The Observer has apparently decided that it will not publish an article on Harrison's September Mayor and Council meeting. This week's Observer also did not contain any correction of the inaccuracies contained in its article on Harrison Councilman Steve McCormick's filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.  As a previous post noted, the Kearny Journal covered the meeting last week.  The Observer reporter apparently got paid for attending the meeting but either did not turn in an article or her article was suppressed by the Observer's editor, Celeste Regal.

The next Harrison Mayor and Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. (Caucus) and a 7:00 p.m. (Council meeting) at the Harrison Town Hall, 318 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, New Jersey.  The Caucus is held upstairs on the 3rd Floor. There is usually a lot of interesting discussions at the Caucus because the Councilmembers actually discuss agenda items prior to the formal meeting.  Usually not many members of the public attend the caucus.  The Caucus however is open to the public and if enough members of the public attend the Caucus has to be moved downstairs into the Council chambers because of a violation of the fire code. The Harrison Fire Chief usually attends the caucus and he would be obligated to inform the Mayor and Council of the violation and the necessity to move the meeting.

Freewheeling meeting is how the Kearny Journal described the September Harrison council meeting. In an prior post Local Papers Silent on Harrison Meeting, I chastised the Observer and the Kearny Journal for not covering the meeting in their respective newspapers despite having reporters at the meetings.  Apparently, reporter Rose Duger's article was just being reviewed by the Kearny Journal editor and thus delayed by a week in its publication. My apologies to the Kearny Journal for jumping the gun on accusing them of not covering the meeting.

The Kearny Observer however still has not covered the meeting.  The Editor and Reporter of the Observer could not find time to edit or write an article on Harrison's meeting but did find time to write a frontpage article about Harrison Councilman Steve McCormick's filing of Chapter 11  Bankruptcy and a loan by former Harrisonian Steven Adler.  Celeste Regal is now the expert on Bankruptcy.  To those of us familiar with Harrison politics, it is clear that Celeste Regal was feed the information contained in the article.  Unfortunately, the Observer's credibility is waning.  The Observer is suppose to cover the news but both the Publisher and newspaper's Editor seem not to understand their roles.  The objective is to report the news and not express opinions or biases in the news articles.  The Opinion or Editorial Page is where opinions should be expressed.  I am not sure what Celeste Regal's connection to Harrison is but she obviously has a bias towards anything that criticizes the current administration.

The article attempted to paint Councilman Steven McCormick and former Harrisonian Steven Adler in the poorest light.  If you can stand trying to parse the poorly crafted sentences in her article, Celeste Regal was trying to say that the filing of a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition 93 days after Steven Adler lent Councilman McCormick money was an advantage to Mr. Adler.  Actually, the provision that Celeste Regal was referring to has nothing to do with the receipt of money 90 days prior to a bankruptcy filing.  The provision has to do with the payment (out not in) of money to a Third Party 90 days prior to a bankruptcy filing.  Steven Adler is at a disadvantage not an advantage.  The 90 day provision is designed so individuals do not pay debts owed to family or friends (preferred debtors) and not other creditors.

In addition, the article suggested that not listing the loan from Steven Adler on a Local Finance Board Disclosure form was improper. Last time I checked, the Local Finance Disclosure forms do not require the disclosure of loans.  The form requires disclosure of employment and properties owned. Even if the form required disclosure of loans the timing of the loan would only require its disclosure next year. 

Newspapers play an important role in our democratic society.  The Observer has a great potential and has served the West Hudson community well in its long standing news coverage of the area. The failure to report on the Harrison council meeting is not serving the community.  Once a local newspaper ceases to serve its community its ceases to have a purpose.

Another example of how the Observer is not properly serving its community is the newspapers editorial on how the Kearny Police should have stopped the robbery and murder of Xavier Egovail, the owner of Rachel's Jewelry, in Kearny.  In my opinion, Kearny has a very good police department. To suggest that they could have prevented this senseless murder was irresponsible. To suggest that the Kearny police should know by looking at someone that they are a murder and suggesting that individuals be stopped just because of their looks is in violation of both the United States and New Jersey constitutions.  If Kearny's police did what the Observer's publisher suggested, Kearny would be subject to suit for violation of an individual's Civil Rights.

I am looking forward to next week's Observer to see if the Publisher and Editor Celeste Regal step up to the plate and correct the errors in their Bankruptcy article and publish a story on the September Harrison Council meeting.  That would be a way for them to start on the road back toward serving the community.

The front page of tommorow's Kearny Observer will carry a story by Celeste Regal on Councilmembers Steve and Maria McCormick's filing of a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition and the listing of a loan by Steve Adler.  A Chapter 11 Bankruptcy allows an individual to restructure their debt and pay creditors in an orderly fashion. Unlike a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy does not discharge all debts. 

Since the McCormicks were elected as the first husband and wife Councilmembers in the town's history, both have fought for a open government in town. Being a politician with integrity is not an easy task.  The McCormicks could have easily sold out like many other councilmembers before them.  The McCormicks have not sold out.  I commend them for not doing so even in the face of some personal financial difficulties.  Filing for bankruptcy, even a Chapter 11 reorganization, is not something someone does without a dose of humility. Joining the other members of the council who all have town, county, or state jobs would have been a lot easier and financially rewarding.

I am looking forward to the Observer article on the September Mayor and Council meeting that will be published in this week's edition.  I also look forward to the Observer reporting on how a large crowd of residents filled the council chambers and how you could feel the nervous tension of residents who are facing continued business as usual by the Mayor and Council despite a financial crisis effecting its residents.

Unfortunately, if the nervous tension at this month's Mayor and Council meeting is an indicator, the McCormick's Bankruptcy may be a foreshadow of what Harrison's residents will have to face in the months to come.

I have faith that the McCormicks will come out of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy stronger than ever.  I am extremely disappointed at the Observer's poor one sided news reporting.  The failure of the Observer to cover this month's Mayor and Council meeting is just one incident in a string of prior incidents.

Despite important agenda items and a large crowd at the Harrison Mayor and Council meeting, both the Observer and the Kearny Journal (a subsidiary of the Jersey Journal) failed to report on the meeting. 

A reporter from the Observer and the Kearny Journal were present at the meeting.  Both reporters had their note pads out taking notes.  What happened to the stories?  Last week's Mayor and Council meeting was a monumental meeting with a record number of citizens coming out to a town meeting.  Their message no more tax increases.  The citizens were also protesting the high salaries of various town employees most notably Councilman James Doran who has landed a $200,000+ job as Superintendent of Harrison's school district.

The Observer and the Kearny Journal have an obligation to cover the news.  The lack of coverage is a disservice to the residents of Harrison.  If the reporters for the Observer and Kearny Journal are not going to write articles on the meeting why bother attending. 

At the meeting, the Mayor and Council voted to approve the installation of surveillance video cameras to be installed along Harrison Avenue and Frank E. Rodgers Blvd.  The cost $75,000.00  Harrison's Police Chief Derek Kearns stated that the cameras will help police combat crime but not replace police officers.  There was an interesting emphasis on "not replace police officers".  A good basis for a short story on the passage of the resolution leading to a discussion of whether Harrison's Police Department is adequately manned.  There also could be a comparison between Harrison's proposed system and East Newark's existing surveillance camera system.

In addition, the Mayor and Council voted to purchase a van for the Department of Public Works at a cost of over $16,000.  Councilmembers Steve and Marie McCormick voted against the purchase.  The van is scheduled to replace the van that transports parking meter quarters to Jersey City.  Councilman Steve McCormick voiced, once again, the need to bring accountability to the collection of parking meters.  Councilman McCormick restated his proposal that at a minimum a centralized parking station be installed to insure that parking meter quarters are not diverted.  Several towns and cities have installed these meters.  Both Kearny and Newark have implemented these meters.  Mayor Raymond McDonough has opposed a centralized parking station opting instead for individual meters. Centralized meters have accounting safeguards to insure that all monies deposited are accounted for.  Individual meters do not have the accounting safeguards.  There has been no restitution paid to the town by former Department of Public Works Superintendent for the reported $100,000 in quarters he stole from town parking meters. Councilman Steve McCormick stated that he still did not know who determined the amount of $100,000 as the Town Treasurer Beth Higgins had denied providing that amount to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

There was also an introduction of an Ordinance to change once again a Financial Agreement with the entities that compose the Harrison Commons project. 

I urge all the citizens of Harrison to come out to Mayor and Council meetings. I applaud those who came out to the last meeting.  It was unexpected but uplifting to those of us who have been attending meetings for sometime now.  I also urge you to watch prior council meetings available on Joe Wood's website www.HarrisonMeetings.com to educate yourself on the issues previously discussed. A handful of citizens have been attending council meetings trying to keep the Mayor and Council honest.  Join us.

The Harrison Mayor and Council meeting was packed tonight with residents holding up signs protesting rising property taxes.  The other side of the sign contained a copy of articles on Councilman James Doran's appointment as Superintendent of Harrison's schools noting his salary.

Mayor Raymond McDonough was not at the meeting due to an illness in his family which Councilman Doran described as a life threatening stroke.  Councilman James Doran took over the running of the meeting. 

With respect to the 4.5 million dollar infrastructure bond for the Harrison Commons project, bond counsel stated that
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Middlesex Street in Harrison will be closed starting Tuesday September 1, 2009 from South Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. to Second Street.  An announcement on the town's website states "Due to Environmental Remediation and Infrastructure Improvements as of September 1st, 2009 Middlesex Street between Frank E. Rodgers Blvd South and South Second Street and South Third Street between Middlesex Street and Burlington Street will be closed and no parking permitted."  There is no indication on how long Middlesex Street will be closed.  Questions are directed to Town Engineer Rocco Russomano.

The closure of Middlesex Street will eliminate a significant amount ...<< MORE >>