The financial website WalletHub has ranked Jersey City as the 131st safest city in America, just behind Atlanta. Nearby Newark comes in at number 150. The safest city was said to be Columbia, Maryland. The most dangerous is listed as Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
The website describes its methodology as follows:
“In order to determine the safest cities in which to live, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety, 2) Natural-Disaster Risk, and 3) Financial Safety. We evaluated those dimensions using 42 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety. We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.”
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Elephants from the Pleistocene epoch have checked in at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.
On view is a model of the woolly mammoth, which thrived and ranged widely in the Arctic and environs during the ice age before disappearing around 4,000 years ago.
But today, the pachyderm — whose preserved remains are found periodically under permafrost in northern climes — is back in the spotlight as a potential planet-friendly agent for change.
Which is why the museum has installed a new “Making Mammoths” exhibit that was opened to the public this past Saturday courtesy of Blue Rhino Studio of Minnesota.
The exhibit, featuring a 9’3” tall foam and fiberglass replica of the creature’s head and tusks fashioned from steel armatures, pays tribute to the work of genomics pioneer George Church, a Harvard Medical School professor.
Church, 66, a geneticist with a background in molecular engineering and chemistry, has studied DNA extracted from mammoth carcasses with the idea of introducing genetic sequences into modern-day Asian elephants — both as a way to rescue an endangered species and to bolster the planet’s defense against climate change.
When mammoths still roamed the Arctic regions, they routinely uprooted trees, thereby maintaining grasslands and, in the process, isolating gigatons of carbon in the frozen tundra, suppressing the spread of methane from topsoil.
Scientists like Church now hope they can create a hybrid “mammophant” that can adapt to a new cold habitat, trample the area’s existing trees and brushes and, once again, fight global warming.
Experts estimate there are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants left in the wild.
In a tape made for the science center’s visitors, Church elaborates: “We’re trying to make cold-resistant elephants that fill an ecological niche. They don’t have to be perfect copies of mammoths, just good enough to do their job over 10 to 20 million square kilometers of the Arctic.”
As herbivores, Church explained, “The elephants love to knock down trees, even if they’re not planning on eating them, and the trees in the Arctic are pretty easy to knock over. That would result in the carbon in the trees getting buried in the permafrost and freezing and then being replaced by more photosynthetic grass, which is easier to pound down.”
Using a technology known as CRISPR DNA-editing, Church has isolated about 42 genes, such as those favoring more fur, thicker ears, and fat deposits, all promoting extreme cold tolerance that could be developed in a lab. The genes could then be introduced into the nucleus of an Asian elephant cell either placed into the egg of a surrogate mother or by alternate means “outside the body.”
The gestation time would be a minimum of two years, Church said, and if the experiment proved successful, that would be followed by several years of testing the mammophant’s behavior in a cold environment.
At the same time, Church said, researchers would look for ways to prevent fatal outbreaks of EEHV (endotheliotropic herpesvirus) common among young Asian elephants.
If the genetic experimentation is successful, Church said his team intends to make tens of thousands (of mammophants) if not hundreds of thousands.
Liberty Science Center awarded Church one of its Genius Grants in 2018, and the following year museum President and CEO Paul Hoffman proposed setting up an exhibit focused on the woolly mammoth and Church’s research. Blue Rhino began assembling it in this May and finished it this month.
“Dr. Church’s work to resurrect mammoths is absolutely bleeding edge,” Hoffman said. “We are excited to showcase such intriguing genomic science and let our guests explore the contemporary bioethical questions it raises. This new exhibit … will appeal to learners of all ages ….”
Indeed, part of the exhibit includes an illustrated panel by science cartoonist Larry Gonick that helps young visitors connect with the thinking behind the creature depicted by the mounted model.
For more news relevant to Bergen-Lafeyette, click here.
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Jersey City cases and hospitalizations are on the rise. It’s anticipated that we will see a spike in the next few weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday due to travel and gatherings. Please continue to use safe practices such as wearing face coverings, keeping distance and hand washing.
Indoor spread is one of the primary methods of viral transmission, keep commingling of households to a minimum and use safe practices indoors as well.
As per the Jersey City Tableau, the most recent numbers of new COVID as of November 23rd, (using a 7 day average): Jersey City Tableau
Daily New Cases – 7 Day Average
August 23rd- 7 cases
September 23rd- 4 cases
October 23rd- 24 cases
November 23rd- 68 cases
10% increase in new cases since August.
Hospitalization trend remains on the rise:
Christ Hospital- Nov. 22 – 19 COVID patients (17% of total patients)
RWJBH- Nov.18 – 18 COVID Patients
The number of fatalities in Jersey City in November is 9.
Daily New Cases as of Nov 23rd
Hudson County 263 new cases
State of New Jersey 3,581 new cases
State of New Jersey 11/25
New cases 4,042 – Change over 7 days 9.8%+
New total hospitalizations 234
Currently in ICU 545
Currently on ventilator 281
Total confirmed deaths 15,057
On November 22nd, Governor Murphy extended the state of emergency for an additional 30 days.
Indoor and outdoor gathering limits have been lowered.
The limit for weddings, funerals, memorial services and religious and political activities remain unchanged and will be limited to: 25% of the capacity of the room in which the gathering takes place, up to a maximum of 150 individuals.
Indoor sporting competitions and practices will be permitted to exceed the 10 person limit only for individuals necessary for the practice or competition, such as players, coaches, and referees, but may not exceed 150 individuals. For most indoor sports, this will mean that there can be no spectators.
Legislative and judicial proceedings are not subject to the indoor gatherings limits.
Outdoor Gatherings
Weddings, funerals, memorial services, and religious and political activities are not subject to the outdoor gatherings limit. All other types of gatherings, such as a high school football game or an outdoor concert, will be limited to 150 individuals. Athletes, coaches, referees and other individuals necessary for a professional or collegiate sports competition are not counted towards the 150 person limit.
Outdoor gatherings continue to be subject to strict social distancing restrictions, including the requirement to wear masks whenever it is not possible to social distance.
Travel
Non-essential interstate travel is strongly discouraged. Travelers and residents returning from any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region (New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) should self-quarantine for 14 days.
Mental Health
#HealthierJC has added a new mental health resource directory to their website. The COVID19 pandemic has been challenging for everyone, some more than others. If you or someone you know is in need of help, visit the #HealthierJC’s new page.
If you’re in need of testing, #HealthierJC has put together a comprehensive listing of locations
which can be found on the Jersey City website. Changes to hours and location sites can change so be sure to check the website prior to going for the most updated information.
Non-compliance issues such as social distancing, non mask wearing, etc. can be reported to the Municipal Prosecutor by email. Email to: prosecutor@jcnj.org
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First batch expected within a month. Millions more will be needed, as will help from federal government
This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.
New Jersey is set to receive the first batch of 130,000 COVID-19 vaccines within the next four weeks — assuming it receives emergency approval as expected. But state officials want to ensure their plans for a massive statewide distribution won’t be derailed by President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the election.
Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday he and state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli sent a letter to the head of the federal General Services Administration, urging her to declare president-elect Joe Biden the winner and initiate the formal transition process. It is imperative, Murphy said at a news briefing Monday, that Biden’s team, which will take office Jan. 20, have access to public health information “vital to our national response. The time for politics has passed. The time for coming together to save lives is now.” The federal General Services Administration announced Monday night that it would designate Biden the apparent winner and formally begin the transition process.
Murphy said a smooth transition to the Biden administration is especially critical when it comes to the coronavirus vaccine, the first of which could be approved soon. New Jersey aims to immunize at least 4.7 million residents within six months, and anticipates receiving more than 1 million doses a month by the end of January.
Some COVID-19 vaccines require super-cold storage, which creates additional shipping challenges, and all require multiple doses, spaced either two or three weeks apart. Public health officials are currently focused on three main candidates — Pfizer applied for emergency-use authorization last week, and Moderna and AstraZeneca are expected to seek approval soon — and other vaccines are being developed.
Logistics and lost lives
“This will be an enormous logistical undertaking, and any break or disruption in the supply chain will be paid for in lives. Make no mistake,” Murphy said Monday. “And unless the transition is allowed to get going immediately, those breaks and disruptions — and lost lives — will be unforced errors by the current administration. And let there also be no mistake of that.”
Murphy said the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine could not come soon enough, given the rising numbers of new cases in recent weeks, which now reflect the rates recorded during the initial surge of the pandemic last spring. In all, nearly 310,000 cases have been diagnosed in New Jersey since March, resulting in at least 16,700 likely fatalities, according to state data. Close to 2,700 people are hospitalized with the disease, an increase of 30% over last week alone.
Persichilli said that despite the rising risk of COVID-19 infection, polls show that members of the public — including some health care providers — remain skeptical about the vaccine. That includes roughly four out of 10 New Jerseyans, according to a recent Rutgers University survey. The Department of Health is building a public awareness campaign to raise understanding about the scientific process involved in developing the vaccine and boost confidence in the product, she said.
“It is vital that our health care personnel get vaccinated, not only for their own protection, but also to set an example for the rest of us,” Persichilli said Monday. “Eventually, once the general public is vaccinated, we will be able to build herd immunity in our communities. That is our hope. In the meantime, we have to take this pandemic seriously,” she said, reminding people to wear masks, keep their distance, wash their hands and take other precautions.
Task force to review vaccine advisories
Regardless of the federal approval, Murphy has insisted New Jersey will not release the vaccine until state officials first “kick the tires” themselves. When asked Monday, Persichilli said this process would involve a state-level task force review of advisory group reports submitted to the federal Food and Drug Administration as part of the national vaccine-review process. The task force will then advise Murphy whether or not to proceed with distribution, she said.
Under the draft COVID-19 vaccine plan New Jersey submitted to federal officials earlier this fall, health care workers at risk for direct or indirect exposure to the virus would be considered a priority. Initially, the plan estimated this group to include 500,000 people, but Persichilli now suggests it includes some 650,000 individuals — both paid and unpaid — working in hospitals and other clinical facilities, community clinics, individual practices or as home care providers.
Assuming the Pfizer vaccine is approved, Persichilli said the state expects to receive enough doses to immunize 130,000 individuals in mid-to-late December. Another 130,000 doses will follow soon after. If approved as expected, Moderna is expected to begin similar staggered shipments not long afterward. Between the two companies, New Jersey anticipates having enough doses to protect 460,000 individuals in this high-risk group by mid-January.
Making moral decisions about distribution
Persichilli said the DOH’s vaccine advisory committee has created a prioritization framework, based on principles like equity, justice and transparency, as well as vulnerability, to help guide which members of this high-risk group are considered the first priority. The guidelines are now being reviewed by the governor’s office, Persichilli said, and the state plans to release them in advance of the first vaccine shipments.
By late January, when multiple vaccines are likely to have been approved, Persichilli said the state expects to receive some 1.1 million doses monthly. After those in the initial high-risk group are vaccinated, the state’s plan calls for immunizations to focus on other essential or frontline workers, nursing home residents and seniors living at home, estimated to be 1.5 million people in total.
Eventually, all New Jerseyans will be able to access immunization, which the state plans to make available through an extensive network of public and private health care facilities.
“We are ready to move forward the moment these vaccines get to us, with health care workers being at the front of the line to receive a vaccination, and Judy is already working with our hospital leaders to prepare for this,” Murphy said, underscoring the need for greater collaboration with the incoming Biden administration. “We need this entire process to be methodical and deliberative.”
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The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit has arrested and charged Rand March, of Jersey City, with the murder of his 67-year-old girlfriend with whom he shared an apartment.
Rand, age 65, was arrested at approximately 4 p.m. on Monday, November 23, 2020, and has been charged with Murder; Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (knife); and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (knife).
On Monday, November 23, 2020, just before 2 p.m., members of the Jersey City Police Department responded to an apartment on Court House Place to perform a welfare check on a senior resident. When officers gained access to the apartment, they found a lifeless female, later identified as Kimberly Haston, on the floor with a apparent laceration to her neck. Haston was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center where she was pronounced deceased at 3:52 p.m. The findings of the Regional Medical Examiner are pending.
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Area will feature new library branch, other amenities
Jersey City’s Holland Gardens public housing site is to be reshaped into a mixed-use, mixed-income development that will accommodate a new public library branch and businesses.
On Nov. 4 the Jersey City Housing Authority board of commissioners endorsed adding a home ownership component, a public library branch, and commercial rental space to a new high-rise mixed-income development for the area.
The JCHA plans to tear down the 76-year-old, 3.3-acre Holland Gardens complex at 15th Street and Jersey Avenue. A new project on the same footprint would preserve the existing 192 public housing apartments and supplement them with a combination of “affordable” condominium units and market-rate rental apartments.
The single structure design concept
This proposal — still several years in the making — comes 13 months after the JCHA adopted a “right of return” policy for tenants who will be temporarily relocated during the demolition and new construction.
According to the JCHA, the physical condition and aging mechanical systems have rendered the site’s five low-rise buildings “increasingly difficult and costly to maintain, rendering it nearly obsolete,” leading to a “decreased quality of life” for its residents.
Based on an evaluation of the site in summer 2019, Kitchen & Associates, the JCHA’s consulting architects, concluded it would cost $21 million to undertake capital repairs needed just to keep the property afloat.
Instead, the Collingswood, NJ firm recommended the site be razed and replaced with new infrastructure that would blend public housing units and market-rate apartments. The JCHA agreed with this assessment.
Just west of Holland Gardens stand two luxury high-rise developments, Soho Lofts and Cast Iron Lofts. Around the corner is the old St. Lucy’s Church and homeless shelter, will soon be transformed into a new, 20-story residence and a nearby new five-story homeless shelter.
As Kitchen puts it in a 2019 “visioning plan” for the future of Holland Gardens, being dwarfed by these nearby developments “… further exacerbates the sense of isolation and disconnect with its new neighbors … and … presents the challenge for how to redevelop the Holland Gardens site in a manner that will fit into this new community while also meeting the needs of existing residents.”
The answer, for Kitchen and the JCHA, is new construction, which, they say, would ensure the preservation of all existing 192 apartments while upgrading non-compliant, under-sized units, providing additional on-site parking and strengthening tenant amenities and services.
As an end to that means, the JCHA proposes to readapt the site by increasing its density. The existing development consists of five low-rise buildings with a total of 192 units.
Kitchen has proposed two construction scenarios, each sharing a common denominator: a three-story podium accommodating off-street parking — one space for every two units — plus a mix of non-residential uses and housing along its perimeter.
The first scenario calls for a single L-shaped building rising up to 22 stories above the podium with residential units from the fourth to 22nd floors. Also provided under this scenario would be:
Private indoor and outdoor amenity space on the fourth floor and on the roof
Apartments on the second and third levels plus three-story townhomes along the Erie Street frontage
Amenity space for daycare, healthcare, senior center, computer center, etc., along Jersey Avenue
Main residential lobby entrance via 16th
The second scenario proposes the extension of 15th Street through the site to Erie Street, thereby creating a new pedestrian corridor and access to the main lobby. Key features would include:
Twin residential towers rising above the podium, up to 20 stories, between Jersey Avenue and Erie Street
A six-story structure containing 30 or more for-sale residential condominium lofts along the south side of the 15th Street connector. “At least half of these units would be affordable and available to low-income, moderate-income and work-force housing eligible residents with the remainder being market-rate for-sale units,” according to the JCHA resolution endorsing the concept
Space reserved in the mid-rise building for “… a branch of the Jersey City Public Library, which would include community space and a resident services office and commercial rental space suitable for a supermarket, and/or bank or other similar commercial enterprise,” the JCHA resolution says.
Holland Gardens is one example of JCHA’s efforts to diversify its housing stock and advance opportunities for affordable home ownership, said JCHA Executive Director Vivian Brady-Phillips. Another “very successful” example, she says, is Dwight Street Homes in Greenville.
The multiple structure design concept including 15th street
There, the authority has sold 46 of the 52 two-family townhome units to low- and moderate-income families, she said, since the initiative began in the 1990s,.
“Now more than ever, housing affordability is a critical issue across the nation,” Brady-Phillips said. “It’s my hope that other public housing authorities will follow our lead by working closely with their municipalities and community partners to provide the resources necessary for residents to thrive.”
As of the most recent posting on the JCHA website, applicants to buy a home in the Dwight Street project are eligible if their annual income amounts to between 60% and 80% of the area median income as follows: for three in a household, $43,440 to $57,920; for four, $48,240 to $64,320; and for five, $52,140 to $69,520.
JCHA has gone the route of “mixed-finance public housing” — mixing public, private and non-profit funds to reshape and modernize several of its existing public housing sites at Montgomery, Lafayette and Duncan Gardens for residents with different income levels, she said.
Generally speaking, under guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, individuals or families qualify to live in public housing apartments like Holland Gardens if they earn between 50% and 80% of the county’s annual median income, $76,900. They pay 30% of their adjusted monthly income in rent.
People living on limited income can also explore access to federal Section 8 rent vouchers, issued through the JCHA, which tenants can transfer to different locations where private landlords will accept them.
Another type of Section 8 rent subsidy with a different funding stream is targeted to specific public housing sites.
On Oct. 21, the Jersey City Municipal Council adopted an inclusionary zoning ordinance that would require residential developers to allocate 20% of the total number of apartments for affordable housing in return for the city granting height and density variances.
Given that demand for these types of rental assistance is high and because of shrinking federal housing resources, vacancy rates at the city’s public housing sites are generally close to zero.
“We serve 15,000 people spread over 7,100 units,” Brady-Phillips said, including 4,600 residents holding Section 8 vouchers accepted by 1,700 landlords with multiple properties. As of last month, there were 12,792 on a public housing wait list and 8,980 on a wait list for Section 8, she said.
Where will Holland Gardens tenants go while the site is razed and a new complex is built? No blueprint has yet been announced, but Brady-Phillips said the JCHA is meeting with tenants on a quarterly basis to provide planning updates on their rights under the federal Uniform Relocation Act to alternative lodging during the construction.
“Relocation … is not anticipated to begin until summer of 2022 at the earliest,” according to the JCHA website. Tenants are to be “… notified in writing at least 120 days in advance of the move-out date.”
The project timetable – including the process for soliciting and designating a redevelopment partner – was pushed back a year due to COVID-19, according to Brady-Phillips. By spring 2021, JCHA plans to circulate a request for qualifications in order to create a pool of prospective developers by next summer. The authority will then issue a request for proposals next fall and select a developer by the end of 2021.
How long the new project will take to complete remains to be seen.
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At this past Thursday’s meeting, Superintendent Franklin Walker announced minor changes to class schedules that will go into effect district wide beginning December 2. These changes are based on observations during the first marking period, he said, when it became apparent that more time is required for student support. The amount of time devoted to instruction will remain the same.
“During the second marking period, the student’s schedule from pre-school to eighth grade will include independent learning activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoons,” Walker announced. “During this independent time, students who need assistance will be scheduled for individual or group support from 1:30 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.” Teachers will themselves engage in “professional learning” from 2:15 p.m. to 2:55 p.m.
Walker continued: “High school students will work independently on Wednesday afternoons. During this time, students who need assistance will be scheduled for independent or small group support from 1:30 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.” Teachers will then have time for professional learning from 2:15 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. He stated, “Now these adjustments will allow teachers to work with students who need support.”
Board Vice President Gina Verdibello questioned the new schedule and asked if teachers had been consulted on it. She also referenced a report comparing attendance during the first marking period of this year to that of 2019, which had been presented at Monday’s caucus. According to the report, attendance was down this year across all age groups but decreased the most —by over 20% — amongst middle schoolers. Further analysis of the report reveals that attendance dropped the most in low-income neighborhoods of the city.
The report concluded with a list of six actions the district took to address the attendance problem. Despite these efforts, efforts, however, Verdibello suggested that parents need further support.
During the public speaking session, a P.S. 5 parent of two students expressed concern about the new schedule and asked it to be reconsidered. Instead of a blanket change across the district, she suggested surveying and making changes at the school level. She noted the current schedule is working for many students. Despite Walker’s assurances to the contrary, she said the new schedule would reduce time with teachers.
All of the agenda items to be voted on during the meeting were approved.
The next virtual Jersey City School Board meeting will be held Thursday, December 17, at 6 p.m.
For past coverage of Jersey City School Board meetings, please click here.
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the attendance report mentioned by Verdibello did not break down attendance by middle school and high school. In fact it did.
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Artists, arts advocates and local culture vultures cheered when on November 3rd Jersey City voted to create an Arts and Culture Trust Fund, the first of its kind in New Jersey. Now, with the vote a done deal, the arts community is debating how the fund should operate. There is no shortage of ideas.
The brainchild of the Jersey City Arts Council and Mayor Fulop and then promoted by a wide range of artists and organizations including The Jersey City Arts Fund Committee, the fund will draw on a property tax levy of between .5 and 2 cents per $100 dollars of assessed value for every home in Jersey City. It is intended to support both local arts organizations and individual artists.
Choreographer Kyle Marshall who runs an eponymous dance company believes the fund should address the needs of a wide spectrum of artists, including those who are independent and unaffiliated with an established not-for-profit organization. “If it’s only for large organizations, it’s not going to help individual artists.” He points out that “artists come from a certain demographic. They are often lower income.”
Marshall imagines funding for arts educators, materials for classrooms, the awarding of scholarships and even tickets for shows that will expose artists to the work of other artists. He hopes that the fund might consider “micro-grants” that help artists with single projects or even with a month of studio rent. Beyond the money, there is validation that comes with receiving a grant. “Getting that first grant is really important” he says.
When asked how the fund would insure that grant money is spent effectively, especially in the case of individual artist without the financial controls of an established 501(c)(3) organization, Marshall suggests first that there be a “rigorous” vetting process that is “based on the work.” Then there should be follow up. He suggests dribbling out the grant in separate payments. Ultimately though “people need to trust artists.”
How do distribute the money equitably in a diverse city with wide ranging tastes and needs is occupying the thoughts of several local arts administrators. For Sam Pott, founder and artistic director of Nimbus Dance, “the arts, especially when supported by a public funding source such as this, should not exist in an elite ‘ivory tower,’ inaccessible to regular citizens… disconnected from normal folks.”
For Olga Levina, artistic director of Jersey City Theatre Center, the question is “how do we bring people together in a diverse city like Jersey City? It’s not just an elite art scene coming together but actually giving true value to people.”
Meredith Burns, executive director of Art House Productions, is concerned about losing public support if the process goes awry. “We need to be as equitable and transparent as possible. We understand that this is taxpayer dollars.”
To avoid favoritism, Burns and Pott are proposing that the city create two committees; one possibly modeled on the Open Space Trust Fund, with representatives from each ward who would decide on priorities and another committee from outside such as the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, that would vet the grant applications for artistic merit. Both Burns and Pott are concerned about the potential for favoritism in a “small town” like Jersey City where everybody knows one another.
Before a single dollar can be granted however, a process will have to be set up and turned into law. Converting the vision to paper will fall to Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, the fund’s point person at City Hall. She is open-minded as to the ultimate grant making process. From her perspective “everything is on the table.”
Prinz-Arey hopes to put an initial ordinance before the city council in December establishing the fund. A second ordinance, probably in January or February, will be needed to set the levy amount. Finally a few months later, the council will vote on an ordinance that sets up the committee structure and the process to parcel out grants. Much remains unknown, including when monies will begin rolling in from the levy.
Prinz-Arey is excited that Jersey City will now begin to close the gap with Newark, which receives funding from the massive $4 million allotted by the state to Essex County. In comparison, Hudson County gets only $250 thousand. According to Prinz-Arey the fund will enable Jersey City groups to “build out their capacity” and better compete for larger grants.
Like Burns and Levina, Prinz-Arey is cognizant of the fact that an arts fund will have to prove itself. “When the money is granted out they are going to have to show impact.” But the economic case for arts funding is solid she says. “When you have a strong arts community there are ancillary benefits for business community.”
Nonetheless, the arts community is aware that people are watching. Levina recalls one anti-referendum activist telling her “Olga, when and if it passes, I hope you think about the mother in Greenville who gives her hard earned money. I’ll be very upset if the money goes Downtown.”
Featured image: “Bouquet” – oil on canvas by Laurie Riccadonna
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Ward E Councilman James Solomon is proposing that Jersey City improve its emergency alert system in the wake of two “boil water advisories” that went out over the last six months. The first, on April 28th, was due to a water main break and the second on August 14th, was due to a positive test for E. coli in the city’s drinking water supply.
The August 14 incident was the subject of a report by northjersey.com which found that Jersey City officials waited 12 hours after learning of the E. coli contamination to issue a boil water advisory. According to the report, on the night of August 13, the Municipal Utilities Authority, the agency that manages the city’s water and sewer system, sent an email to Mayor Fulop, his chief of staff, the Jersey City health director and the director of the city’s emergency management office advising them of a positive E. coli test. The city’s warning, which went out via text messages and on social media the following morning, did not mention E. coli contamination. That information came out eight hours later in a statement by Suez, the private firm that runs Jersey City’s water system.
When asked about the incident, the mayor’s spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione, said the city acted “immediately.” For its part, Suez said state regulations did not permit it to reveal the positive tests right away.
Solomon has issued a report which he says points to slow decision-making in city government. According to Solomon “many residents, particularly seniors and other vulnerable populations, didn’t learn of [the boil water advisories] until hours or days later.”
Said Solomon, “These boil water advisories revealed deficiencies in our city’s ability to quickly and comprehensively alert the public to an urgent public health threat. These rigorously researched recommendations, if implemented, will make people’s lives better.”
To improve how Jersey City communicates time-sensitive emergencies to the public, Solomon is proposing a five point solution:
1. Jersey City should issue boil water advisories immediately following a confirmed positive test for e-coli or other total coliform contaminants in the drinking water supply. 2. Public health messaging from public officials needs to clearly and accurately describe the nature and severity of the threat. 3. Jersey City should send out a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA), which reaches all cell phones in a geographic area, for similar public health emergencies. To do so, it must complete the process of signing up for the the federal government’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. 4. Jersey City should dedicate resources to increasing sign-ups for its two existing emergency alert systems, as currently only a small percentage of residents are signed up. 5. Suez and/or MUA should establish a formal process for the timely dissemination of emergency updates to the City Council so they can share accurate information with the public.
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Searchable graphic allows you to check whether your school district has the necessary computer devices and connectivity for remote learning
This story was written and produced by NJ Spotlight. It is being republished under a special NJ News Commons content-sharing agreement related to COVID-19 coverage. To read more, visit njspotlight.com.
When Gov. Phil Murphy last week said that 40,000 New Jersey students still are without the necessary computer devices and connectivity for remote learning, it was meant as progress. After all, that number was nearly 10 times higher last spring.
But the digital divide remains stark in scores of districts, many of them low-income, according to the latest survey released by the state Department of Education this week.
And the gaps appear widest in communities that are relying the most on remote learning.
In East Orange, for instance, more than 6,000 students don’t have the necessary tools. Jersey City and Camden are each 2,000 students short. And even in upscale Montclair or Summit, the gap is nearly 1,000 students each.
NJ Spotlight News distilled the latest information into the following graphics that let you see how your district is doing.
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