credit.

Amy Zhang, also from Manhattan, talked about her admiration for Lin Manuel Miranda. “He’s a genius,” she said. “I haven’t seen the play, but the soundtrack is amazing, and I love his character. It’s surreal to be standing here, at this rock where Hamilton laid his head down, shot.” According to Sherman, the tidbit about Hamilton’s head, explained on the plaque, was not added until the memorial was moved to the top of the ridge overlooking the Hudson in the late 1850s.

Memorial drew duelers

The original memorial was built in 1806 at a cost of $750 and consisted of various images along with a rock and a plaque.

But there was a problem.

“The memorial, instead of honoring the men, it started to draw more duelists,” Sherman said. Dueling was illegal in New York at the time, making the shore of Weehawken a prime location for such activity. But duels were outlawed in New Jersey in 1845.

Sherman said that the memorial started coming apart early on. “People were taking pieces of the monument with them. By 1821, there wasn’t much left other than this plaque with the engraving.”

She said after dueling was outlawed in New Jersey, people still came to the grounds to settle disputes by duel, using cork instead of bullets.

The views and the history

A retired history teacher from Seattle, Gordon Knight, was at the monument last week with his wife, Debby, taking in the views and the history. “It’s way down on a ledge, used to be surrounded by bush,” Gordon said, pointing to the original dueling grounds under the Palisade hills where Hamilton was fatally wounded.

Knight turned around to inspect a big rock behind him with the old sign indicating that Hamilton rested his head on that very rock after being shot. “I also like the plaque,” Knight said. “It’s remarkable.”

Gordon was enjoying the view of the Manhattan skyline as well.

“The size of Seattle is like one little section of Manhattan,” Debby said.

On any given day, and especially on weekends, tour buses from all over stop on the shoulder of Eastern Boulevard in Weehawken. Passengers pile out to stretch their legs and capture the extraordinary views of the Manhattan skyline from Hamilton Park. With a familiar eye and a very strong pair of binoculars, you can even spot where the play is performed near Times Square at the Richard Rodgers Theater on 46th Street.

The monument is located on Hamilton Avenue, just off of Boulevard East (otherwise known as John F. Kennedy Boulevard East). For those wanting to take public transportation, the monument is not far from the Hudson Bergen Light Rail stop at the Port Imperial ferry terminal in West New York, if you’re willing to walk to the steps up the Palisades. Several buses from New York City also coast along Boulevard East.

As for the Knights, they haven’t yet seen the musical.

“We can’t afford it,” Gordon laughed. “We saw ‘Wicked,’ but “Hamilton” tickets can go up to $3,000. I guess there’s super rich people who can afford it.”

The secretary of the treasury might have had something to say about that.

Weehawken Easter

"Snow Angel" By WHS Students

Benny Ricciardi of Weehawken Earns a Living Playing & Writing About Fantasy Football

Weehawken Pathmark gets brand new life as ACME supermarket

Weehawken and Union City Team Up to Save Reservoir

Weehawken and Union City Team Up to Save Reservoir

Hudson Report, 4-Oct-15

By Al Sullivan

Holding a party for a reservoir might seem a little odd. 

But for residents and public officials in Weehawken and Union City, preserving a 14.4-acre former reservoir near the border of both cities is a big deal. The towns closed down a portion of Palisades Avenue on Sept. 24 to celebrate. People danced or sang. Kids climbed onto various amusement rides. Many visitors took a stroll around the reservoir to admire the wildlife as well as the view of the New York Skyline.

“The property could have been sold for development,” said Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner. “There were plenty of offers from developers.”

But he said the site offered a good opportunity as a public amenity, a park with walkway in a part of Hudson County that is already densely populated.

Turner reached out to state Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack to see if they could come up with a plan to purchase the property.

Known Hackensack Reservoir No. 2, the property is located on the Weehawken side of Palisades Avenue.

“Even though it is in Weehawken, this will benefit residents of Union City,” Stack said.

Although built in the 19th Century, the reservoir property hasn’t been in operation since 1996. But it has been reconfigured into a passive park with benches and a rail around the perimeter.

_____________
“This is the largest preservation project in North Hudson in the last 50 years.” – Richard Turner
____________

“There is a lot of water,” Turner said. “And it will provide a place for people to sit or walk. If they need to contemplate something, they can do it there.”

Turner said United Water originally owned the property and offered to sell it for $11 million.

“Through a combination of grants and low interest loans we were able to buy the property,” Turner said. 

This included an $8.66 million low interest loan from The Trust for Public Land, a national, non-profit organization that has worked with landowners, funders and townships across the nation since 1972.

The loan – three quarters of which is at 0 percent interest, and one quarter of which carries between 1 and 2 percent interest – will be split by both parties. The loan’s projected payoff will take 20 years. 

The project also received a $2 million grant from the state’s Green Acres – a program under N.J.’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) dedicated to funding land conservation and recreational resources.

Both towns kicked in to fill in the rest of the sale price, and they will split the cost of maintaining the park. Maintenance cost is estimated at about $600,000 annually.

“This is good for the residents of both our towns,” said Stack.

The agreement with NJ State DEP guarantees that the reservoir will be preserved indefinitely as a park.

The reservoir is bordered by Washington Street, Gregory Avenue, Highpoint Avenue, and 20th Street.

“This is what government is supposed to be doing,” Stack said. “This will be felt by the public.”

The reservoir will be open to the public in the morning, guarded by security, and closed after dusk with no nighttime access or lighting.

“This is a great moment for Union City and Weehawken,” Turner said. “This is the largest preservation project in North Hudson in the last 50 years.”

Weehawken’s Louisa Park Gets a Makeover

Authorities Blame Burglary Spike in Weehawken on Homeless Population

Authorities Blame Burglary Spike in Weehawken on Homeless Population

NJ.com, 28-Aug-15

By Kathryn Brenzel

Township officials blame a recent uptick in the homeless population for a recent spike in burglaries, but an analysis of police data shows that break-ins are about on track with last year's figures.

Weehawken saw at least eight residential and four car burglaries in July, according to police reports. The number of burglaries in buildings in July 2015 is double what the township saw last year—eight this year versus four in 2014. However, the number of burglaries between January and July this year are pretty much on track with those reported during the same period in 2014—24 this year, versus 27 last year—so it remains to be seen if the township will finish out the year with more burglaries in buildings than previous years.

Mayor Richard Turner said the fact that the number of burglaries so far this year nearly match the number from last year is "irrelevant." He said the township was heading toward a decrease in burglaries from last year until the sudden spike in July. What's key, he said, is the sudden burst of more burglaries over the course of a few weeks.

"It's not just the numbers, which is bad enough," he said. "It's the concentration in a short period of time."

Over the past five years, burglaries in the township have remained fairly steady in the mid-30s to high 40s, down significantly from a spike in 2008, when Weehawken reported 76 break-ins, according to New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Data. (Note: State police data does not include car burglaries. Weehawken has not yet reported its burglary data to state Police for July 2015, so the total of 24 burglaries was calculated using police reports provided by the township.)

Public Safety Director Jeff Welz said the jump in burglaries in July this year is partially due to a sudden increase in homeless individuals from outside the township.

"Weehawken is a small town. We've seen a strong increase of people we've never seen before," he said. "Cops in the streets are seeing unfamiliar faces."

The influx of "aggressive" homeless individuals is evident in a slew of arrests made in July, said Deputy Director Thomas White. Police arrested 19 individuals—for drug possession, burglary and other offenses—14 of whom were homeless, he said. Some of the burglaries involved vandalism, including three homes that were tagged with white spray paint, two of which also had bricks thrown through the windows, according to police reports. The homeowner in one burglary on Bonn Place was allegedly assaulted by the burglar.

Police reports only indicate that one of the individuals arrested had a shelter address—the Hoboken Homeless Shelter—but White said most of the car and residential burglaries have been linked to homeless individuals. He expects to charge some of the individuals already arrested with additional burglaries.

Turner partially blamed Palisades Residence Corporation in Union City (PERC) for the sudden increase in homeless individuals in the township. He said the shelter opened a second floor—60 additional beds—without consulting local authorities. The expansion, combined with a shuttle that ran to the Union City shelter, led to several individuals, who weren't permitted to stay at other shelters in the area spending time and, in some cases, committing crimes in Weehawken, Turner said.

"You just can't move more violent or aggressive people around the county," he said. "You can't do things willy-nilly without consulting with the local authorities."

PERC Executive Director Carol Mori hasn't returned phone and email messages seeking comment placed over the course of several weeks.

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Hudson County suspended certain funding to PERC on July 31 because the shelter didn't have the proper local approvals to open up its second floor, said Jim Kennelly, county spokesman. As a result, the shuttles are also no longer running from Journal Square and Hoboken to the Union City shelter, he said. The shuttles were intended to transport individuals to get services at the shelter, but the visitors ended up staying, he said. From April to July, PERC received $63,000 of the $163,867.50 awarded to the shelter through three resolutions passed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders, Kennelly said.

He said the county only recently learned of complaints of "aggressive" homeless individuals in Weehawken and were not the impetus for halting funding to PERC.

Turner said the township is willing to help homeless individuals, but a distinction must be made between the usual crowd the township sees and the people accused of the burglaries. He said the increase in "aggressive" individuals also poses a quality of life problem for residents.

"You open your door and a homeless person jumps out at you, it's not a pleasant experience," he said.

Turner said the shuttle and the expansion were shut down, resulting in a "tremendous" decrease in the number of homeless individuals in the township throughout August.

Union City Mayor Brian Stack said he wasn't aware that the individuals committing the burglaries were coming from the shelter. He defended PERC, saying it provides a place for people who would otherwise be on the streets. He said the real issue is that all municipalities in the county need to contribute more financial assistance in helping homeless individuals in the county.

"It's a bigger issue than just police and burglaries. It's a social service issue. It comes down to all human beings: We've got to help each other out," he said. "They're not Union City's homeless. They're not Weehawken's homeless; they're Hudson County's homeless."

Jaclyn Cherubini, the executive director of the Hoboken Homeless Shelter, said she was not familiar with Weehawken's situation. She did, however, express doubts about the link between burglaries and the township's homeless population.

"I don't think there is a direct correlation between homelessness and burglary," she said. "I just don't believe that's true."

Welz said the season could also be a contributing factor to the jump in burglaries. Residents tend to leave their doors unlocked and their windows open during the summer time. Window air conditioning units can also allow burglars quick and easy access to a home. He said the department has increased patrols, but he also urged that residents be vigilant about securing their homes and vehicles.

"Anytime there's an uptick, it's incumbent on us to take action,'' Welz said. "Residents can't let their guard down. A lot of this is opportunity."