Photo courtesy of homes.com.
From news in education and local programs to permit parking and a local lawsuit, we’ve got you covered with Hudson County news from this past week.
Visit This Hoboken Skatepark Before It’s Too Late
Skaters are planning to make their last trip on the iconic micro mini ramp in Hoboken before it’s up for demolition on Thursday, April 10.
According to Hoboken Nixle Alerts, renovations for the skatepark are coming sooner than expected, with just days to plan their last session; skaters originally thought demolition was on the board for spring of 2026.
“Going to miss this halfpipe 
” one user commented.
“I had a lot of good memories though out 2010s it’s the only the park I’ve learned how to skate transition on the mini.” another account said.
It’s unclear how long renovations will take.
For more information, you can click here.
Guttenberg Arts Launches Free Art & Therapy Youth Program This Week
Guttenberg Arts’ eight week art program is kicking off this week, and there’s still time to sign up and donate.
The program is designed to support youth with:
- emotional literacy
- building resilience
- nurturing self-empowerment
- learning creative tools for self-care
- building community
It is also meant to serve as a creative and healing space for all youth including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth. No previous artistic experience is required.
All donations and sponsorships will help cover costs needed for the program.
To donate, register or get more information, you can visit their website here.
North Bergen And Guttenberg Schools To Face Federal Funding Cuts
New Jersey is facing another federal funding cut via the Trump Administration. There are two Hudson County districts affected by the most recent cut: North Bergen and Guttenberg.
The Trump Administration recently announced that they would return back $85 million in federal funding for New Jersey public schools.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy posted a statement on his Instagram saying, “We were recently notified that New Jersey is facing yet another devastating federal funding cut from the Trump Administration- impacting critical infrastructure projects across 20 school districts to improve student health and safety.”
“These cuts are reckless and irresponsible, allowing us very little time for contingency plans. New Jersey is proud of its best-in-the- nation public school system and we will do everything we can to restore this funding and maintain our reputation for excellence in public education,” Murphy’s statement continued.
The post was filled with upset New Jersey residents demanding better from the administration.
“The majority of these towns are extremely diverse and already experience very low budgets for their public schools. If you aren’t outraged by this you are part of the problem,” one user commented on the post.
“No schools should face funding cuts. Kids are the future, what does that say? The future doesn’t matter?” commented another user.
Kearny Residents: Beware Of New Permit Parking
There was a new ordinance passed in Kearny that established permit parking on several Second Ward streets for, at least, the next six months. The new ordinance takes effect starting April 15.
The permits will cost all residents $10 per vehicle and will be required for daily parking from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The new permits are for residents who reside on Ann Street, Radley Street and Sanford Avenue and on the east side of Ogden Avenue.
Contractors, emergency vehicles, and delivery vehicles on the clock, do not require permits.
The Kearny Police Department will control and give out the permits for personal vehicles only. In order to get a permit, you must live in the designated zones, have a driver’s license and vehicle registration in the area.
Those who are employees of any business in the zone and do not live in Kearny can apply for a permit at a $50 cost.
People who violate the permit will receive $50 fines for each day they are parked without a permit.
“In the past few years, we’ve heard a lot from residents,” said Councilman George Zapata. “Residents submitted 60 or 70 petitions about it and so here we are, the ordinance was adopted and we’ll see how it works. But this is democracy in action. A lot of people put a lot of effort into this and I am pleased we are where we are now.”
Marytrine DeCastro, the town’s parking committee chair, stated,“I am committed to listening to the residents who share their concerns and I try to carefully consider all the viable options that will improve the quality of life in Kearny.”
When the ordinance takes effect in April, applications and permits will be available at the Kearny Police Department from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. located at 237 Laurel Ave.
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Guttenberg Mayor Wayne Zitt Running For Re-Election Unopposed
Guttenberg Mayor Wayne Zitt, in company with Council-at-Large members Monica Fundora, John Habermann and Richard Delafuente are currently running unopposed on the ticket for the June 10 primary election.
At the time of this writing, there has been no update on if anyone else has filed for the ballot.
Primaries are elections that political parties use to select candidates for the general election in November of the designated year; in Hudson County, 2025 marks as an election year. The winner of each parties’ primaries goes on to the general election.
Primaries allow voters the opportunity to decide from a pool of candidates on who can represent the respective party for the November election, but by running unopposed, the options become limited.
“After much thought and continued conversations with members of our community, I am proud to announce my candidacy for a third term as mayor, alongside our dedicated Town Council,” Zitt wrote in a statement.
“With your support, we’re ready to keep that momentum going and continue working hard for the future of our town.”
The four-person mayor team dubbed, “Team Guttenberg” has submitted around 1,000 signatures each. That is four times more than the required amount to make the primary ballot, which is 250 certified petitions of nomination.
Zitt and his team are also running on Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s ticket as part of his chase for New Jersey governor.
Voters will also see a choice for Hudson County Sheriff. On there, it’s Frank Schillari, who is looking to secure his sixth term, versus Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, who isn’t seeking town re-election and has been backed by the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO).
Union Workers Pickett Outside Jersey City City Hall
Jersey City Public Employees Local 245, a local labor union, is seeking a new contract after six years for their 245 union workers.
The picketers gathered outside Jersey City City Hall advocating for Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop to give them a new contract. Despite their efforts, other reports from Jersey City Times and Law360 said that the court has ruled against them, siding with the city.
During last week’s demonstration, the union members gathered to demand what they claimed was an owed double-pay during the Covid-19 State of Emergency pay. Among the union members include:
- Crossing guards
- Department of Public Works and Parks employees
- Department of Parks, Recreation & Youth Development workers
- Mechanics
A number of elected officials and community leaders showed their support of the union with some in attendance including Hudson County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea and Hudson County Anti-Violence Coalition Executive Director and Ward A candidate Pam Johnson; they’re running on a ticket together.
“I have definitely supported DPW and Local 245 in the past, even when their payroll was interrupted when a group of individuals was let go because they couldn’t work overtime. Our working families deserve fair treatment,” Johnson stated.
Other mayoral candidates showed their support like former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey and Councilman James Solomon along with Local 245 Union President Santo Della Monica, who is running with McGreevey, and Councilwoman Denise Ridley, who is running with Solomon.
City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione stated that the appellate court ruling in the city’s favor “reaffirmed what an arbitrator already determined: Local 245 failed to file a timely grievance under its contract regarding double-time pay during the multi-year COVID-related state of emergency,” she said via Hudson County View.
“The reality is, other unions in the same situation filed their grievances on time and successfully reached amicable settlements with the city regarding state-of-emergency double-time, demonstrating our commitment to good faith negotiations. At the same time, the city presented multiple contract offers to Local 245 over the past six years, all of which were rejected by the union’s leadership.”
This demand for fair pay came before last Wednesday’s AFSCME Local 2306 protest for fair wage and better work conditions.
Former Bayonne Employee Files Lawsuits Claiming He Was Wrongfully Arrested
Rich Roszkowski filed a $1.8M five-count lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey yesterday against former Business Administrator Donna Russo, Fire Chief Keith Weaver and Police Captain William Dundas.
According to a report by Hudson County View, Roszkowski insisted he was wrongfully arrested and prosecuted between October 2022 and March 2023, which the former Bayonne employee claims came about because he questioned fire inspection rules.
“In his position as Clerk 1, Fire Prevention Plaintiff Roszkowski inquired on multiple occasions into the lack of consistency of some properties, property owners, developers, contractors not having their Fire Prevention Inspections, and/or not having to submit their fines,” the lawsuit claims.
“At one point, Plaintiff was asked by Defendant Russo to speak out against a Deirdre Healey, who Defendant Russo was trying to terminate, and eventually did terminate from employment. Plaintiff Roszkowski refused to be a part of these actions.”
Roszkowski was reportedly suspended without pay and was given a Preliminary Notice of Disciplinary Action (PNDA).
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office later dismissed the case on March 29, 2023, Roszkowski was not given back pay and a second PNDA was issued on Oct. 30, 2023 plus a final notice given on Nov. 14, 2024.
Roszkowski is now seeking damages for “mental and emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, punitive and treble damages, attorneys’ fees, expunging the illegal arrest and processing, injunctive relief that prohibits this type of behavior in the future and a jury demand for a case estimated to have a value of $1.8 million.”
According to the article, a Bayonne city spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Know any local news we should include? Email Stella Accettola at saccettola@sliceofculture.com!
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