NYC October 25, 2020 Supporters of President Trump and Protesters of President Trump Brawl- Disturbing Video (graphic language)

October 25 2020 - MANHATTAN, New York: Fights, brawls, and arrests in a chaotic scene on Sunday in Times Square as Antifacists clashed with Trump Supporters. The fist fights and brawls left some protesters bloodied and others arrested, at least one Trump supporter was seen taken away in handcuffs after unlawful assembly has been declared. Caravans started all over the city since early morning, the Trump rally began at Trump Tower and marched, along with a caravan of vehicles to Times Square. The counter protesters hurled eggs at the caravan and pulled flags from their cars. Rudy Giuliani was seen driving with the caravan and was then approached by a protester and Trump supporters on 5th Avenue. Large brawl began in Times Square when a car driven by a family of Trump supporters blasting music and blocking traffic was splashed with red liquid and had a flag ripped off. The driver of the vehicle accused several protesters of stealing his daughters hat and other offenses and police began making arrests. The counter-protesters responded by challenging him and a large fight on 7th Avenue ensued.

Many more fist fights and confrontations broke out over the next hour or so. One counter-protesters was seen arrested after tugging on the Trump flag with a group of others, he was later carried away in the stretcher. We did not witness how he sustained his injuries. Video by Oliya Scootercaster and @NewYorkCityPeople Available for licensing desk@scootercaster.com www.freedomnews.tv

Elysian and Wallace Schools Impacted by COVID-19: Reach Decision to Go to Full Remote Learning for Time Being

Wallace School

HOBOKEN, NJ — Students at two Hoboken Public Schools will be all remote for the next number of weeks. Specifically, Wallace Elementary School will learn remotely until Nov. 9 after district officials informed parents recently of two positive cases of the coronavirus at the school.

In the letter obtained by Hoboken Patch, Hoboken Public Schools Superintendent Christine Johnson wrote that the two cases involved individuals who were in school, without absence, over the past week. School officials decided to shift to remote learning until Nov. 9 after conducting contact tracing and notifying people who were in close contact with the infected individuals. The district defines close contact as anyone who was within six feet of the two individuals for more than 10 minutes.

Elysian School 

On October Elysian Charter School in Hoboken has switched to entirely remote learning due to a COVID-19 incident. In a released statement: “Elysian Charter School has made the decision to go remote given recent developments and in consultation with the Hoboken Health Department,” said a city spokesman “We are confident their precautions will help keep our children safe.”

Hola Hoboken Designated a “Model Program” by NJ DOE for 4th Consecutive 2 Year Period

Hola Representatives Receiving Award

As many of you know, in addition to being the Assistant Superintendent of the Hoboken Public Schools, I was also a founding Board member for the Hola Charter School. Hola applied for a charter  only after the Hoboken Board of Education rejected the vetted and legal proposal of a Dual Language Program in the school district in 2009 (see Figure 1 below). Since that time, Hola has gone on to be the premier public school in the city of Hoboken as well as one of the most recognized schools in Hudson County, New Jersey, and the region not only for dual language instruction but for education in general. It remains a wonderful success story after 10 years of operation. 

This is the 4th consecutive award of the 2-year designation for HoLa. We were the only charter school in New Jersey to receive the designation in 2020. The application process was completed before the pandemic shutdown, and included a rigorous site visit and interviews with teachers, students and families. -Dr. Petrosino

HOBOKEN NJ (TAPINTO Staff): In the days leading to the pandemic shutdown, HoLa ensured every single student had the devices and connectivity they needed to be able to continue their learning from home. HoLa’s remote offerings continue to follow the immersion model, offering live content in Spanish daily, including not only the core subjects of math and reading but also live specials, such as art, music and dance -- all in Spanish.    In addition, HoLa has teamed up with the City of Hoboken to use bilingual members of the school community to reach out and call Spanish speaking seniors during the COVID crisis, to check-in on seniors who need additional help.  

“This is the most challenging thing our teachers have ever had to do but every day our teachers--who themselves are sometimes juggling remote learning for their own children--keep showing up for our kids so that they continue to learn in both Spanish and English.  We couldn’t be prouder of our entire community.”  -Jennifer Sargent, Founder and Executive Director of Hola. 

It is that passion and innovation that led the New Jersey Department of Education to renew the school’s designation last week as a Model Dual Language Program for another two years. 

It is the 4th consecutive award of the 2-year designation for HoLa. HoLa was the only charter school in New Jersey to receive the designation.

The application process was completed before the shutdown, and included a rigorous site visit and interviews with teachers, students and families. 

“As a long-standing model program district, your program will continue to serve as a resource for other districts in our state and enable educators to witness firsthand exemplary practices in Dual Language Immersion....It will also enable administrators and teachers to dialog about issues of mutual concern and discuss the potential for future collaboration regarding curriculum development projects, or professional development initiatives.” -Linda Eno, Assistant Commissioner of the NJ DOE

HoLa’s immersion program means that students starting in Kindergarten spend almost their entire day learning in Spanish, even though the majority of the school’s students do not have any Spanish-language background. The program transitions slowly to a 50% Spanish/50% English curriculum by middle school. Students graduate 8th grade fully bilingual and biliterate. 

The Hoboken Dual Language Charter School is a free, public charter school serving about 400 students in grades K-8. HoLa is the only Spanish immersion dual language public charter school in the state. It is also the first to receive NJ DOE approval to provide a low-income preference and English language learner preference in its lottery.  As measured by state exams, HoLa is ranked among the top 10% of public schools in New Jersey.

See additional story by Hoboken Girl: CLICK HERE

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Figure 1: NJDOE Approval Letter 

Taken from Social Media: Former City Councilman David Mello on the 770 Jackson St PILOT

David Mello and 770 Jackson Street

The following is a recent post to social media by Former City Councilperson David Mello. No commentary is offered (only a little highlighting to emphasize certain passages). Thanks to Chris Halleron at TAPinto Hoboken for some excellent and balanced reporting on this issue. Click here for more information on this important topic: CLICK HERE.  

As a City Council member in the Summer of 2016, I sponsored the attached resolution regarding the future 770 Jackson Street PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes). On the eve of an important meeting regarding this payment, I wanted to offer this summary to help clarify the intent behind the City Council resolution. The main reason for sharing this is that the means by which public schools in Hoboken are funded is complicated and often misunderstood, so my hope is that this post will help to separate fact from opinion as our current City Council debates this new funding stream.

The 770 Jackson PILOT agreement between the developer, Bijou Properties ( http://www.bijouproperties.com/ ) and the City of Hoboken included a resolution passed by the City Council to make public education in Hoboken "whole", through a payment in lieu of taxes, intended to provide the same level of funding that each of the four public school systems in Hoboken would have received from a normal, unPILOTed, local tax levy. It was my intent, as the sponsor, that this resolution require a portion of this PILOT payment to the City of Hoboken to be distributed to each of the four public and tax payer supported school systems in Hoboken, estimated to be equal to the amount that each would have received if the developer paid their taxes via a typical tax levy.

All four schools have their actual funding fluctuate year to year, regardless of any change in their total number of enrollment; however, the funding formula remains the same. The formula, established by the State of NJ, determines how the collected tax dollars fund each school on a per pupil basis (referred to as "tuition" under the law), so that revenue earmarked for education follows the Hoboken student. Less taxes collected equals a drop in the per pupil amount calculation for any and all of the schools. (NJSA 18A:36A-12)

Our resolution also protected taxpayers from covering the reduction in tax dollars collected. The payment to the four Hoboken-based public school systems removes the need for the City of Hoboken to raise the tax rate in order to collect additional educational funds, equivalent to what the total would have been if the developer had been required to pay their fair share of the property taxes in full.

It was my understanding and intent that the phrase "Hoboken School District" include all four public school districts: The Hoboken BOE, Hoboken Charter School, Hola Hoboken Dual Language Charter School and Elysian Charter School. Table 5 (see attached) of the resolution includes the data used to calculate the portion of the payment that should be distributed to the Hoboken School District (i.e. all four public school districts) in lieu of the taxes not collected. The number of students in the table is a sum total of ALL four public schools' enrollment, and this number was used to calculate the potential negative impact of the PILOT program (i.e. what would be needed to make all four districts "whole.").

The payment by the property owner (in lieu of taxes) was intended for equitable distribution to all four public school districts. Nobody was to be shortchanged.

We are stronger together than apart. All four of our publicly funded school systems in Hoboken need to share in this new funding source fairly. This development was a massive team effort, and I was honored and privileged to have been a key member of the team that worked to revitalize this crucial part of Hoboken. Please don't let this project take an ugly turn years after our efforts came to fruition - efforts that were meant to benefit ALL of Hoboken.

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Characterizing Sharing Revenue as"Defunding" the Hoboken Public Schools is Purposely Misleading and Inflammatory

Hoboken's tax base is essentially unlimited (Local Fair Share = $239 mil for 3177 students; tax levy = $53 mil). Its spending at $29,672 per student is #2 in NJ among K-12 districts (after Asbury Park). In May 2020 the Hoboken Board of Education raised taxes 9.95% in anticipation of increased enrollment. Sharing PILOT revenue w/ charters is not "defunding" by any reasonable person's definition of the word. But, use of the word "defunding" is inflammatory and divisive.

Believe it or Not: Petition Describing "defunding" a Public School District Currently Allocating $29,672 per Student AND a 9.95% School Tax Increase for 2020-21

A petition using the official seal of the Hoboken Board of Education, is circulating on social media alleging that the Hoboken School District is in danger of being "defunded." Clearly trying to leverage recent turmoil around the country about "defunding the police" -- this effort is no less ill informed and trying to stoke and divide the community. 

What are the facts? The facts are that according to the independent company Niche.com (see below), the taxpayers of Hoboken, NJ fund the Hoboken Public School district at a rate of $29,672 per student AND the Hoboken Board of Education in May passed an unopposed 9.95% tax increase for the Hoboken Public Schools in the middle of a financial crisis in the City of Hoboken- specifically because of "increasing enrollment."

It seems as if the definition of "defunding" and its intent need to be examined.

This issue revolves around circumstances surrounding a PILOT that was granted to a development project in the city a few years ago.

October 11, 2020- Man Shot in the Area of 9th and Monroe St

 

Wild Brawl on Washington Street Puts 1 Man in the Hospital, 3 in Jail

 

HOBOKEN, NJ - Just before midnight on Sunday, the corner of 3rd & Washington in Hoboken became the scene of a vicious street fight. When it was all over, one man was in the hospital while three others were in custody at the Hoboken Police Station.

At about 11:52 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2020, Police Officer Enrico Gnassi initially responded to the scene on Hoboken's main thoroughfare and approached an unconscious male being carried by a group of three other men. Police Officer Marc Aurigemma and Police Officer Marco Grossmann arrived soon after, and placed the unconscious male in the back seat of the radio car, then transported him to Hoboken University Medical Center. He was discharged a few hours later.

Police Officer Ryan Houghton and Police Officer Bret Globke also responded to the scene and observed a juvenile 17-year-old male punching another male. That juvenile was immediately placed into police custody and subsequently found with a small grinder containing what is believed to be marijuana. He was charged with Juvenile Delinquency Simple Assault, Possession Of Marijuana, and Drug Paraphernalia. He was later released to a parent. 

Full Report: CLICK HERE 

Columbus Day- 2020

Columbus was celebrated in America long before the first Italian immigrants arrived. The US wanted to distance itself from its British colonialization past. Therefore the Columbus "discovery" story was aligning our history with Spain (Isabella). That's why we have the District of Columbia, 2 state capitals named after Columbus and the great Columbia River in the northwest. Columbus and his legacy was embraced by early America because of a conscious and deliberate decision to establish a non-colonial, non British historical founding identity. 

What was made up from an early period was the "Columbus Discovered America" myth- and for reasons I explained above. The fact that the narrative was also embraced by grade school teachers for generations is unfortunate. Columbus was also identified throughout western culture with what became known as the "Columbian exchange" (also known as the Columbian interchange) named after Christopher Columbus, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Read more about Columbus statue in Jersey City's Journal Square. CLICK HERE 

Columbus Day Celebration 2020 
Columbus Park, Hoboken, NJ 

"Landing of Columbus"- J. Vanderlyn

American neoclassicist painter John Vanderlyn (1775–1852) was commissioned by Congress in June 1836 to paint the Landing of Columbus for the US Capitol Rotunda. He worked on this canvas at his studio in Paris with the help of assistants.

Breaking- Elysian Charter School to Suspend In-Person Learning Amid COVID Concerns

Elysian Charter School

HOBOKEN, NJ - According to TAPinto Hoboken The Elysian Charter School will be suspending in-person learning for an extended period of time after cases of COVID-19 have reportedly popped up in classes.

Elysian Charter School will be going all-virtual, for what might be as long as the next 14 calendar days, as they respond to an unconfirmed amount of cases impacting their greater school community.

According to TAPinto Hoboken -- they have "attempted to contact Elysian Charter School via email for further clarification, and will update this story if and when they provide any information on the cases and their tentative plan for the future." 

Going off Script: "Following Orders"

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Every now and then I go off script with this blog. For a number of reasons, today is one of those days. -Dr. Petrosino 

This picture always struck me, because unlike so many photos of the time, it's so relaxed and unposed - just a bunch of coworkers, having fun. But this is a resort called Solahütte. It was built for these people, and it was 18 miles from where they worked, a place called Auschwitz. It was built to give them a break from their very important work. 

These smiling, happy people were on their day off from putting Jews in ovens.
A lot of times people will say they look at the faces in photos like these and try to understand. But I don't need to try. I understand these people thoroughly. Those two on the left in the front? They were besties, party girls, just waiting for the war to be over so they could get down to the business of finding husbands and enjoying their twenties. Blonde boy behind them? A bit awkward but always up for a laugh. The guy with the accordion learned it from his grandpa, but never had any intentions of playing professionally - it was good for parties, though.

They had their fun out there in the woods - it's good sometimes to get away and just leave your worries behind, isn't it? - and then they got back in their cars and they rode back to the camp and they got on with the business of genocide. The party girls, they were in charge of noting down every possession they took from the incoming as they went through processing. Blondie? He told the children, sternly but not unkindly, how important hygiene was, as he led them to the showers. Herr Accordion? A laboratory assistant to Doktor Mengele, absolutely marvelous at keeping the equipment clean and organized - that was his real skill, not just laying down a rousing chorus of "Horst Wessel" when the beer was flowing, and he was much valued for it, and the fact that he always remembered your birthday and asked about your family. That's important when you're stationed far away from them, isn't it? To have someone who reminds you of normal life, just waiting on the other end of the Allied surrender.

Of course. That's exactly who they were. And absolutely none of it negates the fact that the nice people in this photo were fucking monsters, many of whom ended their war at the end of a rope or in front of a firing squad. And you know what? I bet they did it crying, begging, screaming that it wasn't fair, that they had a job to do, that's all, they were given a job and they were expected to do it, and what would you have done in their place?

That, right there, is the most important question you have to ask yourself. It's one I've pondered my entire life. And I know my answer: I would never allow myself to be put in the position of finding out. I'd rather run or die. The lesson I learned from these people was to never put myself in a position where I was required to do evil in the name of following orders. And I have very little sympathy for those who choose otherwise.

There are not good people on both sides. There are party girls and weekend polka players everywhere, people who are kind to their children and bake extra cookies for their neighbors, but some people choose to be the instruments of horror and others do not, and history is rightfully merciless to the former.

So when you tell me that some of the people in America espousing the same madness that these people in this picture committed atrocities for are really not that bad if you get to know them, that there are good people on both sides, I don't believe you.
Because I do know them. And I do not care. -JZ Ellis 

Voting in Hoboken? Here is Information on Where, When, and How

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For residents who wish to vote in-person on Election Day (Tuesday, November 3 between 6 am and 8 pm), a total of 9 polling sites will now be open to vote on provisional (paper) ballots. To find your polling location, see the attached map.

Vote By Mail ballots can be submitted before Election Day at the designed Hoboken ballot box next to City Hall (Newark St btw Washington St and Bloomfield St) which is collected by the Board of Elections each day, or placed in the mail (no postage necessary).

All active, registered voters in Hoboken should have received their VBM in the mail. For residents who are registered but have not received their VBM please call the Hudson County Clerk’s office at 201-369-3470 x6 between 8:30am & 4:30pm Mon - Fri or email hrosario@hcnj.us.