Republished courtesy of New Jersey Monitor Almost since the start, when train service stopped on the old Boonton rail line in 2002 and the weeds and wildlife began taking over, plans formed for what the narrow 9-mile tract snaking through Essex and Hudson counties could be. Everyone from environmentalists to politicians envisioned a park that would […]

Dana DiFilippo
Jersey City no Exception as State Teacher-Student Diversity Gap Widens
Even in diverse Jersey City, more than half the teachers there are white, compared to just 15% of students.
In Fight Against Commercialization, Park Preservationists Champion a Beach for the Birds
In one of the most densely populated parts of the state, Caven Point offers urbanites a close-to-home opportunity to see horseshoe crabs, endangered birds, and sometimes even harbor seals, comb the shore for shells, and learn firsthand about pollution, climate change, and habitat preservation.
Lawmakers Pass Liberty State Park Redevelopment Bill
New Jersey lawmakers on Wednesday passed a controversial bill that would open Liberty State Park up to commercialization, to the chagrin of critics who unsuccessfully called for a ban on large-scale development and special protections for an environmentally fragile peninsula there.
Bill to Open Liberty State Park to Developers Speeds Toward Final Vote
A bill that would permit large scale commercial development in Liberty State Park sailed through an Assembly committee yesterday.
Bill Advances That Would Allow Commercial Development at Liberty State Park
A state Senate panel unanimously advanced a $250 million plan Thursday to open Liberty State Park to commercial development, despite opposition from preservationists who have spent years fighting efforts to privatize New Jersey’s most popular state park.
Critics Say New Bill Would Leave Liberty State Park Open to Privatization
Sen. Brian Stack introduced a bill Monday that would allocate $250 million to a 17-member task force in the state Department of Environmental Protection.
New Law Would Promote “Healthy Soil” in Urban Gardens
A bi-partisan bill would establish a grant program in the state Department of Agriculture to ensure people are using healthy soil when they plant gardens or community farming plots in vacant lots and parks.
Jersey City Cop Left Loaded Gun in McDonald’s Bathroom
Jersey City Police Officer Marvin Leggitts was one of nearly 400 New Jersey police officers who faced major discipline last year. Leggitts’ infraction? He left his loaded gun in an unattended McDonald’s bathroom in Hillside.
Jersey City to Benefit as Feds Order Restoration of School Funding Cuts
In a move that will directly aid Jersey City schools, the federal Department of Education has ordered New Jersey to restore millions of dollars in funding cuts the state made to 80 of its poorest school districts after lawmakers in 2018 changed how the state provides aid to local schools.