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| President, Embankment Preservation Coalition |
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| Dear friends,
What a wonderful evening it was! Thank you for joining us at the Embankment restaurant in June to celebrate our progress and reaffirm your support! Your generous donations and support are vital in keeping the Embankment cause moving forward in its 10th year. It was a pleasure to see so many of you who have supported Embankment preservation year after year. It was also thrilling to see SO MANY new faces. In all, 171 people came out to the Embankment Restaurant. I was fortunate to speak with many of you, and hear about your desire to contribute and only wish there had been time and space to meet you all. You came from throughout Jersey City (Ege Avenue, Kennedy Boulevard, Pine Street, Mercer Street, the Island, The Heights, Journal Square), north and south Jersey, Hoboken and Manhattan! It is our supporters, both individuals and local and state-wide and national allied organizations, who have made this movement strong, and have helped us carry on and convince our elected officials to persevere year after year so that together we can create this important public resource! We look forward to the coming year and will keep in touch about ongoing developments, letting you know how you can continue to stay involved. With heartful thanks, |
| Mayor Jerramiah Healy is heading the City's effort to secure the Embankment for public use - light rail, park, and greenway. The City challenged Conrail's sale of the property to a developer. It led a petition to the federal Surface Transportation Board, which agreed that the rail line is under its exclusive jurisdiction. The City is also challenging state court rulings that allow Conrail's partner developer to seek land-use permissions before Conrail has sought or obtained a required rail abandonment permit.
The Mayor, whose busy schedule prevented him from attending, nevertheless contributed to the June 12 event. He is shown here at the Coalition's October meeting. |
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| Former NJ Assemblyman Louis Manzo (center) is running for Mayor. He joined the City, Coalition, and Rails-to-Trails in requesting that the federal Surface Transportation Board exercise its jurisdiction over the Embankment property. He and Councilman-at Large Peter Brennan (right), who has repeatedly voted for Embankment preservation ordinances and resolutions, chat with Tom Gibbons of Hamilton Park. |
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| New Jersey Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith towers above the crowd. As former interim Mayor of Jersey City and former Council President, Smith championed many Embankment preservation initiatives, including Municipal Landmark designation. He recently announced a mayoral run.
In the foreground is Laura Skolar, president of Pershing Field Garden Friends in Jersey City Heights. |
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| Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop has been an Embankment preservation supporter since assuming office in 2005.
He may be a mayoral candidate or run again for the City Council in October, and is exploring his options. |
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| Former Mayor Bret Schundler (center) planned to tear down most of the Embankment and turn it over to a townhome developer when he was last in office. He is running again for Mayor and recently told us city conditions have changed and he now supports preservation. He said, "As Mayor, I will work with the Embankment Coalition hand in glove to gain city ownership of the Embankment so that it can be turned into a municipal park, and will invest the city capital dollars and aggressively seek the grants necessary to make this new park a first-class public amenity." |
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| Embankment Preservation Coalition |
| THE HARSIMUS STEM EMBANKMENT |
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| Shelley Skinner, a Downtown resident and founder of Jersey City Families for Better Schools, is throwing her hat into the ring for Ward E Councilwoman. Shelley has stated her support for the Embankment park and greenway.
Behind her in the photo is Althea Bernheim, who is Council Aide to current Ward E Councilman Fulop. |