Hoboken in 2011: Top Five Newsmakers of the Year
Who made headlines this year? Hoboken Patch has picked out a top 5.
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1. Mayor Dawn Zimmer
Mayor Dawn Zimmer's second full year in office was marked by the sale of the Hoboken University Medical Center, a process that was long in the making and was surrounded by controversy and complicated bankruptcy negotiations. Together with other newsmaker (but not on this list), Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority Chairwoman Toni Tomarazzo, Zimmer became the face of the sale. While at many moments it looked like the sale to private owner HUMC Holdco LLC was doomed, a last minute $5 million infusion from Gov. Chris Christie helped facilitate the transaction.
2. City Hall E-mails
A little abstract perhaps, but emails between city officials and the mayor have made multiple headlines this year. The first time city hall emails made headlines was in April, when Councilwoman Beth Mason asked for all emails between mayoral employees Juan Melli and Daniel Bryan. Claiming that Melli and Bryan were doing political work for Zimmer on the city's dime, Mason tried to obtain the emails for mutliple months, amending her request as time went on. Ultimately, however, Mason didn't receive the emails and never folllowed up on the investigation she requested.
The City Hall servers and confidential emails to and from Zimmer were back in the news on Nov. 9, when former IT Director Patrick Ricciardi was arrested by the FBI for computer fraud and leaking emails that followed an FBI raid in the IT office in May. Ricciardi appeared in court on that same day. Ricciardi was scheduled to re-appear in court in January 2012. Three individuals were mentioned, but not named, in the FBI's complaint. According to Hoboken's fervent political bloggers, the other shoe will drop in the new year.
3. Hurricane Irene
It was the storm of the century. And while Irene turned out to be less bad than initially expected, it was still one of the biggest newsmakers of the year. For days Zimmer urged people to leave town, and slowly but surely, Hoboken emptied out. Shops and bars were closed. Cars left town. Never had the streets of Hoboken been so free of parking. Large parts of the southwestern part of town flooded, and especially the Hoboken Housing Authority was hard hit after the storm.
4. Cake Boss Buddy Valastro
Most Hobokenites may not think about him on a regular basis, but Buddy Valastro—Hoboken's most famous baker, with three television shows, a book, a tour and two bakeries—keeps making headlines. Other than weekly recaps of the show, he makes regular appearances in Hoboken, such as during the 2011 St. Patrick's Day Parade. Recently, Valastro has expanded his menu with an online option to facilitate locals and make sure that Hobokenites, too, can enjoy his cakes over the holidays.
5. Councilman Michael Russo
While most Hobokenites don't show up to the bi-monthly City Council meetings—Hoboken Patch is there for you!—and often have trouble naming their council representative, one councilman made state wide headlines this year—Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo. Shortly before his re-election in April, it became evident in the book The Jersey Sting that Russo had met with FBI Informant Solomon Dwek as part of operation Bid Rig in 2009. Caught on tape, the councilman decided to step down as council vice president but won his re-election in the Third ward anyway.
Rory Chadwick
10:56 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
I'd replace 4 or 5 with Batman. He makes 1000's of kids and adults smile every year. Maybe redo the title to say top 6?
Lane Dastardly
11:44 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Another priceless comment clogging a thread.
PeoplePlease
1:30 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Batman is annoying! If his goal is to make 1000's of kids smile every year, why do I hear his noisy whistle and bike horn up and down Washington Street at 9, 10 and 11 at night? Nothing ruins a nice relaxing summer day like the non-stop sound of a bike horn outside your window. Move the freak show to the West Village and obey the noise rules.
Rory Chadwick
2:05 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thanks Dastardly, so I comment about a colleagues bar for New Years and comment about Batman and once again I am clogging a thread? Have you seen the 100 comments you've made in the last 48 hours? Talk about clogging!
Lane Dastardly
4:04 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Ahhh, Rory, try 4 maybe 5 comments by me in the last two days. So tell us, is a comment suggesting a friend of yours riding around town in a Halloween costume honking their horn and waving should be on the towns top five list supposed to be funny or poignant? Or just publicity for you?
Rory Chadwick
4:45 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Oh Dastardly, I'll just ignore you from now on.
Lane Dastardly
11:02 am on Friday, December 30, 2011
Thanks, Rory. Hopefully that means a few less comments put up that only you think are funny. It's just plain disrespectful to be promoting your friend "Batman" here.
Rory Chadwick
12:42 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011
Dastardly, you are entitled to your opinion and I repsect that, I really do. I just see it as a guy that would rather make people smile then go look for a job. His years of riding around town should account for something I feel and I am sure many people agree with me and some disagree. Credit should be given where it is due, I feel he deserves it. Thanks
FAP
11:02 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Quite the contrast. Zimmer makes the list for saving the Hospital and calling the Feds to stop crimes. Mike Russo makes the list for being bribed in a FBI sting.
.
That seems to be Hoboken politics in a nutshell.
Reformerus_Gianticus
11:16 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Beth Mason dressing as Nurse Ratchet less than a week after the Hospital deal was completed that she fought very step of the way should get some mention as well.
Hoboken1653
11:24 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
So Beth Mason seemed to have inside knowledge or some suspicion as to the nature of Dawn Zimmer's private e-mails in April. She demanded to see them. Was she clairvoyant? Then months later, in an AMAZING COINCIDENCE, we find out that the IT director had been sharing the Mayor's private e-mails with some unnamed people.
This is just an AMAZING COINCIDENCE of course. Nothing to see here. Move along. "It's been cleared up"
Lane Dastardly
11:57 am on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Gee, look at the entry in position 2 here and this recent comment by Outofcontrol. Coincidence, Beth Mason?
http://hoboken.patch.com/blog_posts/director-of-the-year-ian-sacs#comment_2121782
Hobbs
12:24 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
1. Positive change that is working.
2. A glaring example that Hoboken's Culture Of Corruption will not go quietly into the night and is working hard to reverse the positive advances hoboken has made in the past year.
3. Thankfully the north east and Hoboken were spared the full fury of huricane Irene.
4. Buddy Valastro's fame and fortune have helped put a positive spin Hoboken's reputation that has been for so long been sullied by corruption and scandal. (HPD Hooters scanadal, Joe Barry's crimes, former mayors Russo and Cammerano's currption felony convictions, Patrick Ricardi;s cyber crimes, John Corea's million dollar theft .....)
5. Anthony, Michele and Michael Russo continue the ongoing saga of Hoboken's First Family of Corruption just keeps getting more disgusting.
PeoplePlease
1:52 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
I also would have put the movement of the St Patrick's Parade on this list. This is going to be a story in 2012 to watch.
- Will Hoboken party as usual on the first Saturday in March?
- Will business's suffer?
Hoboken Questioner
6:53 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
The guess is that people will shrug off the mayor's orders and have St Patrick's Day parties anyway. Of course I would suggest that they be careful about this. I wouldn't mess with this mayor. She will have hundreds arrested to prove a point and her follows will certainly cheer as police beat down doors. Happy holidays! Cheers.
ThisMeansWar
8:27 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Pretty delusional. The feds arent here as a favor to Zimmer they're here because the law was broken. Lane Bajardi has never appeared in an ELEC report for Beth Mason or Tim Occhipinti. He appears in this midnight video for Occhipinti's campaign leaders. http://www.hobokenhorse.com/2010/10/grist-for-mill-midnight-monday-meeting.html
Is he credited in Beth Mason's IRS filings? Does he credit her in his tax forms?
http://www.fbi.gov/news/videos/inside-the-fbis-internet-tip-line
HobokenReformer
1:53 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Item #5 made this list prematurely. The real newsworthy event will be when a pair of shiny handcuffs finally clicks around this pathetic crook's wrists.
Reformerus_Gianticus
2:18 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Did someone need some unclogging? Here ya go!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTxouX0Rtc
Rory Chadwick
2:21 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thanks Giant! Lane Dastardly is having a moment today, perhaps the roto rooter comment will loosen his belt a little, let some air get to other parts of his body.
hobokenhorse.com
3:19 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
"According to Hoboken's fervent political bloggers, the other shoe will drop in the new year."
Yeah Da Horsey said it. Strap in baby, it's going to be a wild ride.
http://www.hobokenhorse.com/2011/12/warhorse-trampling-old-guards.html
Hoboken Questioner
6:48 pm on Thursday, December 29, 2011
Batman rules!
InfotainMe
9:14 am on Friday, December 30, 2011
Hopefully by this time next year the president of the Chamber of Commerce is worthy of consideration as a player in town. Right now for all intents and purposes we don't have one.