At its meeting on Nov. 28, the Jersey City Municipal Council introduced an ordinance that would allow for the construction of a new skyscraper in Journal Square: a 35-story building at 701 Newark Ave. where there is currently a parking lot. Requested by city business administrator John Metro, the ordinance would amend the Journal Square 2060 […]
Ron Leir
Ron Leir has been a journalist since 1972. That includes a 37-year stint as a reporter, copy reader and assistant editor with The Jersey Journal, followed by a decade as a reporter with The Observer in Kearny. He has also pursued his avocation of acting, appearing mostly on small stages in NYC and New Jersey and several independent films.
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Jersey City Now Has State’s Highest-Ranking Female Firefighter
Jersey City made history Tuesday when it elevated a veteran female firefighter to the post of deputy fire chief becoming what Mayor Steve Fulop called the highest-ranking woman in the fire services in New Jersey. And “possibly (highest) in the tri-state area,” added city Fire Chief Steven J. McGill. She’s Constance Zappella, who was promoted […]
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Turnpike Authority Adds $6 Billion to Estimate to Expand Exits 14–14C
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has revised its cost estimate from $4.7 billion to $10.7 billion for widening I-78 from exits 14 to 14C. The estimate, which includes the cost of replacing the Newark Bay Bridge at exit 14, further infuriated mass transit advocates who opposed the project when it was first announced by the […]
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Jersey City Welcomes Beit Shemesh, in Israel, as ‘Sister City’
Jersey City has signed a “sister city” agreement with Beit Shemesh, in Israel. Such an arrangement, which the city says “has been in development for many months,”often leads to some type of trade agreement or arrangement that benefits both cities. “A lasting bridge is being built by this new partnership that will enhance key relationships […]
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City Makes Progress on Preserving, Enhancing City Hall
Even as some municipal offices are being shifted to the Hub in the city’s southern section, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop is moving forward with plans to preserve, repair, and enhance City Hall. Earlier this month, the City Council voted to award two professional service contracts to HMR Architects, of Princeton, for design work related […]
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Grieving Parents Seek Justice in Daughter’s Drug Death
A grieving family mourning the loss of their daughter apparently to drug use is still upset over what they consider to be a law enforcement lapse in failing to prosecute the individual they blame for her drug habit. But the police agency says that, while they empathize with the family, no evidence was found linking […]
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Groups Push Back on Helicopter Flights Over Liberty State Park
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Park Service are joining forces in an effort to encourage private helicopter tours over the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governors Island — all national parks — to self-regulate how they conduct their flights. But Friends of Liberty State Park and NYC-based Stop the Chop NY/NJ, which opposes […]
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Council Nixes 911 Study and Paves Way for More Cannabis Licenses
A majority of the City Council Wednesday night rejected an administration proposal to contract with an outside firm for another study on how to “fix” the problems besetting the city’s 911 emergency communications system. The council also voted on matters pertaining to retail cannabis licenses and animal control. On the 911 matter, by a 6-2 […]
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At Meeting Administration Acknowledges 911 and Liberty Humane Deficiencies
Jersey City’s 911 system was in the spotlight along with a new police precinct, cannabis licenses and Liberty Humane Society, at Monday’s caucus of the Jersey City Municipal Council. Council members quizzed city Public Safety Director James Shea on a proposal to enter into a state contract with Software House International, of Somerset, and subcontractor […]
Posted inEducation
Drinking Water Has Returned to Some Schools but Others Still Thirst
Jersey City Schools Superintendent Norma Fernandez predicted that 14 city schools whose water fountains were shut off because they’re connected to lead service pipes should be back working by June 2023. Those schools, with a total of 5,000 students, make up the second phase of a district-wide project to give students and staff access to […]