Photo courtesy of Matthew Hinton / OPB.org.
From tragedies to inside and outside of the state, Hudson County has been hit with different types of news this past week.
Here’s what you’ve missed.
Two Former NJ Athletes Among 14 Killed
Many continue to mourn the over a dozen people who were killed and more than 30 that were injured when a man car-rammed into a crowd early last Wednesday in New Orleans.
Among them was Martin “Tiger” Bech, a former Princeton University football player and Billy DiMaio, a Holmdel High School graduate and lacrosse player. The driver of the deadly incident was later identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S.-born citizen and Army veteran, who died after a gunfight with responding officers.
Bech played for the Tigers from 2016 to 2018 as a return specialist. In his final two seasons, he earned second-team All-Ivy League honors. Bech worked as a stockbroker in New York and was visiting New Orleans for the holidays, according to ESPN.
Bech’s brother Jack, who played football at Texas Christian University, commented on his brother’s death via social media.
“Love you always brother,” Jack Bech wrote. “You inspired me everyday now you get to be with me in every moment. I got this family T, don’t worry. This is for us.”
Princeton Tigers’ Coach Bob Surace shared memories of his former player.
“He might be the first Tiger to ever play for us, and that nickname kind of described him as a competitor,” Surace told ESPN. “He was somebody that somehow, like in the key moments, just excelled and was full of energy, full of life.”
DiMaio, 25 and originally from Long Island, played lacrosse at Holmdel High School where he graduated in 2017. He then went on to Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia where he graduated in 2022. The former athlete worked in New York City as an account executive for Audacy.
DiMaio’s former school superintendent and lacrosse released statements remembering the 25-year-old.
“Billy was a valued member of our community who gave back by assisting with the boys’ lacrosse program, leaving a positive impact on our students,” said Holmdel Superintendent Scott Cascone.
“Our lacrosse community has suffered an unimaginable loss. Billy was a remarkable young man on and off the field. All of us in the Holmdel community are devastated by this sad news. Please keep the DeMaio family in your thoughts and prayers,” the high school lacrosse team wrote in a Facebook post.
The FBI is currently investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, and whether Jabbar had ties with any terrorist organizations.
Kearny Girls Basketball Turns Around Record, Takes Home Tournament Trophy
The Kearny Kardinals started their season off with a 0-2 record.
The shaky start was from challenging back-to-back games against Hudson Catholic and Bayonne, which are both state-ranked teams, but long-time head coach Jody Hill was able to lead the girls basketball team to one of their most impressive wins of the season with a victory over Weehawken and Passaic Tech; they were able to nab enough dubs for the Charlie Dolan Holiday Tournament trophy.
“It’s tough to bounce back if you just look at it as a negative thing,” Hill told The Observer. “But we didn’t, we tried to find all the positives from it and we knew the games coming up after that were all going to be competitive and winnable games.”
“We’re just moving on from it and looking for the positive things to come.”
Sophomore Makayla David is currently averaging 20 points per game and is enroute to be one of the top guards in North Jersey.
Junior Mariel Ruiz is also a standout for the Kardinals, averaging 12.2 points per game. She was named to the All-Tournament along with Olivia Covello, after scoring 16 points in the final game against Passaic Tech.Kearny’s small ball lineup pushed 5-foot-8 Mason Gryckiewicz into a role where she’s often defending the other team’s forwards and has to be a presence as a rebounder.
The Kearny Kardinals (now 4-2) has continued their triumph with a 64-37 win against St. Dominic’s Academy. Next, they prepare for a home game against Union City on Jan. 7 and a road trip to Snyder on Jan. 9.
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Hoboken PD Is Asking You To Help Solve Shoplifting Spree
There have been 14 photos released by the Hoboken Police Department of people they believe were involved in eight shoplifting incidents, accumulating to $39,000 worth of goods from a business on Washington Street.
The shoplifting incidents reportedly happened between Aug. 30 and Nov. 26, police said in a statement posted last Friday. A spokeswoman for the police department did not name the store, according to The Jersey Journal.
Police Officers Joshua Campoverde and Detective Connor Milne are currently investigating. Anyone with information, such as the identities of the people pictured here, are asked to email Milnec@hobokenpdnj.gov or Campoverdej@hobokenpdnj.gov, or call 201-420-2100, Ext. 3126 or 3139.
Jersey City Branch Library Closes Doors
The Morgan Branch Library will be closed until further notice due to building maintenance, said an email from Jersey City Free Public Library.
The Jersey City Free Public Library instead welcomes patrons to take advantage of in-person library services at the Cunningham Library located at 275 Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City. Additionally, their website www.jclibrary.org is always available, providing access to their collection of digital resources.
“Ensuring the safety and comfort of our community is our top priority, and this temporary closure will allow us to thoroughly address the necessary repairs,” the library wrote in the email.
Updates on the maintenance will be shared to the public as soon as new information becomes available.
Inspiration For Jersey City Book And Documentary Dies At 67
Stanley John Stapinski, the brother of author, Jersey Journal reporter and New York Times writer Helene Stapinski, died at age 67 last Friday at Jersey City Medical Center, after an undisclosed brief illness.
More than just a brother, Stanley was known as “Stanuch,” “Charlie,” “Stash” or “Stan the Man” and was the inspiration behind Helene’s successful memoir about growing up in Jersey City, “Five-Finger Discount”; while not received well locally, the book turned into a PBS documentary, “Five-Finger Discount: A Crooked Family History.”
“He was a main character in ‘Five-Finger Discount,” said Helene, who described herself as his “biggest defender.”
“Whenever I was writing it I would talk to him every day because he remembered everything.”
Stanley was born and raised in Jersey City, where he met his wife, Dolores. They raised their children in Cranford, but later returned to their hometown a few years ago.
Stanley was deeply rooted in Jersey City, graduating from Our Lady of Czestochowa School and St. Anthony’s High School. He even recorded an original song, “My Ol’ JC.”
The Jersey City native is remembered as a cook, bartender and avid sports fan of the Giants, Yankees and Rangers.
He getting ready to cook the family’s Christmas meal when he got sick. He was most known for his limoncello, stuffed mushrooms and potato pancakes, his sister said.
“Everybody loved him,” she said. “He was not a troublemaker. He was a very peaceful guy. He was doing Christmas and couldn’t wait to see everybody.”
Donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association in Stanley’s memory.
Hoboken Cannabis Dispensary Wins Court Appeal
After nearly two years, Blue Violets, a dispensary owned by Weehawken residents, husband and wife Max and Laura Thompson, will be able to keep their Hoboken cannabis dispensary in business.
The couple’s dispensary has been seared in controversy since its opening because of its location, 628 Washington St., which is less than 375 feet from Hoboken Charter School and All Saints Episcopal Day School. It’s the city’s first recreational-use only store.
The lawsuit was enforced by Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis (HFRC) and its founder, Liz Urtecho, against the couple and Blue Violets.
On April 6, 2022, Hoboken changed cannabis regulations, which said the distance of a dispensary and school must be 600 feet, instead of the original 200 feet. This went into effect on April 28.
Blue Violets submitted their application in February 2022, which was before the new 600-feet ordinance in April. HFRC sued the dispensary in October 2022, causing a Hudson County Superior Court to vacate the planning board approval, but the most recent judge ruling said Blue Violets’ application complies with the proximity laws at the time, which was 200 feet.
During the case, Blue Violets has been open two days a week. Now, they can fully continue their operations.
“After dealing with all of this for so long, we’re so relieved to see the court agree with our arguments,” the Blue Violets owners, Max and Lauren Thompson said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to celebrating with our customers and continuing to contribute to the community, hopefully for many years to come.”
HFRC can appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
