I want to thank you all so much for this resounding victory at the polls. This was not a victory for me alone. This was a victory for positive campaigns. This was a victory for truth. This was a victory for respect. This is a victory for the people of the 4th ward.

All through this campaign we focused on what we’ve been able to accomplish for the 4th ward. I say we, because everything that I have done, everything that I have accomplished in the last six months, we did together.

This week, we get back to work because, like I said In November, we have a mountain to climb. Over the next four years. We will start work on a new park in the Southwest. We will make Mama Johnson Park a first-rate facility for our kids. We will cut taxes. We will get more of our streets paved. And we will make the 4th ward the showcase of Hoboken.

But none of this can be accomplished without you. I need your help. The 4th ward needs your help. We can’t make a change in the 4th ward unless each and every one of you stays involved. I hope I can count on you. I want you to know that you can count on me and that I won’t let you down.

Thank you so much.

Please make sure to come out and vote today! Polls are open until 8 p.m. If you’ve already voted, please call your neighbors and urge them to come out, too! Thanks for your support.

Removal of these tree stumps was the final round of a clean up of this lot on the corner of 1st and Jackson streets. The clean up work was performed by violators of the city’s Zero Tolerance policy. We’ve worked to get this lot cleaned up for months and to see the final work getting done was very fulfilling for me.

I have called on the city administration to use $76,000 from the municipal surplus to resurface Harrison Street, between Newark Street and Observer Highway.

It is simply unacceptable for City Hall to be sitting on millions of taxpayer dollars while a street like Harrison, which sees major traffic flow on a daily basis, is in the condition it’s in. Our ward deserves better and I believe this is appropriate use of our surplus dollars. This is another example of City Hall overcharging and under-serving the 4^th ward.

I  proposed an amendment to the 2011 budget yesterday to allocate the funds. Since my election in November, I have been concentrating on improving traffic conditions in the 4^th ward, where neglected streets and poor traffic control measures have led to dangerous conditions. Residents in the area have been calling for Harrison Street to be resurfaced for months. The Hoboken Business Center, which is located on the block, is home to a variety of small businesses and a daycare center.

We have to respond to residents who take their children to that daycare center and the small business owners whose enterprises are adversely affected by the traffic resulting from the poor conditions of our streets. I plan to meet with city officials to discuss a more comprehensive resurfacing effort that would include residential areas of the 4^th ward. Resurfacing this one block is just a small step. We need to undertake a major paving effort in the 4^th ward.

It was a resounding victory for the Independents for Education slate last night, as Carmelo Garcia, Frances Rhodes-Kearns  and Peter Biancamano showed that, together, we can bring positive change to our city, starting with the school board. I was proud to support this team and was heartened to see how broad their support was, not only in the 4th ward, but across the city. This victory shows that Hoboken voters do care about who represents them on the school board. I look forward to working closely with Carmelo, Frances and Peter, who should all be applauded for their hard work and positive outlook!