How about those Bills last night!!!!
This newsletter ended up being so 'content rich' (aka wordy) that I decided to break it into two parts. Part 2 will go out this afternoon. So let's get started!
- Honoring Shirael Pollack Tonight
- Behind The Newsletter: What Guides My Content
- 2nd Ward Road Construction Update
- New Jersey Voting NOW in Nov. 5th Election!
- Polling Location Change For District 2-1
- Cruelty Toward Animals
- Rescheduled Education Session On Rodent Mitigation
- I Spy… Well Placed Detour Signs!
HONORING SHIRAEL POLLACK TONIGHT
Please join this evening at 5pm in Maxwell Park for a bench dedication to honor the memory of Shirael Pollack, a former 2nd Ward neighbor and co-founder of the Hoboken Public Education Foundation. September 20th marked five years since Shirael's passing after a courageous battle with cancer. Shirael was a tireless advocate for Hoboken’s public schools, and her vision for HPEF has left an enduring legacy in our community. Her passion and dedication to education touched countless lives, and she is deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who knew her. This bench in Maxwell Park, where she often spent time with her two daughters, will serve as a lasting tribute to the incredible impact she made on Hoboken.
BEHIND THE NEWSLETTER: WHAT GUIDES MY CONTENT
Recently, a couple of people randomly asked me how I choose what to include in my newsletters. My process is simple: I want the content to meet one or more of the following criteria:
- What you ask me about – If I receive several questions on the same issue, I figure others are curious too. That’s when I’ll cover it, like the ongoing questions about the barricades along the waterfront.
- What I think you want to know – This could be a policy we’re voting on or a topic that I think, based on past conversations, might interest you. Or it could be an upcoming event or activity that you may not have heard of but would enjoy learning about.
- Supporting, advocating for, and celebrating our community – Whether it's spotlighting a small business, celebrating the successes of our local schools, highlighting the work of a local nonprofit, or cheering on a neighbor's accomplishment, I love sharing stories about what makes our community special.
- Providing timely updates during crises – Sometimes, unexpected events happen—like the water disruption a couple of years ago or when our air turned orange during that air quality crisis. In moments like these, I respond to the urgency I feel from you by providing real-time updates. Whether or not people are reaching out directly, I aim to keep you informed with the latest information and a "we are all in this together" mindset.
- Sharing more about who I am – I like to give you a glimpse into my life beyond City Council, whether it's personal stories or little things that reflect who I am. You might hear me mention my love for the Buffalo Bills for example, or other moments from my everyday life. These help you get to know me better as your neighbor and representative.
- Highlighting my involvement – Sometimes, it’s important for me to share the work I’m doing on behalf of our city, even if it might seem a bit self-promotional. I don’t do this often, but I want you to know when I’m deeply involved in an issue that matters - and where I have left a handprint. You’ll find one of these moments in this two part newsletter—I'll leave it to you to figure out which one!
If there’s ever a topic you’d like me to cover, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I’ll do my best to include it. And if you enjoy reading my newsletters, I’d truly appreciate your support. It costs about $3,000 annually to produce these, and any contribution (via website or paypal) would help me continue bringing important updates to our community.
2ND WARD ROAD CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
- 13th Street: Veolia was back on the Bloomfield/Garden block yesterday to complete the final steps of transferring service to the new 6" main, after finishing the initial work a few weeks ago. We are close to the finish line.
- 15th Street/Garden Closure: Thanks to your observations, we identified 14th and Park (southbound) as a pinch point that has resulted is significant back ups all the way back to 495 in some instances. In response, the County extended the left-turn arrow at 14th and Park from 13 to 25 seconds during rush hours, allowing an additional 4-5 cars to pass through every 90 seconds. This should help improve traffic flow in that area.
- Willow Avenue Bridge: Starting Monday, joint repair work will take place next week, M-F, between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., after and before rush hour congestion. Travel in both directions will remain open, though the lanes will be narrowed to accommodate the work. There will be Hudson County Sherrif located at all intersections on Willow from 14th to 19th to help manage traffic and ensure safety. I appreciate that the County is minimizing disruption by keeping both lanes open and attempting to schedule the work outside peak hours. I know, though… you don’t have to say it…
- Street Parking: I’m hopeful that parking on Bloomfield between 14th and 15th, as well as more parking on 13th Street, will be restored today or tomorrow. I’m following up to ensure these spots are returned as quickly as possible.
CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENTS IN HOBOKEN’S SCHOOLS
Join me in applauding two recent accomplishments from Hoboken’s schools that demonstrate the hard work of both students and educators.
- Hoboken High School’s AP Capstone Program: This year, 17 students from Hoboken High School earned the AP Capstone Diploma™, with 5 additional students receiving the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™. These programs help students develop critical skills in research, collaboration, and presentation. It’s a significant achievement and I’m proud of their dedication and the support from their teachers.
- HoLa’s International Spanish Academy Designation: Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa) has been officially designated as an International Spanish Academy (ISA) by the Spanish government, the first school in New Jersey to receive this recognition. This designation highlights HoLa’s commitment to bilingual education and global learning, supported by Spain’s Ministry of Education.
Both of these achievements reflect the dedication happening in our schools, and I’m so happy to see the positive impact they are having on our students and community. I look forward to sharing more great accomplishments in the future!
NEW JERSEY VOTING NOW IN NOVEMBER 5TH ELECTION!
VOTE BY MAIL (VBM) / ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE ARRIVING
If you are registered to Vote By Mail, keep an eye on your mailbox - your ballot should be arriving anytime now. You have eight votes to cast in this election:
Front page – main table: Choose one for each:
- President / VP of the United States (9 choices – who knew!)
- US Senate (6 choices)
- US House of Representatives (5 choices)
- County Surrogate (2 choices)
Front page, right side: choose three for:
- Board of Education Hoboken (4 choices)
Flip your ballot over - page 2, bottom: Hoboken Ballot question.
- NO to keep Hoboken as affordable as possible
- Yes to make rents to go up and Hoboken less affordable
Your NO vote on the Ballot Question is crucial to keeping Hoboken affordable. A landlord group is spending big money – up to a half million dollars - to weaken our rent protections. If passed, landlords could raise rents as high as the market will allow as soon as a tenant moves out. By voting VOTING NO, you are fighting for affordability, opposing displacement, and supporting and protecting what makes our Hoboken community so special.
Make sure to vote—because you can be sure those voting YES will!
HELPFUL HINTS AND TIMELINES
- Are you registered? Is your registration current?: NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Voter Search
- Register to vote / Update registration Online! Voter Registration | NJ DOS - Division of Elections
- Apply for a Vote By Mail ballot NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Vote-By-Mail (click Hudson County and download the form)
- Early voting: City Hall starting Saturday, October 26, 2024 thru Sunday, November 3, 2024. Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
- Secure Dropbox for VBM ballots: City Hall, next to Newark St. entrance or Stevens Institute @ Hudson and 6th.
- Election Day Polling Location: NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Polling Place Search
POLLING LOCATION CHANGE FOR DISTRICT 2-1
If you live in the purple region below with the #1 (which is 2-1), your polling location has moved from 1125 Maxwell Lane (11th street entrance) to the 12TH Street entrance on the other side of the building. Please share this with your neighbors. You will receive a sample ballot with this updated information.
CRUELTY TOWARD ANIMALS
On 9/11, shortly after the memorial service on Pier A had ended, several community members witnessed a disturbing act: a man on an e-bike intentionally struck a Canadian goose with the bike, breaking its leg. One of our neighbors quickly and compassionately captured the stunned and injured goose, and I personally drove them to the Wild Bird Fund just before they closed.
The vet informed us that the injury—a broken femur—was severe, and the goose would likely need to be put down, and in fact, that is what has happened. Thankfully, the Hoboken Police Department responded swiftly and arrested the man - a Hoboken neighbor named Andrew Mullin who was charged with cruelty to animals and issued a summons for riding an e-bike on a walkway. Canadian Geese are federally protected. He was taken to and held at the County Correction Facility but has since been let go. I understand he has a history of criminal activity as well.
This follows another troubling incident two months ago, where a neighbor allowed their dog to chase, attack, and kill a goose on Maxwell Beach—an incident that was caught on video and widely circulated on social media. I reached out to the Hoboken Police, and I believe this will remain an isolated event.
We cannot tolerate aggression toward animals, whether it’s wildlife or our pets. In my opinion, it speaks volumes about the character of someone who is willing to harm an animal. If you witness any aggressive behavior toward animals, please report it to the Hoboken Police at 201-420-2100. We may not be able to save them all, but we can at least make sure we try.
RESCHEDULED EDUCATION SESSION ON RODENT MITIGATION
On October 9th, the City is hosting an educational session on Rodent Control Mitigation, and I hope you can join me in attending.
While there are still significant rat issues in parts of the city – specifically the area of 13th and Garden, overall feedback suggests that the Lid ordinance and our City Health Department’s efforts are making a difference. The “Rat Pack” that I am proudly a part of was organized at the request and advocacy of a group of residents, and now includes neighbors, city officials, and a few electeds, all working together to improve the city’s response. If you need to report a rat sighting or have any questions on what you can do to help address rodents in your area, email [email protected].
I SPY…WELL PLACED DETOUR SIGNS!
In my 8.5 years on the City Council, this achievement easily ranks in the top three of my time representing you:
Do you know what this is? It's a detour sign—a full block ahead of the street closure in the bottom half! Yes, you read that right! A sign giving drivers advance notice and, wait for it... a choice of how to navigate around a closed street. What a concept, right?
I’ve been advocating for this since the day I joined the City Council. I even tried to make it a law that if a street is closed, a sign must be posted at least one block before the closure. And every step of the way, I met resistance. I heard, “Not our department,” “We don’t have the staff,” “It’s not the city’s responsibility,” and even “It puts police officers at risk”.
Then, just last week, I was speaking with our fantastic, recently appointed head of OEM, Kevin Cruz, about the traffic chaos around the 15th Street closures. I vented to him about how placing a simple sign a block ahead could be such a huge quality-of-life improvement for drivers. The very next day, I pointed out a situation on Bloomfield where traffic was backed due to traffic having to turn and stop at the light on Washington Street, and I asked if he could place a sign one block ahead. He said, “I only have detour signs,” and I said, “I’ll take them!”
And guess what? Ever since, Kevin has been putting up those signs for every street closure! I can’t thank him enough for making this happen. As a token of my appreciation and our teamwork, I’ve ordered three MUTCD-compliant “Road Closed Ahead” signs that I will donate to his team. They will arrive in the next couple of days.
#Progress #QualityOfLife #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork #DetourSuccess #RoadClosedAhead #Top3Achievement #AdvocacyWorks #ThankYouKevin
Our Uniting for Harris-Walz 2024 Hoboken group has gained momentum - we had 27 people, many new joiners, at our last Thursday evening event to write postcards for Pennsylvania! We have written almost 3,000 so far, with a shared mission to get to 5,000. Our next event is back at the Biergarten at 6:30 PM this Thursday. If you can’t make it, we are gladly accepting donations for the stamps (we've already raised $1,100 of the $2,800 we need!). I know not everyone supports this ticket, but if you do, you're welcome to join us!
As always, please share this with everyone you know who may be interested and reach out any time on any issue important to you: 201-208-1764 or [email protected].
Do you like this post?
Showing 1 reaction
Sign in with
Facebook Twitter