Quality of Life Issues

An application has been filed to the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Maritime Administration to build a man-made island nearly the size of six Giants Stadiums, located 13 miles off the coast of New York and 19 miles off the coast of New Jersey, to serve as a deepwater port for liquefied natural gas (LNG). This same area is home to endangered species and is prime fishing grounds. This proposed project is a threat to the improved ocean ecosystem that all have worked so hard to achieve in this region.

Yet, currently the state of New Jersey and its citizens are not officially part of the review process because New Jersey is not considered “an adjacent coastal state” in the application.

Currently, the application lists the state of New York as an adjacent coastal state. New York Governor Elliott Spitzer has been alerted that NY has the right to review and approve the application. In addition, public hearings will be scheduled for NY citizens to voice their concerns. Right now, New Jersey’s voice is not recognized.

Hoboken residents: We're not ready

Monday, July 30, 2007 - Jersey Journal

HOBOKEN - Residents of the Mile Square City say they are ill-prepared for a major storm, and don't know where to go if a hurricane threatened their homes.

Experts predict the storm surge from the Hudson River by a Category 1 hurricane could leave much of Hoboken under water.

Standing at the intersection of Fourth and Jackson streets, whichf loods in most heavy rains, a resident contemplated what would happen if a major storm were to strike Hoboken.

"This area always floods when it rains," said Miguelina, a Harrison Street resident who declined to give her last name. "Imagine if a hurricane hits."

"It's terrible down here when it rains. I've never seen a place flood like this," said Hilton Marrero, a Jackson Street resident. "They have to do something about it."

Other Hobokenites said they feared being trapped if the order was given to evacuate Hoboken.

"You are trapped here," said Ryan Herr, a sales representative who lives on Willow Avenue near Ninth Street. "If something were to happen, there would be no way to get out. It's the worst place to be."

HOBOKEN - When police suspected a St. Patrick's Day parade reveler of carrying a plastic cup containing beer, they slapped him with a $250 fine for drinking in public as part of a citywide crackdown to prevent rowdy and lewd behavior from ruining the day.

Because the officer had not checked a box on his ticket requiring a court appearance, Hoboken resident Stephen DeSimone, 27, simply mailed his fine a short time later.

But to his surprise, he received his check back along with a notification of a mandatory court appearance. And then the judge threw the book at him, doling out the maximum $1,000.

DeSimone said the judge told him he could take his case to trial - but then he could face a 90-day jail term if found guilty.

"We weren't intoxicated," DeSimone said, describing himself and a friend who were issued tickets. "We weren't doing anything out of line."

City officials confirm that DeSimone was one of nearly 500 people who received fixed-penalty tickets at this year's parade only to find themselves appearing in court and slapped with the maximum fine.

A man who acknowledged a sexual fetish for female-shaped mannequins was sentenced Thursday to more than a year in prison after repeatedly breaking into storefront windows.

Ronald Dotson, 39, of Detroit, was sentenced to 18 months to 30 years on charges of breaking and entering and being a habitual criminal.

He was arrested in October after police in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak spotted him near a smashed storefront window containing a mannequin wearing a French maid outfit.

HOBOKEN - In the past week and a half, Juan Sepulveda has left his Washington Street apartment only once - when a back injury forced him to go to the hospital.

With the building's elevator out of service, Sepulveda felt he no choice but to ask his daughter and son-in-law to carry him down the four flights of stairs.

"We wanted to call an ambulance, but he is too proud," said Lily Sepulveda, Juan's daughter.

Juan Sepulveda and his wife Carmen are among dozens of seniors living in one of two adjoining subsidized apartment buildings on Washington Street near Observer Highway.

Two weeks ago, the Applied Companies - the owner of the buildings - sent a letter advising the tenants that the only elevator serving roughly 77 units would be down for 10 weeks while a new one is installed.

May 14, 2006 — - In two weeks, the 2006 hurricane season will officially begin -- and it may well be different from recent years.

The good news, experts say, is that due to a cyclical pattern, the hard-hit Gulf Coast most likely will escape the devastation it experienced last season.

The bad news is that the concentration of hurricane activity is predicted to move up the eastern seaboard this season.

N.J. to let twentysomethings tap parents' health plans

On your 18th birthday, you can buy a pack of smokes. Make it to 21 and you can belly up to the bar. Retirement at 65 was standard until the age was raised for future retirees.

Life is full of milestones marked by age. Now, New Jersey is giving residents an extra decade to reach another significant one: when to acquire your own health insurance.

A new law effective in early May will require health insurers to allow twentysomethings to piggyback on their parents' plans, extending current coverage by more than 10 years.