A River Runs Through It

Norman Maclean said "eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it". In this case, the river was the Passaic.

The Passaic River floods at a depth of seven feet. This week, the Passaic River was twelve. The flooding has left thousands of homes underwater. Watching the images of people escaping their Little Falls homes by boat should be a reminder to our politicians that green space needs to be protected now. How much are we going to spend on the numerous “state of emergencies” caused by floods before we realize that rivers like the Passaic are the watershed of our highlands? Approximately, 1,000 square miles of runoff flows from Northwest New Jersey into rivers like the Passaic.

New Jersey, in an effort to increase local town and county tax revenues, has permitted vast amounts of construction – homes, malls, commercial buildings, parking lots, and roads- in the New Jersey highland area. This has caused an increase in the rain and snow run-off into our small rivers and tributaries. Further, the water flows over more pavement and concrete – making our creeks, rivers, and oceans dirtier than ever. The soil and plant-life that normally cleanses the water naturally is no longer there.

We must preserve what remains of our highlands and open green spaces. To learn more and do your part, click here.

Sadly, the flooding isn’t going to get better, but it can get worse. It is time to protect our highlands.

Time to Build an Ark (...or Buy a Good Umbrella)

Hoboken hates rain. It's infrastructure, roads and sewer lines originally built on wetland, were never intended to house 40,000 plus people in 5 story condos. There is little drainage (i.e. green space), and when the river is at high tide (see tide chart to the right), there is no place for the water to go. That is the reason the water table is so high in the west end that I could kayak to Fiores.

To make matters worse, there was another article in this week's Reporter about the cost of fixing the rotting piers - currently projected to be 12 million dollars. Couldn't anyone have foreseen the inevitable collapse of piers built on the wooden pylons from 10o years ago? The erosion from rain only exacerbates the problems with our piers.

I know we don't live in Seattle, but the windy rains we get living next to the big river are strong enough that you would think Hobokenites would invest in one very important item - a good, strong umbrella. Nothing has been funnier in the last few days than watching people huddle under their wonky chinatown special, metal poking out in all directions. People, buy a good umbrella! It is worth investing in quality materials that last a long time. Do you hear that, Mayor?

Warm Wishes

I have a ski day planned for Wednesday, but today's 40 plus degree weather is reminding me that spring is around the corner. My New Zealand friends are probably laughing that 40 degree weather would cause thoughts of sunny days of t-shirts, but those who live north of the equator know this winter has been brutal. Washington Street is packed with strollers (people walking slowly) and strollers. It is a great day. The snow is melting quickly. I'll be back in the Hudson in no time.

Snow Day!

There are few things I enjoy more than a snow day! The storm (don't call it a blizzard) that came to Hoboken last Wednesday left us all reminiscing about days sledding, hot chocolate, and snow ball fights. And although I spent my snow day in a much more refined way than I would've in childhood, snow days still bring me the same excitement I had 30 years ago.

Living in Hoboken makes snow days even better! My wife and I walked to Anthony Davids for brunch (pic. above), and then watched movies throughout the afternoon. It was such a good day, I decided to spend the next day skiing!

So fingers crossed- they are calling for six more inches of snow on Monday night!

Some Things Change, Some (Must) Stay the Same

The needed changes to the Hoboken Waterfront, especially near Stevens, are long overdue. I am excited that Stevens has decided to finally clean up their most expensive piece of real estate and, better yet, make the waterfront more accessible for residents. So far, they have removed the large experimental tower. I only hope that they don’t continue to build upon the old wooden pier structures. Above and below are a few pictures I took today of the area surrounding Steven’s waterfront. (The picture at the bottom was taken from the mural above.)

Last night I saw a show at Maxwells. Maxwells is one of many reasons I love living in the mile square city. It is one of those places that provides a pulse to the otherwise lifeless establishments of Hoboken. There are others, of course – D.C.’s, Louise and Jerry’s, Empire Coffee, the studios at Newman Leather, Grimaldi’s- to name a few. But last night was disappointing. Let’s face it, New Jersey has its reputations and stereotypes for a reason. And unfortunately, last night, those stereotypes were standing next to me at a sold out show. They were drunk, wore too much perfume, talked loudly, and wouldn’t shut their mouths for the entire show. I know that Hoboken has more than its fair share of these people, but I always thought they would keep to the establishments that cater to them – like the places that offer flipcup tournaments. I’d like to think that the places that made Hoboken a destination in the first place will continue to be patronized by those who appreciate them. And the rest can practice flip cup.

Small City, Big Business

Barnes and Noble in Hoboken is closing. I am sure many in town are not surprised. After all, the high cost of Hoboken commercial real estate, extremely deep discounts offered by competitors on books, and the recent popularity of electronic books- all created the perfect storm- large enough to blow the bookstore giant from our landscape.

And (with my condolences to its workers) I say good riddance!

Barnes and Noble is the perfect example of what is wrong with large corporate America taking advantage of our little city. Big box retailers are happy to come to town when times are good and their incredibly bottom-line driven procedures provide retail services as long as they stay far enough in the black. However, as soon as times get tough, they pull up the tent and skip town. And why shouldn’t they? They have no ties to our city. The executives that made the decision to close Barnes and Noble don’t live in Hoboken. They never will. Nor will they care about its residence or the town’s long-term economic stability.

I am always frustrated when I hear fellow Hobokenites wish for big box retailers like Gap or Banana Republic to come to town. They are too short-sighted to realize they too will stay only if times are good, put out businesses that otherwise would have grown, and leave town as soon as they enter the red.

I am not saying that any bookstore could’ve survived in this economic landscape. I also know many people liked shopping at Barnes and Noble. But I hope Barnes and Noble's closure reminds us how important it is to support those shops who have shop owners who live among us. Put simply, shop at stores who care about Hoboken.

I should also add that this should be a lesson to Hoboken’s commercial real estate landlords hoping to cash in on big box retailer profits. If a retail giant like Barnes and Noble can go out of business and that doesn’t scare you back down to earth – and get you to appreciate a reasonable monthy rent and long term lease- nothing will. Your property too can sit empty for years- like the space that occupied Ted and Joes restaurant. What a shame.

Bottom line- buy local- and now buy books at Symposia. You’ll be glad you did.

P.S. For more stories on the local economy, you might want to check out my friend’s blog.

Haiti and Hope

I am attaching today’s NYTimes Science Times article on the Caribbean tectonic plate. It explains why the Haiti Earthquake happened- and why it was so devastating. I also want to attach another article – one more hopeful- about two Haitian orphans who were adopted in the aftermath.

A Sunny Solution to Everything

Thomas Friedman's opinion today in the New York Times is everything I want to say on this blog, albeit written much better. He states:

"...I am more convinced than ever that when historians look back at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, they will say that the most important thing to happen was not the Great Recession, but China’s Green Leap Forward. The Beijing leadership clearly understands that the E.T. — Energy Technology — revolution is both a necessity and an opportunity, and they do not intend to miss it.

We, by contrast, intend to fix Afghanistan. Have a nice day."

Many people in the United States want our government focused on one task, a solution to fix our economy and put people back to work - and rightfully so. As someone who studied more Darwin than Keynes in college, I admit that my few hours listening to Bloomberg Radio in no way make me an economics expert. But here is what I know: We cannot simply save ourselves out of a recession. We must spend money. And if we are to spend our way out of this, then let us spend money on solutions that create real jobs. The Chinese understand this. Why don't we? There should be no reason why we are not the world leaders in wind, solar, nuclear, and alternative energy technologies.

Here are some difficult facts to swallow: In the 1970's our country produced nearly 20 million new jobs. In the 1980's our country produced nearly 20 million new jobs. In the 1990's, you guessed it, our country produced nearly 20 million new jobs. The 2000's? Less than 500,000 new jobs were produced between 2000 and 2010. Moreover, many of the jobs produced in the last ten years were in the service industry, Starbucks and Walmart jobs. These jobs are unsustainable without a manufacturing foundation to our economy. With our nation's population increasing, this trend is troubling.

My humble opinion: our government resources must be placed in the hands of our scientists. Like the Apollo missions in the 1960's, a program that spun off millions of new jobs, the green revolution has the power to change the world, and the U.S. for the better. It will ideally accomplish the ultimate trifecta, create new jobs, decrease our dependence on world oil, and make the Earth a cleaner place to live. Moreover, it can provide incentive to our youth to focus their education into growing fields of study that our country so desperately needs - science, math, and engineering.

Can it really be as simple as "science is the answer"? I hope so. What can I say, I'm an optimist. I prefer kayaking, not dumping tea, in our waterways.

Merry Christmas and a Cleaner New Year!

The recent snow storm should not sway anyone from the facts pertaining to climate change. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, has increased from approximately 280 parts per million (ppm) in our atmosphere in the late 1800's to close to 400 ppm today. Average temperature, precipitation, and sea levels have all increased. They will continue to do so. Although not everyone agrees to what magnitude humans have influenced these changes, or how bleak our future looks because of it, it does not change the fact that each decade is getting, on average, warmer.

"Hope"enhagen, as many were calling it, did not pan out as many had, well, hoped. World leaders could not find much common ground. How could they? After all, many Americans are still ignorant to the fact that climate change is occuring at all, much less that we have anything to do with it. The United States produces the second highest totals of carbon, following China (China, and its billion plus people surpassed the U.S. in carbon emissions in 2006). The U.S. must lead the way, but our politicians, elected by naysayer constituents, will likely do little to nothing.

It is the holidays so I want to leave you with some good news. New Jeresy is doing more than most states. NJ is looking to trim its global warming pollution to 1990 levels by 2020, and by 80% by 2050. Further, most Hobokenites live simply, in small apartments, and have small carbon footprints. The average house in the US is over 2500 square feet, while in 1973, it was less than 1200 square feet. I know very few people living in Hoboken heating and cooling a 2500 square foot apartment. So feel good about the way you are living - and here's to a happy, healthy, and cleaner 2010!

The above Life photograph is of the Hudson frozen over. I remember this happening in 2000. Will it happen again this year?

Ski or Stay and Shop?

That was the decision I had to make on Sunday. I wanted to head out to PA and get in my first day of skiing this season. After putting my skis in the car, warming up with a cup of java, and filling up the gas tank, I headed out of town and into... rain. So the season is starting slowly. Really slowly. This time last year, I had made 100's of runs. It makes me more thankful for my days on the slopes in New Zealand this past August. I posted a pic. above of Mount Raupehu- where I skied the sides of an active volcano. Normally I post pics on this site for my readers. That one's for me. Here's hoping I'll be strapped to my planks soon.

After doing a U-eey at the NJ turnpike tollbooths, I decided that if I can't do want I want, ski, I might as well do what I have to. It's that time of year again. Time to head to the malls, the outlets, and the grocery store. Time to spend my hard earned cash. Time to go shopping.

If I had to rank every activity of my life on a scale of one to sucks, shopping would be close to sucks. Now, before you start thinking Christmas Grinch, I have sound reason for my angst. See, I'm the guy that stands in line behind the woman that buys a four dollar item that doesn't have a bar code, the guy behind the man at the Starbucks that can't decide what kind of tea he wants, the guy behind the lady who chooses to sign up for another credit card, and the guy at the deli counter waiting for the couple buying an 1/8 of a pound of 14 different meats.

I'm sure some of my luck has something to do with my lack of natural shopping savvy, though much of it has to do with where I shop. Living across from NYC, I shop at some of the largest and most populated places. So this year, I will do my best to grow my grinchy christmas heart. This year I have decided to limit my exposure to shopping mayhem. This year I am going to exclusively shop in Hoboken. I will support my local businesses while trying to maintain that elusive holiday spirit. Walking into Hoboken's "mom and pop" shops feels so much different than Macy's. And frankly, the gifts tend to be more thoughtful. So while we wait for snow, I'd suggest you do the same. Happy holidays!

The Fisher King

I read this article in the NY Times and had to share it. This guy caught a 157 pound tuna from a modified 12 foot kayak. Again, that's 157 pounds from a 12 foot kayak. Do you think he starts his stories with "I caught a fish this big..."?

A Slow "Movember"

I feel things are slowing down lately. A few weeks ago, you could feel winter around the corner. I thought I would be on the ski slopes in no time. Now we seem to be stuck in an October fall - too warm for snow, too cold to eat outdoors.

The weather isn't the only thing that has slowed down. I walked past pier C today (see pics) and found it in the same place it was weeks ago.

Even my blog has slowed down. I have been running quite a bit lately- planning to do the Suntrust Marathon in the spring with my friend Paul. Unfortunately, there isn't as much to say about my days running as there is about my days paddling. And a camera can be difficult to carry over five miles. I hope you enjoy the photos from the waterfront. I also took a shot of the re-engineered Stevens Park soccer field. It looks like the battle of the "woodworms" has begun.

Yes, many things have slowed down this November, but if you are looking for progress, look no further than my friend Ash's mustache. You can help Ash raise both awareness and money for prostate cancer by visiting his "Movember" Page: http://us.movember.com/mospace/329908 All donations benefit both the Prostate cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Check it out!

U.S.S. New York

The U.S.S. New York sailed into New York's harbor this past week. It will be commissioned today. It is a massive ship made from the steel of the World Trade Center. Above is a picture taken as it came into harbor. Thank you to Mr. Keyes for the photo.

Change is Positive?

Change is positive. That was the saying on a friend’s shirt in college. Only an optimist could wear that shirt. It’s going to take a lot of optimism for me to see the positives in the changes that took place on election Tuesday.

I am very concerned about Chris Christie being elected governor. Frankly, he is a person that shares little ideologically with me. My optimistic friends point to the fact that our taxes could decrease - possibly, but at what costs? Just how many jobs can Chris Christie cut to offset his plans for homestead rebates and tax cuts amidst a deep recession? Isn’t New Jersey, like so many other states, already close to bankruptcy? And how will our economy effect things I care about most – open spaces, clean rivers, protecting our highlands? Further, six million New Jerseyians didn’t vote on Tuesday. This state’s apathy might be the biggest issue we face. I’ll keep thinking – change is positive.

If there was a positive on Tuesday night, it was that voters did “vote yes on one”. Ironically, many voters voted for Christie to control spending in the Garden State. So how does one explain voters also approving a measure that allows NJ to borrow 400 million dollars to protect open spaces, especially in our highlands? In the most densely populated state in the country, maybe a person’s right to clean open spaces trumps all other causes. I’ll be optimistic about this and hope the funds to protect open spaces truly protect our open spaces and do not go to places like the “parks” that have indoor ski areas built on wetlands. I’ll keep thinking – change is positive. (Above is a picture of our Meadowlands now - an area that desperately needs protection).

Also, best of luck to Hoboken’s new mayor. Dawn Zimmer, who has always had a platform of promoting parks in town, was re-elected on Tuesday. I hope she truly has the ability to stand up to developers, work with the city counsel, and fix our waterfront parks. There is much to be done. Again, I’ll keep thinking – change is positive.

Vote Yes on One

Equally important as your vote for mayor and governor in November, is ballot question #1. It asks taxpayers to borrow $400 million to fund open space initiatives. These initiatives will help protect farms, wetlands, watersheds, and our highlands. The NJ highlands are often forgotten by Trenton and those in eastern Jersey, but the Highlands are our water source - our lifeline. Suburban sprawl has reached our most needed lands and they need protecting now more than ever. So vote yes on one.