Wind damage sure came to Hudson County today

From Jersey City to Harrison to other points, the wind sure took it's toll around the area today. While it actually snowed early this morning it was around 6am when the winds came causing damage and power outages in Bayonne and claiming scaffolding on the Newark Ave. pedestrian plaza in downtown Jersey City. You can, as they say, read all bout it, at this handy link.

Get an important first look at local BOE ballots

When you go to vote, its usually a good idea to look at the ballot online before you vote. That way you won't be flummoxed and or flustered for you can't find your candidate. The Jersey Journal has a list of all the local BOE ballot orders with asterisks pointing out who is an incumbent.

If you're a Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, Guttenberg, Kearny, Secaucus, and West New York,voter and plan to vote in your next board of education election, go take a look. 

Happy 4th of July!

Johnny wants to wish everyone in the Jersey City Desk viewing area a very happy and proud 4th of July. It rings out extra loud this year with the gay marriage ruling so that even more people now feel included in this great American experiment.

Make sure to follow Johnny on the Twitter or drop back here later tonight around midnight, Johnny is going to have a special treat for all of you!

If you're a fan of Game of Thrones you won't want to miss this

A short interview today in the Jersey Journal with Bayonne native and author of "A Song of Ice and Fire" which became HBO's Game of Thrones. Martin previews a lengthy interview he did with Rolling Stone magazine about sitting in Bayonne and imagining far off lands while seeing the night lights of Kill Van Kull. You can find the interview here.

Joining the Denver Donkeys are the coffee house misanthropes from Seattle

The Peahens have won the NFC and are also on their way to Jersey City full of vim, vigor and a bag full of shitty calls helping them to the Super Bowl. The NFL should really be quite ashamed of the way that game was officiated.

So fans from Denver and Seattle will be coming to Jersey City to wait near their teams' hotels to get a glimpse of their favorite players or to get an autograph on a jersey. Seeing as Johnny is a Browns fan and the Donkeys have kept Cleveland out of three Super Bowls any Denver fan asking Johnny a question is going to get a wrong answer or wrong directions. Look out Bayonne, here come some Denver fans.

Dear Spectra Energy

Dear Spectra Energy,

You started pushing the gas through your pipeline this morning through Bayonne, Jersey City, offshore of Hoboken and into NYC. Congratulations, you forced your intentions upon a few million people over their protests and despite proof Spectra isn't exactly the safe company they claim. You'll now collect your $30 million pieces of silver.

Know this, this cram-down works both ways. If there are radon leaks from your pipeline, if worse yet there is an explosion and local people die or are made homeless, there WILL be consequences. We as a society cannot in good conscience have something so dangerous pushed upon us with no way to be made whole other than an "We take this seriously" non-apology apology or watch as you go to court to limit your accountability. Don't think we're going to allow you or your workers or those who appeared in your ads to help shill this mess upon us to go unchallenged or yes, unconfronted if YOUR pipeline goes sideways.

You made your promises about safety which you hope you don't ever have to pay out on. Same here, this promise about your workers (at any level of the company tree) and your advertising partners stands, and Johnny prays we as a region don't ever have to pay out on them.

So Hudson County, are you planning on trying to profit from Super Bowl XLVIII?

Johnny was reading that some of our friends and neighbors are renting out their homes/condos/apartments for some pretty good coin for the weekend of Super Bowl XLVIII. From an asking price of $10,000 for a two-bedroom place in Fuho, to an $8,800 ask in North Bergen for a two bedroom place people are getting interest in these inflated prices.

And why not? If you can make some good money off of people with more money than brains for an outdoor February football game we say go for it! There is really nothing the city powers that be can do to stop such a thing, so it's a free, fair and open market.

So, how much are you going to list your place for?

Class, please take your seats we have a lot of material to cover

OK, as Johnny's 8th grade science teacher Mr. S******** used to say "OK students, take out your penso and paypo." This was the same teacher who would put quiz questions on a cassette tape, push play and leave the room for half the hour. After he'd left and the sentry said he was safely in the teacher's lounge we'd flip the cassette tape to the side the answers were on (You know the routine pass your paper to the person in back of you). He'd play those after coming back into class. Sure we kids would make sure everyone got one or two wrong so our good grades all the year long would thus be ensured. Then he'd get awards for having the best students in the world and we all lived happily ever after.

Now the news:

*When Spectra says their pipelines are safe you can't believe a word they say. ALREADY a $70K fine has been dropped on Henkels & McCoy Inc., contractors for unsafe working conditions by OSHA. Henkels & McCoy Inc are also repeat offenders. Don't take the time to make the worksite and thus the pipeline safe, just do it fast right boys?

*Tilda Swinton is tired. If Johnny had any brains he'd go register @Tildaspillow on the Twitter and make comments on the people having their MOMA experience interrupted by a sleeping actress.

*The NYFD has real problems with racists and skinheads in their EMT Division it would seem. The son of their fearless leader jumped ship after some racist tweeting took place. The NY Post caught up with an EMT skinhead-type feller who burst into tears when confronted. How far does this sickness go in the NYFD? A retired EMS vet told the Post:

“He is not an isolated case,” a retired EMS veteran said. “He’s a symptom of a sick system. If you work in the city for police, fire or EMS and tell me you’re surprised by this, you’re a liar.”

*The NYPD has horrifyingly begun running background checks for warrants and what not on women who call and report domestic violence. Shameful right? That'll help clear up the backlog of calls because in many cases there won't BE a call. Way to go you shortsighted turds. Making some women think twice about calling 911 while being abused. That's just ignorant. This had better never ever be the case in Jersey City.

One day a Bushwick hipster walks into a bar with a duck on his head. The next day 10 Bushwick hipsters walk into a bar with ducks on their heads...

Tennessee Titan and Bayonne's own Kenny Britt has had a busy week

Kenny has a lot of time on his hands while being locked out by the NFL owners (and greedy bastards they be). So much time in fact it seems Kenny celebrated his plea deal on Tuesday for careless driving regarding an incident in April that involved a chase (Britt sped away from police in his 90K Porsche and when police caught up he walked away from the car at first claiming it wasn't his despite the Tennessee Titans license plates) by getting popped in Hoboken on Wednesday for among other things tampering with evidence, obstructing a government function and resisting arrest. This stems from what police say was an attempt to hide and then destroy a crushed a cigar containing marijuana (we'll go with the hipper phrase 'blunt' here) after being confronted by FuHo PD. This is the 5th time in the last two years Kenny Britt has had police contact of some kind. While his teammates were down in Tennessee trying to hold workouts on their own Britt had better things to do with his time.

Kenny, a nickel's worth of free advice. Google the name Charles Rogers. Then go look in a mirror.

The more we find out about JCPD officer Rick Garrison's fatal accident in Bayonne the more troubled we are

Information has been slow to come out in the fatal crash that sadly claimed the life of Helen Antczak but the more that does come out the more disappointed we are in officer Garrison's actions.

He was speeding, we know this. That's a fact. He was going close to 70 from what accident investigators have suggested. He had earlier sideswiped a car and kept going. That car sped up to follow him to get his driver info and watched him as he crashed into Helen Antczak car. We could make a lot of points here. Was he speeding because he KNOWS he can get away with it because he's a police officer? Did officer Garrison think he was somehow immune to consequences such as the ones he's most likely about to face?

The two most troubling facts that have come out are these: Garrison left the scene of the accident and failed to report the accident according to Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio. Among Garrison's other citations for the crash were careless driving, another citation for leaving the scene and failure to observe a traffic signal. Here's something else bothersome, DeFazio still has not interviewed Garrison yet.

There are serious questions here that need serious answers.

Leaving the scene and you're a police officer? Geez Louise we've seen how police handle people who leave the scene of accidents quite often on teevee and YouTube and it's most likely NOT what Garrison got. Failure to report the accident? How did that happen?

Again, we're going to need some answers here. For as brave as we're told Garrison was in the Reed Street gun battle that cost Detective MarcDiNardo his life, if indeed he fled from a serious accident the bravery scale just slid back to single digits.

Bayonne man denied master criminal cred; robs same home twice in a month

Really? Twice in the same month? Did you leave something of value the first time in which case you might well be the worst robber in all of Bayonne.

Not only was Steven Breyan arrested for the armed robbery of two deli's but also caught for robbing the same dwelling twice inside of a month. In the first deli robbery Breyan showed a knife at Bayonne Family Grocery and made off with $350. He then tried to rob Tiger's Deli but was beaten down with a stool wielded by the owner, Karun Togaru, who also happens to own Bayonne Family Grocery. No doubt those stool shots to Breyan felt pretty good to Togaru.

As for the master home invasion artist, Breyan twice broke into a home on West 20th Street both times taking assorted jewelry. Steven, what happened, did you leave the VALUABLE jewelry behind the first time you moron? Did you not think the homeowner would have contacted police AND the local pawn shops (which the owner did of course)? Almost all the jewelry has been recovered and returned.

Now Mr. Breyan will head off to prison where no doubt his tales of crime will be met with hearty guffaws from other not so master criminals who also got caught.

Here's something you won't see everyday

Tomorrow, two boats welded together will move a 350 foot long bridge weighing 2,400-tons, from up the Hudson River to Bayonne and the 5 mph journey should allow you the river watcher to see the whole shebang sometime tomorrow. The Willis Avenue Bridge replacement will stay in Bayonne until later in August before moving over to link Brooklyn with Manhattan.

At press time the Jersey City Desk did not have an exact time the bridge is due into Bayonne.

Would the owner of the submerged 1994 Jeep Cherokee in Bayonne please come claim your truck?

Well SOMEBODY is missing (or not if it's an insurance job) a 1994 Jeep Cherokee found submerged off the shore 'Behind the A&P Supermarket'. Police divers jumped in after it was noticed to look for potential bodies but found none. They also assumed the Jeep Cherokee had FLOATED there since there were no skid marks. Floated, as huge heavy Jeep vehicles are known to do in water. Maybe it paddled over from Brooklyn. Maybe the Jeep had always wanted to see the A&P in Bayonne.

If you have any info on this mystery Jeep, please contact Bayonne authorities before the old Monty Python meme kicks in that is was quite possibly carried there by a sparrow.

Well the Mets need pitching and this guy has some free time

So as part of his sentence let's send him to spring training and see what he's got. Bayonne's own Timothy Rolek was arrested for throwing snowballs at a fire engine and later an ambulance making emergency runs on New Year's Day. Rolek was spotted by a Bayonne fire captain around 10 pm throwing snowballs at a fire engine as it headed north on Avenue C at 33rd Street.

The Mets DO need bulllpen help and chances are Rolek would come cheap is our guess...

Ya know, this whole drilling a gas pipeline through Jersey City and Bayonne to help supply New York City with gas doesn't pass the smell test

So follow this logic, A company calling itself Williams is applying to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to extend its pipeline in Essex County through Bayonne. Also, Houston-based Spectra Energy, has approached Jersey City City Council members whose wards would be impacted by the proposed gas pipeline.

So we here in Jersey City and Bayonne take all the risks while Williams and Spectra Energy get rich selling natural gas hookups to New York City. As usual, Jersey City's champion Steve Fulop is demanding answers and wants to know who will be on the hook should something go wrong (as we all know when things go boom companies tend to go missing and hire armies of lawyers).

You can read the entire sordid skeevy plan to make the rich richer you put you at risk all here.

NJ Transit wants to extend the light rail system west to the Hackensack River

But hopefully not into it. Yeah we know har har har. The light rail currently stops at the West Side Avenue terminal, the proposal being looked at would extend it out across Route 440 to the river. NJ Transit is spending $251,000 on a feasibility study to see if linking Bayonne, the Jersey City waterfront and North Hudson to residential and commercial development planned for an area that's about a half mile west of West Side Avenue Station. Early voting on the plan on NJ.com shows strong support for such a plan and we here have to say it would indeed be a great idea. The more area we can cover and connect with public transportation the better it is for residents getting back and forth to work and shopping and would bring more people into Jersey City for whatever reason.

Make it happen NJ Transit.

The Macy's fireworks aren't the only fireworks around town this weekend

Several communities including Jersey City will be holding their own fireworks displays this weekend. Courtesy of nj.com, here's the list:

JERSEY CITY
DAY: Saturday
WHERE: Liberty State Park
ACTIVITIES: Music: 3 p.m.
FIREWORKS: 9:15 p.m. For more information contact the Division of Cultural Affairs (201) 547-6921

BAYONNE
DAY: Sunday (rain date: Monday)
WHERE: Lower Level of 16th Street Park
ACTIVITIES: Children's activities and band concert: 7-9 p.m.
FIREWORKS: 9 p.m.

KEARNY
DAY: Saturday (rain date: Sunday)
WHERE: Veterans Field
ACTIVITIES: children's activities: 6:30 p.m.; band concert: 7 p.m.
FIREWORKS: 9 p.m.

SECAUCUS
DAY: Friday
WHERE: Swim center on Koelle Boulevard and Mill Ridge Road, across the street from the Recreation Center
FIREWORKS: After sunset, about 9 p.m. For Secaucus residents only. For more information call the recreation center at (201) 330-3299.

STATE FAIR MEADOWLANDS
DAY: Friday and Saturday
ACTIVITIES: Starting at 2 p.m. with purchase of ticket to fair.
FIREWORKS: 9 p.m. Note: Tickets to fair are $9 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under and free for children under 34 inches. For more information: www.njfair.com

Hey Bayonne, Let's get ready to Rumblllllllllle

Goodness, the Hell's Angels are in the midst of a dust up in Bayonne. There was a fight outside of a Hell's Angels bar, or 'biker club' in Bayonne on Friday Afternoon. It seems some of the bikers got out of their office 9-5 suit and tie jobs a little early and hit the Rye Whiskey Bar at Broadway and 12th Street around 5:30 pm.

An outsider Hell's Angels group known at the Eastsiders tried to run down a local Hell's Angels member and a scuffle ensued. Of course the big bad bikers took off once Bayonne police arrived on the scene but police kept an eye on the joint after rumors began to surface that out of town Hell's Angels were on their way to Bayonne to exact a little revenge.

That rumor turned out not to be a rumor at all as around 8 pm a dozen Hell's Angels with New York license plates rolled into Bayonne and up to the bar. Eyewitnesses say the New York bikers went inside the bar for about an hour and then left without incident. No doubt they did a few tequila shots and shot some mini hoops and loaded up on potato skins.

The Hell's Angels pretty much know to stay out of Jersey City, they're simply not tough enough to handle matters themselves here without bringing in some serious backup. Jersey City ain't no Altamont concert that's for sure. We run bikers out on a rail. The ONLY bikers welcome in Jersey City are local police motorcycles in parades and the local chapter of the Satan's Helpers.

Yes, Johnny said the Satan's Helpers.

Did you miss getting to go to a St. Patrick's Day parade last weekend?

Or in Hoboken's case a parade and drunken frenzy the weekend before? Well if you still have a little Guinness drinking left in ya, Bayonne will be holding their annual "It's almost April, let's have a St. Patrick's Day Parade" Sunday at 1pm. The parade will step off at East Fifth Street and Broadway, proceeding up Broadway to 39th Street, west to Avenue C, and past the reviewing stand at the entrance to Stephen Gregg/Hudson County/Bayonne Park.

There will be 11 piper bands, as well as the Bayonne High School Marching Band.

Wednesday morning news roundup

*Jersey City police are asking for your help in collecting the trash named 28 year old Anthony Williams who was the getaway driver in the bodega murder of Elisha "Elijah" Benjamin on January 22. If you have any idea where Williams, who lives near Garfield and Woodlawn is, please contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office's Homicide Squad at (201) 915-1345.

*PPG, a Pittsburgh based company (it figures, Pittsburgh, blech) is being sued to clean up a Garfield Avenue site, still full of chromite where a chromite ore refinement plant stood from the 1920's until 1963. Nice and timely aren't we PPG? No worries, "hexavalent chromium" which contaminates the site is only a carcinogen. Who cares PPG, that people live near there. Try living up to your responsibilities.

*Bayonne has fired 9 non Bayonne residents for working in Bayonne (We just like saying Bayonne). The worker residency law will save the city 200 large a year. One wonders if other cities to get even would fire people who live in Bayonne? Just a thought.