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Eight Great Winter Walks Nearby

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American naturalist and nature essayist John Burroughs may have put it best. “I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order.”

After a ten-month-long lockdown and a nerve-wracking election culminating in last week’s Capitol insurrection, we could all use a little soothing and healing.

Below are eight walks in and around Jersey City you might want to consider for lifting your spirits the next brisk, sunny winter day. Seven of them traverse beautiful wetlands and offer great birding. One is in a 2,000-acre mountain reservation. All are dog friendly. Some are near playgrounds and other attractions for young kids.

Before we begin, a note about provenance. Most of these pathways were built thanks to a 1988 state law requiring municipalities to provide public access to the state’s shorelines (a right that traces back to Byzantine emperor Justinian in 500 A.D.). Credit for developing and maintaining these paths belongs to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, private developers, local municipalities, and agencies like the Hudson County Improvement Authority. Nonprofit environmental organizations including Hackensack Riverkeeper, the Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy, and the NY/NJ Baykeeper work to promote use of the walkways, develop educational programming along them, and occasionally litigate to protect private and commercial encroachment upon them.

The walks are organized by point of origin starting with those in Jersey City.

Hackensack Riverfront Walkway in Lincoln Park West (Jersey City)

Lincoln Park West used to be home to an 80-acre landfill. Now, thanks to efforts spurred by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection in 1998, it’s the site of a .75-mile-long public walkway that’s won not one but two prestigious awards for excellence in environmental restoration.

Pennsylvania Railroad Hudson & Manhattan Railroad passenger bridge as seen from Lincoln Park West Walkway

This western part of Lincoln Park (so called because it’s on the west side of Route 440) is 120 acres in size. The walkway itself meanders through 34 acres of restored wetlands planted with approximately 100,000 plants attractive to all sorts of wildlife: raptors, black skimmers, ospreys, egrets, waterfowl, fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Edgewood Lake, which allows for fishing, is on one’s right as the walk begins. All along the route are views of the Hackensack River and two of the four bridges in the Hackensack River Vertical Lift Bridges Historic District. Just beware of errant golf balls.

Most of the pathway, while protected by bluffs, is adjacent to Skyway Golf Course.

For more exercise, options abound.

Visitors can explore a similar type of path perpendicular to the main walkway (adding another quarter to half mile round trip), meander through the rest of Lincoln Park West past tranquil ponds and scenic overlooks, or, of course, walk over the ramp to Lincoln Park East.

Those who tackle both the riverfront walkway and the loop in Lincoln Park East will log 2.75-miles. Dogs are welcome as long as they’re leashed.

How to Find It: Lincoln Park West is located on Route 440 between Duncan and Communipaw Avenues, but it can be accessed only via a ramp (for both cars and pedestrians) from Lincoln Park East. Lincoln Park East has several entrances including ones on West Side, Communipaw, and Duncan Avenues.

Parking: There is free parking in both Lincoln Park West and Lincoln Park East.

Public Transportation: Via Rideshare

Walkway Hours: 24/7

Route Length: 1.5 miles (out and back)

Activities for Kids: Lincoln Park East has a playground

Caven Point to Port Liberte (Jersey City)

Perhaps more familiar to readers but by no means more mundane is the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway section from Caven Point (in Liberty State Park) to Port Liberte.

Indeed, so beautiful is this stretch that billionaire Paul Fireman has attempted to transform the wildlife refuge within it to more holes for Liberty National Golf Course, which he owns. (Ongoing—and tireless—efforts to keep Caven Point public have been led by Sam Pesin, president of  Friends of Liberty State Park. FOLSP was instrumental in getting Fireman to back down in August 2020, but the developer, who is hoping for cooperation from Governor Murphy, is still trying to block passage of the Liberty State Park Protection Act.)

Port Liberte as seen from Caven Point Wildlife Refuge

The walkway itself is beautifully designed. Initially curving around Liberty National’s hilltop clubhouse, the path is bounded by tall grasses and rocky shores. Past the glass-enclosed clubhouse the walkway proceeds to the peninsula’s 15-acre bird sanctuary that itself features beautiful boardwalks, scenic overlooks, and panoramic views of New York Harbor. Local photographer and blogger Shayna Marchese notes, “It [the sanctuary] consists of upland meadow, saltwater marsh, maritime forest, tidal pools, tidal mudflats, and the longest natural beach in Upper New York Harbor and the Hudson River. It is one of the last undisturbed natural estuaries in the New York City area.”

Upon leaving the refuge (which is open from October through March), turn left onto the walkway and continue until you get to Port Liberte. Turn left and go down a few steps, and the public path will continue by heading south. (Do not enter Port Liberte as it is private.) You will now be treated to unencumbered views of Brooklyn to the east and glimpses into the backyards of Port Liberte homeowners to the west.

Keep going.

The walkway again appears to end—this time at a swimming pool. In actuality, however, it continues as it wraps around the pool, parallels “Intrepid Place,” and dead ends at Chapel Avenue.

Why is Port Liberte worth the trip? Because it’s so different.

Modeled after Venice—and with architecture inspired by French fishing villages—the Disneyworld-like community consists of ornately styled homes situated along serpentine canals, many with their own boats and docks. The development is gated, so nonresidents are prohibited from entering without invitation. But the public walkway provides glimpses of the unusual domicile.

How to Find It: The entrance to the walkway is located off Morris Pesin Dr. across from the Liberty Park Diner.

Parking: While it remains closed due to COVID, Liberty Park Diner, located right at the rotary at the intersection of Burma Rd. and Morris Pesin Dr., offers the closest free parking. No-cost parking is also available in the Liberty State Park parking lot at the east end of Morris Pesin Drive.

Public Transportation: Via Rideshare

Walkway Hours: 24/7

Route Length: 4 miles out and back

Newport to Uptown Hoboken (Jersey City to Hoboken)

Yet another stretch of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway runs from Newport to Uptown Hoboken. This route showcases  spiffy urban planning and postcard views of Manhattan. And like the entire pedestrian path, it’s part of the East Coast Greenway.

Pier C Park along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway in Hoboken. 

Arguably the most enchanting part of the route is Pier C Park  in Hoboken, an irregularly shaped protrusion that sits atop stilts in the river between Third and Fourth Streets. But other appealing spots dot the four-mile out-and-back walk, too. Pier A Park, just north of Hoboken Terminal, offers an expansive lawn great for groups of people to meet (masked, of course). Maxwell Place Park, at the northern end of the walk, features similar grassy expanses plus some cool seating and a nicely designed playground and dog run.

The walk ends  a stone’s throw from the Hoboken Historical Museum. Check out their great array of memorabilia and first-rate art and historical exhibitions.

How to Find It: Heading north on Washington Blvd. in Jersey City, turn right onto Park Lane South just before you get to Target. You will see the walkway at the river’s edge.

Walkway Hours: 24/7

Route Length: 2 miles in each direction

Nearby Points of Interest: Hudson Street in Hoboken (featuring a half mile of eye candy in the form of magnificent brownstones), the Hoboken Historical Museum

Activities for Kids: Pier C Park and Maxwell Place Park have state-of-the-art playgrounds

Hudson River Waterfront Walkway Around Bayonne Golf Club (Bayonne)

Just seven miles south of Jersey City—and jutting out into New York Harbor—is a stunning section of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, arguably the most beautiful section of this fantastic 19-mile amenity. The path circumscribes the Bayonne Golf Club, features a gorgeous foot bridge, and offers dramatic views. You’ll feel as though you’re on the set of Poldark by Masterpiece Theater.

While this is a route on which dog owners (or is the polite term now dog parents?) would definitely want to keep their charges leashed, the walk offers benefits that others in the area don’t: feeling part of a larger community, lots of independent boutiques and restaurants just yards away, and wide pathways for strollers (to name just a few).

 

View of Bayonne National Golf Club clubhouse from Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. Photo courtesy of Sue Kaufmann.

Almost the entire 1.25-mile trail borders wetlands. As a bonus, two other worthwhile spots to visit—Atlas Yacht Club and the  9/11 Teardrop Memorial in Bayonne (that Jersey City didn’t want)—are a short drive away.

How to Find It: The walkway is adjacent to South Cove Commons Shopping Center at One Lefante Way in Bayonne.

 

Distance From Jersey City: 7 miles

Parking: Free parking at South Cove Commons shopping center (park near Home Goods)

Public Transportation: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to 34th Street Station, Bayonne. This station is diagonally across the street from the South Cove Commons shopping center. The trail head is behind Home Goods.

Walkway Hours: 24/7

Route Length: 2.5 miles (out and back)

Nearby Points of Interest: Costco, Atlas Yacht Club, 9/11 Teardrop Memorial

Twin Parks: Richard A. Rutkowski and Stephen R. Gregg (Bayonne)

Two adjacent parks on Newark Bay in Bayonne offer a great combination of wetlands, fishing opportunities, jogging and bicycle paths, birding, beautifully canopied hills, historic artifacts, even a formal garden. For warmer-weather outings there are also athletic fields and tennis courts.

Historic Elco crane in Rutkowski Park

While little has changed in the stately 98-acre Gregg Park for many years, Rutkowski Park got refurbished recently as part of an environmental remediation project.

Upon entering the northern edge of Rutkowski Park off Route 440 South, one can pick up a gravel path on the right. Just look for the sign with a backpacker logo on it. This trail borders Newark Bay and leads to a scenic wood footbridge that meanders through wetlands for a quarter mile. Along the way are spots to fish, interpretive signs describing the area’s wildlife, and a reassembled crane from Elco Boat Works with a plaque honoring the history of the boat builder and the servicemen who served aboard their torpedo patrol units in Newark Bay during World War II.

The walkway south from Rutkowski Park leads right to Gregg Park. In fact, the only thing separating the two parks is an iron archway. Once through the gate, turn right to behold an impressive half-mile long waterfront promenade with unimpeded views of Port Newark. To the left are ball fields, and beyond them the remaining 90-plus acres that unfold as so many undulating hills. Tall trees dot the interior throughout. The vibe is gracious and relaxed.

Gregg’s winding paths, stone stairs, porticos, and monuments are a testament to the foresight of Charles N. Lowrie, who designed the park and was active in the City Beautiful Movement.

How to Find It: Stephen R. Gregg Park is located on JFK Blvd. in Hoboken between 37th and 48th Streets. Richard A. Rutkowski Park is on the water just to Gregg Park’s north. To drive to Rutkowski Park, take Route 440 South and exit on the right just past the overpass for NJ Turnpike Extension 78.

Distance From Jersey City: 7 miles (20–25 minutes by car without traffic)

Parking: Gregg Park offers free parking in the southwest corner, which is the equivalent of 37th Street and Newark Bay. Rutkowski Park’s free parking lot is at the entrance to the park off of Route 440 South.

Walkway Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Route Length: Up to 2.5 miles of combined trails

Activities for Kids: Gregg Park features playgrounds and athletic fields

Mill Creek Marsh (Secaucus)

If you want to immerse yourself in the Hackensack River wetlands with the shortest possible drive from Jersey City, the Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus is for you. The 209-acre property features a mile-and-a-half-long trail that loops around a marsh situated right in the Atlantic Flyway. Lots of ducks and birds are on view.

Waterfowl in Mill Creek Marsh Park

While you are right off both the Turnpike and Route 3, you will still make some enchanting discoveries: stumps of ancient Atlantic white cedar trees (a species that has been gone from the area since 1923,) ducks such as green-winged teals and northern shovelers, attractive wood footbridges, and thoughtfully placed benches on which to sit and reflect.

Mill Creek Marsh is one of many areas highlighted on the “Parks and Trails” page of the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Association’s website (NJSEA is essentially the Meadowlands administration). It is open from 7 a.m. to dusk.

How to Find It: The entrance to the walkway is located right next to the Secaucus, NJ location of Bob’s Discount Furniture in the Mall at Mill Creek on Route 3. The address is 3 Mill Creek Drive.

Distance From Jersey City: 7 miles (20–25 minutes by car without traffic)

Parking: Free parking available near the walkway entrance

Walkway Hours: 7 a.m. to dusk

Route Length: 1.6 miles of trails total

Richard W. DeKorte Park (Lyndhurst)

Another jewel along the Hackensack, Richard W. DeKorte Park consists of nearly 640 acres of marshes and coastal impoundments in the town of Lyndhurst in the Meadowlands. Like so many of the trails that Hackensack Riverkeeper (and its founder Captain Bill Sheehan) helped develop, it’s not crowded. So, don’t tell anyone.

 

Interpretive sign along trail in Richard W. DeKorte Park. Photo courtesy of NJSEA.

But it is important for scientific and environmental reasons. “The region is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by New Jersey Audubon and is an area of conservation interest to the USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service], mainly due to a high diversity of wetland birds and wildlife,” according to the The Coastal Impoundments Vulnerability and Resilience Project.

DeKorte park also feeds the soul. It offers three-and-a-half miles of trails including one over a long jetty that will make you think you’re on Cape Cod (Provincetown has a jetty that’s pretty impressive).

Signs highlighting the park’s resources and wildlife are found intermittently along the pathways; other resources include an observatory for star gazing and a center for environmental and scientific education (both of which are unfortunately closed during the pandemic).

Dogs are allowed on leashes on most of the trails.

How to Find It: The entrance is located at 1 DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst.

Distance From Jersey City: 11 miles (30 minutes by car without traffic)

Parking: Free parking right inside the entrance

Walkway Hours: 7 a.m. to dusk

Route Length: 3.5 miles of assorted trails

Attractions for Kids: NJSEA.com provides information on numerous environmental education opportunities geared to children (temporarily suspended due to COVID-19).

South Mountain Reservation (Maplewood-Millburn-West Orange)

For those readers who want a nearby hike, not just a walk (and who have access to a car), South Mountain Reservation in Essex County fits the bill. Over 2,000 acres big, the complex is just 17 miles from Jersey City, but its mostly wild, forested habitat gives one the sense of being hours away.

Wooded trail in South Mountain Reservation. Photo courtesy of All Trails.

Your sojourn will be handsomely rewarded. Visitors will find numerous trails ranging in length from less than one mile to over 30 miles. And the preserve has an impressive pedigree: According to Essex County Parks, renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted visited the reserve and considered it amongst “the most beautiful and promising terrain he had ever seen.” While Olmstead did not design the reservation himself, he delegated the job to his stepson’s firm, and it was eventually finalized by Olmstead’s two sons, both prominent landscape architects in their own right.

South Mountain Reservation is also known for having a pretty snazzy dog park. Pooches from far and away get their humans to take them there because of its agility courses and equipment.

How to Find It: South Mountain Reservation is located in parts of Millburn, Maplewood, and West Orange. Best to find directions to the trail of your choice.

Distance From Jersey City: Approximately 17 miles (30–40 minutes by car without traffic)

Parking:  Free parking lots are sprinkled throughout the complex. For just a few dollars one can also Park N Ride.

Park Hours: dawn to dusk

Route Length: The complex features a range of trails from less than one mile to over 30 miles in length.

Nearby Points of Interest: The reservation’s popular dog park with an agility course.The towns of Maplewood, Millburn, and West Orange offer a variety of shops and restaurants.

Attractions for Kids: Numerous offerings including a zoo and an award-winning 19-hole safari golf course (all unfortunately closed during COVID)

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Richard W. DeKorte Park was 20,000 acres in size.

Contract to Administer Covid Vaccine Draws Questions

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A $1 million contract to administer the COVID-19 vaccine effort before the City Council tonight is prompting questions from Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro and local activist Rob Menendez, son of New Jersey U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.

According to Lavarro and Menendez, the company at issue, Bespoke Health LLC, which was formed in October of last year, appears to have little to no experience administering vaccines. Bespoke’s website, on the other hand, states that “Bespoke Health is the New York Metropolitan area’s premiere concierge COVID-19 testing service.”  Bespoke’s website is under construction with the message that it is “coming soon.”

The proposed contract with Bespoke comes after the Administration’s unexplained withdrawal of a contract with Fixtech Medical USA, Inc., for the purchase and delivery of six mobile booths to provide COVID-19 vaccination sites for the Department of Health and Human Services. The withdrawal followed tweets from Megan Carolan and Menendez pointing out that Steve Kaitz, a salesman associated with Fixtech, had been sentenced in federal court in connection with a multimillion dollar accounting fraud scheme.

Said Lavarro, “After reviewing the resolution more closely and on the heels of the unexplained withdrawal of the Fixtech Medical contract in December, I have serious concerns as to how our vaccine program is being managed. Literally lives are at stake. I don’t think it’s prudent to hand over $1M to an upstart company that will be responsible for administering Jersey City’s vaccine program, arguably the most important program and contract in our City’s history.”

According to a tweet from Menendez, “the company that the City wants to run its citywide vaccination program only has two employees, operates out of a private residence on the UWS of Manhattan and does not appear to have a medical professional on staff. Jersey City residents deserve the best services from the most qualified vendors especially when it comes to something as critical as COVID vaccinations.”

Administration Spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione gave JCT the following statement. 

“The vaccine program you reference with Bespoke is consistent with what we have done over the last year, despite uncharted territory for any city to navigate, and is a contract that the city is 100% comfortable with in regards to delivering for our residents. While no other city in NJ is setting up municipal PODs to outreach into “hard to reach” communities, we in Jersey City are doing that consistent with what we have done on testing.

Regarding Bespoke, they are the same experts that the city has already worked with for 8 months with our municipal testing program, which by all accounts has been a success. The Health Department has been working with this team on testing since last year through the RRT testing program, and so they have a proven track record that they are more than capable of efficiently working and delivering for our residents.

With regards to Fixtech and Bespoke – There is no connection between the two.”

Bespoke has not responded to Jersey City Times’s request for comment.

Hector Vargas — From Unsung Hero to Insurrectionist

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A local man named Hector Vargas has been identified by a video he posted to his Facebook page as one of President Donald Trump’s supporters who forced their way into the Capitol last week. In the video selfie he can be heard saying “We took over this motherf***er, bro…We took over this f***ing capitol, tell them.” The video was first publicized by the blog Real Garden State.

In May of last year, Vargas, a Marine Corps veteran, was profiled by Jersey City Times for his work delivering meals to the homeless. The article focused on several of Jersey City’s “unsung heroes” during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the time, several of Vargas’ neighbors, who questioned his sincerity and temperament, were critical of JCT for including him in the article. Councilman-at-Large Daniel Rivera came to his defense telling JCT that, “he can be rough around the edges and very outspoken but his heart is genuine.”

A chronological selection from Vargas’ social media feed below offers a window into the thinking of a participant in the January 6 Capitol melee.

 

 

 

 

Reflections

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Rev. Thomas M. Murphy, Rector of The Church of St. Paul and Incarnation at 38 Duncan Avenue graciously shared this eloquent essay with Jersey City Times. In it, he reflects on our history, the difficult week we’ve been through and a path forward. Jersey City Times welcomes the perspectives of leaders from the diverse faiths throughout Jersey City.

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

When I taught history at St. Peter’s Prep in Downtown Jersey City, each year I took my U.S. History I classes on a field trip to an American Revolutionary War battle site. I’m sure that when my students first heard “field trip” they imagined that I’d hand out permission slips to be signed by their parents, and, someday soon, we would board a bus that would take us away from school for a day. So, there was perhaps some disappointment when I told them that they would need no permission slip because our “field trip” would take us… all of one city block.

When the big day arrived, we made our way over to the intersection of Washington and Grand Streets. An obelisk stands in the small park there, commemorating the Battle of Paulus Hook, where Redcoats and Patriots skirmished in 1779. We carried with us reproductions of old maps, helping us to situate the long-gone fortifications. The exercise required a lot of imagination because the landscape is so different from what it was in colonial times. Over the years, industrious people hungry for more land extended the shoreline to the east and filled in what had been marshland, burying all the many streams that flowed throughout the area.

Today those underground streams are invisible on the street level, but, as many homeowners in the Paulus Hook neighborhood know only too well, they are not gone. The streams continue to run below the surface, occasionally rising back up and doing considerable damage.

Now that we live during a time that historians will study closely,  I often find myself thinking back to my classroom days and reconsidering how I went about teaching the past. Thanks to textbooks and, really, our usual way of thinking, it’s almost unavoidable to think of history as having “chapters” with beginnings and endings. For example, each year in U.S. History I, I had the daunting challenge of teaching our country’s history from the “Age of Discovery” to the end of the Civil War. And I aimed to tell that long story in a way that was not just a meaningless list of names and dates, all the while encouraging my students to think critically. It was often fun, but it was a lot to cover! And, the last marking period was usually a mad dash to the finish line. Surrender at Appomattox! The Civil War is over! Lincoln is assassinated! Exam review! Have a good summer and good luck in U.S. History II!

Each year it sure seemed that one chapter had come to an end. Other chapters were about to begin. The only problem is that this is not how history works. It’s not how life works. Rather than a collection of chapters with beginnings and endings, history is more like a stream, or a collection of streams. At certain times, some streams flow stronger than others. Some streams may dry up. And, maybe most dangerous of all, some streams may be forced underground, but only for a time. Eventually, the pressure increases enough that, just like in Downtown Jersey City, the streams rise to the surface, wreaking havoc.

On Wednesday, it was shocking and frightening to watch insurrectionists, some carrying Confederate flags or wearing shirts bearing anti-semitic messages, storm the United States Capitol. Some of those people were buffoonish while others were serious and skilled, equipped for kidnapping and killing. The seeming ease by which they all entered what should be one of the most secure places on the planet raises many disturbing questions. The fact they were cheered on, at least for a time, by the President of the United States, would have been unthinkable to our country’s founders and all the presidents who have gone before. Yet, none of it should have surprised us, really.

The Civil War “ended” in 1865, but we all know that the toxic stream of racism and white privilege has continued to course through our land ever since, diverted into “Lost Cause” mythology, Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan, voter suppression, and all the rest. Maybe sometimes the stream has been mostly underground, collecting in places like the cesspools of the Internet, but it’s never been far below the surface.  And, sometimes, cynical politicians craving power have been eager to draw from this foulness, convinced that they would be able to cap it again when it’s no longer useful to them. Any student of history knows this is a serious, and potentially deadly, error.

It’s convenient for us to forget that many Americans of the 1930s, including some prominent and influential people, admired the Nazis, envying the exaltation of the “strongman,” pinning their troubles on the usual scapegoats, and supporting the oppression of Jews and other minority groups. When the U.S. entered World War II, and when the horrors of the Holocaust were exposed, that toxic stream may have seemed to dry up, but, in fact, it just seeped below the surface. For a while now, this contaminated water has bubbled back up, and it finally flowed into our capital city this week.

We know from nature, and maybe from our basements, the destructive force of water. But, at the same time, all life depends on water. And our Christian lives depend on water, too. This Sunday, we will celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, recalling the day long ago at the River Jordan when God announced to Jesus, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” When we remember the Baptism of Jesus, we are called to remember also our own Baptism, the moment when we began to swim in the holy waters of love, faithfulness, service, and forgiveness.

These are grim days. While new leadership will undoubtedly bring some change, it will not be the end of one chapter and the start of another. No, the streams of history will continue to flow, some stronger than others, some more visible than others. So, especially in such a frightening time, when much ugliness that had been hidden has been exposed, I hope we will remember that we have been washed in the water of Baptism. There is no stream strong enough – there is nothing strong enough – to break the bond between God and us.

I have often said that the people of St. Paul and Incarnation have a special vocation. We are called by God to show the world that all different kinds of people can not only tolerate each other, not only live together in peace, but stand up for each other, truly love one another, no matter what. Our vocation has never been more important, more needed, than right now. And when we are faithful to our calling and when we join hands with other people of faith and goodwill, then together, with God’s help, we can unleash a flood of goodness, making real the vision of the Prophet Amos:

“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Your brother in Christ,

Tom

Photo by Gagan Kaur from Pexels

Girl Scouts Say Cookies Need an Oil Change

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Forget about getting any Girl Scout Thin Mints or Do-si-Dos this year. Upon learning that Girl Scout Cookies are made with unsustainable palm oil, local troop 12026 is joining a nationwide boycott and refusing to vend the round morsels of deliciousness.

The boycott began when Olivia Chaffin, an eagle-eyed Girl Scout from Tennessee, discovered that the cookies weren’t all they were cracked up to be. A little sleuthing led her to the conclusion that despite a green palm tree on the label indicating sustainability, some of the palm oil was just the opposite. That “mixed” oil is associated with numerous human and environmental rights violations, including forced child labor and human sex trafficking.  

The troop is asking people to sign a petition against the use of the bad oil.

Shocked at the notion of children forced to work on plantations, Cadet Samiya Oculi said, “This is insane. Why would you do this? Not only are you hurting the community, you are hurting a young girl that just wants an education.” 

The other girl scouts of troop 12026 concurred.

“Children shouldn’t have to work in these horrible conditions just for some Girl Scout Cookies!” protested Cadet Saniyah.

Cadet Nariya agreed. “Palm oil is bad for your health, so stomp out palm oil.”  

“For a company that shows itself as trying to bring girls up, you sure aren’t bringing up the girls in the countries that you are using child labor from” added Senior Eleniz.

Perhaps Senior Lauren summed it up best. “There is no excuse for using child labor when you can pay legal adults to do the same work. Children should be in classrooms and not working on plantations. Because of this, myself and my troop have decided not to sell girl scout cookies this season, and every season until this wrong is made right!” 

Amen.

 

 

 

Murphy signs 14.5 Billion Economic Recovery Act

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Governor Phil Murphy today signed into law the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020, intended to provide economic support for small businesses. The law creates a panoply of new programs, incentives and funding sources for everything from fresh-food grocery stores in food deserts to large film studios.  It also includes protections for labor unions.

“These programs are the product of nearly three years of hard work, during which we received input from hundreds of voices on how best to structure our state’s recovery and growth,” said Murphy.  “I am immensely proud of the result, which will not only provide much needed relief for our small businesses, but will also fundamentally change economic development in our state while creating thousands of high-paying job for our residents.”

The legislation includes a host of new initiatives including the Main Street Recovery Finance Program, which will provide a direct $50 million appropriation for grants, loans, loan guarantees, and technical assistance to small and micro businesses.

This bill will also implement an Innovation Evergreen Fund that will combine state funds with private capital to support innovative new businesses.

The new legislation also includes several programs designed to promote growth in New Jersey’s urban centers, including the Brownfields Redevelopment Incentive designed to facilitate the redevelopment of environmentally contaminated properties; the Historic Property Tax Credit, to incentivize the restoration of historic buildings, many of which are located in New Jersey’s oldest and most distressed neighborhoods; and the Community-Anchored Development Program, to incentivize the construction of innovative new developments by partnering with universities, hospitals, arts, and cultural organizations and give the state an equity stake in the development.

The legislation also includes a Food Desert Relief program designed to ensure that all communities have access to fresh, healthy food. Incentives would offset the cost of development of a fresh-food grocery store in an area designated as a food desert, while also strengthening existing community assets like bodegas, corner stores, and mid-sized retailers by equipping them with the necessary equipment and infrastructure to provide healthier food options.

The legislation reforms the state’s two main tax incentive programs, placing caps on the amount of incentives awarded each year, as well as over the life of the programs. The programs, which incorporate many of the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on EDA’s Tax Incentives, enhances compliance restrictions with the goal of insuring that money is being well spent and jobs are being created, including the creation of an inspector general post to investigate claims of abuses within the programs.

The New Jersey Emerge program is a job creation tax credit focused on bringing jobs to communities, with base and bonus structure for targeted industries and geographies.

The New Jersey Aspire program is a gap financing program to support commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and residential real estate development projects, with an emphasis on higher need communities.

Separate from the Emerge and Aspire program cap is a set-aside for large, transformative projects. There can be a maximum of ten such projects over the life of the incentives program.

This legislation will provide additional protections for organized labor, as well as community benefit agreements, which are designed to ensure an award recipient will engage and stay engaged with local government. For the first time, New Jersey’s economic development programs will include prevailing wage for building service work and labor harmony provisions, meant to protect building trades and building service workers from unfair practices.

This legislation revamps several existing programs, including the Film and Television Tax Credit, which was expanded and enhanced to attract large studio construction to New Jersey, and the Offshore Wind Manufacturing credit, which now encompasses the entire state and will allow more businesses to qualify.

Several existing NJEDA programs have been folded into the legislation as well, including the Angel Investor Tax Credit, the Net Operating Loss Credit, and the New Jersey Ignite Program.

The process by which this $14.5 billion bill came about has been criticized by some. NJ.com quoted Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, a watchdog group that tracks and is critical of tax subsidies, as saying “If ever there were a state that ought to have a more deliberate process, it’s New Jersey, given what a train wreck things have been with the previous administration’s deals and damning reports by the independent investigator. This gives me the willies right out of the gate.”

Board of Education Elects New Leaders

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The man who called himself the “youngest elected Muslim in America” after winning a seat on the Jersey City Board of Education in 2017 now heads up that body.

At its annual reorganization meeting held last night, Mussab Ali edged out incumbent Lorenzo Richardson by a 5–4 vote to gain the presidency of the school board.

Lekendrick Shaw, who ran on the same slate with Richardson in last year’s BOE election, took over as vice president, turning aside challenges by the current vice president Gina Verdibello and by Noemi Velazquez.

Ali and Richardson had been on opposing sides on several key issues on how best to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on city schools and on relations with the city administration.

Two members of the public who spoke after the board’s actions expressed their displeasure with the results.

Monique Andrews interpreted the vote to mean that Mayor Steven Fulop “now has control of the board,” adding that “taxpayers and the [city teachers’] union are in jeopardy … Politics is still here. Everybody is just trying to move up the ladder, and no one cares about our kids.”

Charles Balcer griped, “To have [Richardson] tossed aside leaves the board in uncharted waters. It’s a sad commentary.”

But after the reorganization voting, Richardson and Ali pledged to work together for the betterment of the local district and its approximately 30,000 students.

Richardson, a Ferris High School graduate who got an accounting degree from St. Peter’s College, said 2020 “has been a difficult year” for the district.  A youth mentor, Richardson added that “God saw us through it. We hope that in 2021 we can move the district forward.”

Ali, who heads the city’s Immigration Affairs Commission, is a McNair Academic High School alum and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University in Newark where he led the Muslim Students Association. He is working to develop a non-profit to train grassroots leaders of the future.

Acknowledging that he and his colleagues face tough times ahead given state school budget cuts, Ali said he hoped that with the ultimate distribution of COVID vaccines, “by the end of the year, we can see kids back in schools.”

Board members and the public may gain more insight into how learning will proceed when the board next convenes on Jan. 21. Franklin Walker, the district’s superintendent of schools, said he expected to share more details on that topic at that time. Since the pandemic hit, public school students have received virtual instruction.

Factions on the board have debated whether to reopen schools now or to wait until the district could adequately clean and ventilate classrooms and ensure that students would be re-entering a safe and secure school building.

Acknowledging that board members “don’t always get along, and that’s okay,” trustee Alexander Hamilton said, “Yeah, [our] leadership has changed, but we’ve worked together before.” Now, he said, “we need to work in a civilized way to make sure kids are our number one priority. It’s good to see two guys from the local school system as board officers …. Let’s put a smile on our face and get behind them.”

The Board also heard public comments from Mary Cruz, who congratulated Ali and Shaw and urged board members to unite to develop a strategy to “close the gap on student performance, which has been getting wider” since the onset of the pandemic; and from Robert Knapp, who lauded Superintendent Walker for “balancing the budget without a single layoff,” for re-launching, with New Jersey City University, the special needs program based at the A. Harry Moore School, and for securing free Wi-Fi hotspots and thousands of meals for children in need.

Following the public remarks, the board participated in a training session conducted by Charlene Peterson, a field representative of the N.J. School Boards Association, who reminded the trustees that their road to success depends on working together as a team. She added that their power derives not from the community that elected them, but from the legislature, and that it falls to the superintendent, not the board members, to run the schools; they should hold him accountable for the outcome.

 

 

 

 

DeGise to Run for Council on Team Fulop

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Mayor Fulop announced today that Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Amy DeGise will join his slate and run for one of the three city council at-large seats in this year’s citywide election.

DeGise will join a council slate that also includes incumbent council members Joyce Watterman, Daniel Rivera, Denise Ridley, Mira Prinz-Arey, Rich Boggiano, Yousef Saleh, and Jermaine Robinson. DeGise replaces current Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro, who ran and won twice as part of “Team Fulop.”

Lavarro has become an increasingly vocal critic of the mayor and his allies on the council. Asked for reaction to today’s announcement, Lavarro told the Jersey City Times, “The only constant in Fulop’s nearly 16 years in office is that Fulop takes care of Fulop. Once upon a time, it served Steve Fulop’s political ambitions to fight the political machine. Today, it serves his political ambitions to cut backroom deals with them.”

In 2018, Fulop and DeGise fought a battle for control of the HCDO that DeGise ultimately won. At issue was an attempt by Fulop and State Senator Brian Stack to remove Amy’s father, County Executive Tom DeGise.

In today’s press release Fulop spoke in glowing terms of his erstwhile foe. “Amy DeGise has established herself both here in Jersey City and throughout the state as a dynamic leader who cares deeply about issues that impact middle-class families day in and day out.”

Apart from heading up the HCDO, DeGise, 34, has worked as a social studies teacher and served briefly on the Jersey City Board of Education, resigning before the end of her term. She was supported by the New Jersey Education Association.

Said DeGise, “I’m incredibly excited for this opportunity to continue serving the city I love, and I will work hard to earn every vote in this election.”

The addition of DeGise comes only two weeks after longtime council critic Ward C Councilman Richard Boggiano joined the slate.

A Lawyer Fighting for Cabbies

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Welcome to the first interview of our new monthly column, In Our Midst, a conversational feature profiling talented residents of Jersey City who are doing something unique and interesting. Our first “guest” is attorney Dan Ackman.

JCT: Dan, thanks for agreeing to be our inaugural subject for In Our Midst. We’re really excited to talk to you — and for our readers to find out all about your work.

But first, maybe you can start us out by telling us how long you’ve lived in Jersey City and what brought you here.

DA: Sure. And thanks for having me. I moved to Jersey City in 2003 after my wife, Laura, and I got married. We’d been living in our own apartments in Manhattan and were looking for a new place to move into together. I had a view of the Colgate Clock from my apartment growing up, so I had some vague notion of Jersey City. We took the PATH over and looked at some apartments and really liked it. Can’t believe it’s been almost twenty years.

JCT: That’s great. Now, turning to your work, I know you’re both a journalist and a lawyer, though these days you pretty much concentrate on law. And as a lawyer, you have a pretty niche practice defending New York City cab drivers before the TLC (the Taxi and Limousine Commission). How did that come about?

DA: It was actually while I was in J (journalism) school. I had to do a master’s project, and I decided to do something on the lives and work of immigrant taxi drivers. But when I started asking around to find taxi drivers with something interesting to say, almost to a man I was told I should really be writing about the TLC courts ‘because they’re horrible, they’re Stalinist, they’re so unfair, they always rule against us—this is really what you should write about.’

I decided to look into it and go into the court and see some of the hearings. But the TLC court, which hears about 100,000 cases a year, said I couldn’t go in. So, I asked to speak to one of the TLC judges. Literally five minutes later a spokesman for the TLC came out and screamed at me for trying to get into the court. They even complained to the J school. I decided the whole thing was crazy and strange and decided to bring a law suit against them, which I did, and which I won very quickly [in 2000].

JCT: How did your practice defending cab drivers evolve?

DA: I saw several other things the TLC did that I thought were similar and similarly unconstitutional. One of them was their practice of suspending drivers who were arrested—even if off duty or for a misdemeanor or for something that had nothing to do with driving a cab. They did this thousands of times a year. We challenged the constitutionality of that in 2006, and believe it or not the case is still going on.

JCT: What has this meant to specific clients?

DA: Classic scenario is one I’m involved with now. the driver had an estranged wife who’s actually psychotic. She was under a court order not to come to his house unsupervised [but she did]. They argued, she refused to leave, he tries to get her to leave. According to him she punches him, and he starts defending himself. He doesn’t punch her back, but a week later he gets a call saying your wife said you punched her. A classic domestic violence incident—but he declined to press charges against her. She did press charges again him, and two weeks later he was arrested.

But he had no criminal record and a very strong TLC driving record. He’s involved in his mosque, he’s got five kids (two on scholarship at NYU), really upstanding, an immigrant success story. Obviously domestic violence is a problem. But the defendant is not always guilty. And the issue is he should not be suspended by a one-sided accusation that resulted from arrest. Nothing to do with a passenger, nothing with driving a taxi, it’s inconsistent with his own record. They suspend you and give you a so-called hearing. But for many years no driver ever won that hearing. Now, as a result of our work, they do.

JCT: What was your biggest win legally?

DA: An appeals ruling that said you had to have a fair hearing following an initial suspension.

My client, Jonathan Nnebe, got into a verbal dispute with a passenger who refused to pay her fare. Despite her being a fare beater and the fact that Mr. Nnebe never touched her, she wound up reporting the dispute to the police. Ultimately, Mr. Nnebe was charged with misdemeanor assault.

After that, the woman disappeared, and the charges were dismissed.

Cab drivers in this situation are supposedly entitled to a fast hearing, but Mr. Nnebe did not receive a speedy hearing. In fact, his license remained suspended for some time. He couldn’t support his family for months, and this was typical.

For years, these hearings were total shams. I sued the TLC to change this—and won. Now you have to have a fair hearing. And now 70% of drivers who have them win them.

JCT: So, it sounds as though you’ve been very successful. And your work certainly sounds meaningful. So, I’m curious: Have you spawned a lot of competition? Are there other lawyers who now do this work?

DA: I would say no one else does this work (laughing). Sometimes I call myself a Tigger [from Winnie the Pooh] because I’m the only one.

JCT: On the lighter side (or maybe not), I know that in the past you once deposed Donald Trump. Can you tell us about that?

DA: I deposed Trump when I was a mid-level associate at Skadden [Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, and Flom]. It involved one of his casino bankruptcies. I was assigned to that case, and the partner on the case said I want you to be on this case and take the depositions—unless we get to depose Donald Trump, in which case I want to take the deposition because I would not deny myself the pleasure.

So, I go to Trump Tower [where they insisted we hold the procedure] with a box of documents and a summer associate. We get there, and Trump’s lawyer asks if they’re waiting for anyone else. I said not on our end [the partner had decided to let me handle it after all].

I think one of the reasons the partner let me do it is that it’s the ultimate insult to Trump to have an associate depose him.

JCT: All this sounds very intense. What do you in and around Jersey City to relax?

DA: Well, on weekends I spend a lot of time with my wife and kids. I take our dog Koufax to Lincoln Park West and to Liberty State Park a lot, and have recently discovered the bird sanctuary at Caven Point. I love the views and the overall feel over there. That may be as zen as I get.

JCT: And you also scour the city for good food, no? In your opinion, what’s the best bite in Jersey City?

DAL That’s a tough one. Two things I really like are Second Street Bakery, I love that place. And Buon Appetito’s. Their take-out location is great, though admittedly, they’re in Bayonne.

 

In our Midst profiles talented Jersey City resident doing something unique and interesting. If you know of someone who fills that description, we would love to consider them for a future column.  Please send your suggestions to deputyeditor@jcitytimes.com.

Note: Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Grewal and ABC Charge Popular LGBTQ Bar

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Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control are seeking an 85 day suspension of Downtown LGBTQ nightclub Six26’s liquor license.

According to a press release, Six26 was cited for violating the 10 p.m. curfew, face-cover requirements and for exceeding limit on number of patrons seated at a table. It was also cited for hindering an investigation and allowing smoking indoors.  Six26 was one of 12 establishments charged across the state.

“As we’ve said before: we take no pleasure in undertaking these actions, but we’re in the midst of a pandemic and we need everyone in the state to do their part to combat a surge in COVID-19,” said Grewal. “We will not allow a small percentage of bars and restaurants that disregard mitigation measures to jeopardize public health, and our message is especially important as we head into the New Year’s holiday.”

The charges stem from violations of executive orders from Governor Murphy requiring establishments to limit the number of patrons allowed in indoor areas to 25 percent of the establishment’s indoor capacity; enforce face covering requirements for patrons and employees; prohibit the consumption of food and alcohol by patrons who are not seated at a table; maintain a six-foot minimum distance between dining tables; limit the number of patrons at a table to eight; and enforce social distancing among employees and patrons.

Six26, located at 128 Christopher Columbus Drive, shares both ownership and a building with the massive Newark Avenue sports bar The Ashford. According the the club’s website, the name Six26 refers to the date of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in  Obergefell v. Hodges which ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.

The owners are no strangers to controversy. In 2018 they were forced to close their Hoboken bar 1-Republik after a series of violation including one incident where a patron suffered life threatening injuries. Immediately after opening the Ashford, managment was accused of instituting a racist dress code which specifically banned “oversized jeans and shirts, head gear, ball caps, work boots, gym sneakers, shorts or athletic apparel, sweatpants or joggers, cargo pants, oversized jewelry and chains, sunglasses, camouflage, low or baggy pants and headphones.” It also required that pants be worn with belts. At the time, co-owner Kenny Caulfield told NJ Advance Media that a large placard with the dress code written out was “an oversight” used only during the bar’s soft opening. He further stated that it had “nothing to do with race whatsoever.”