Published Articles 2/13/12 – 2/18/12; Last full-time day at the JJ

This was my last full-time week at The Jersey Journal, so I spent a good amount of time actually just wrapping things up. For example, I created a guide on how to organize our Prom Picture Challenge, which will be happening probably from May to June this year, and hopefully for several years afterward. It’s an awesome way of engaging our younger readers and I’m proud to have originated the idea.

Alas, here are some of my last projects. I have a few things still waiting to be printed and I will be freelancing for The Jersey Journal – most likely for its arts and entertainment Weekend Urge section, for which I have been the primary content writer over the past year – so I’m still going to pop in the paper every week, hopefully.

I learned so much from my 15 months at the Journal and am so glad to have worked with all the editors, staffers and interns at the paper. I got to do blogging, social media management, news reporting, beat reporting, entertainment and features writing, laying out pages, training other staff members and more. I also got the chance to create my own opportunities, like creating our Photo of the Day feature on Facebook, an online Police Beat Roundup and some photo challenges. It was super fun and I will miss seeing everyone’s lovely faces every day.

On to the stories!

News:

• Car overturns in Jersey City after two-car collision; drivers blame each other
• Jersey City man shot six times suffers wounds to arm, buttocks, back and groin
• Jersey City police blow up ‘suspicious’ suitcase with water cannon — it’s empty
• Bayonne woman struck in hit-and-run in Jersey City: police
• Jersey City kids’ gym files for bankruptcy, closes unexpectedly after parents pay for next semester
• McNair Academic High School of Jersey City wins Hudson County Mock Trial competition
• North Bergen teen, 15, writes science fiction/fantasy novel ‘Nibiru’s Awakening’
• After heart attack, Union City school nurse forms cardiac patient support group in Jersey City
• Jersey City’s private Al-Ghazaly School is using Kindles and contests to turn students on to reading book after book
• Suggestions pouring in for contest to name baby tortoise at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City
• Jersey City kids nonprofit seeks votes to win $100,000 technology grant in nationwide contest</li

Entertainment/Features:

• Jersey City rapper Boshia empowers women with bold message
• Union City rapper gets lyrically ‘Taktikal’ in his music, inspired by his brother and Eminem
• Blues rock duo Tall Days to perform at Maxwell’s in Hoboken
• Jersey City bartender Carlos Rodriguez is proud to represent New Jersey in Mr. Gay World USA contest
• Jersey City composer unleashes ‘monster’ songs, writes tunes for Broadway show
• Gallery 1200 exhibit in Hoboken celebrates women
• Blind Jersey City artist learned to paint again; teaches others at St. Joseph School for the Blind
• Hip Hop Takeover Saturday at Union City’s Goodlife Lounge
• Bayonne teacher, composer raising cash to put his music on a CD
• Jersey City designer hoping her clothing line catches on big time
• Owner: Ibby’s Falafel in Jersey City and Hoboken ‘made falafel famous’

Published Articles 2/6/12 – 2/11/12

It’s been a pretty awesome, hectic week, especially for my penultimate semana at The Jersey Journal. I got to cover the Giants Super Bowl parade in New York City with our awesome photographer Lauren Casselberry . I also was able to contribute to two half-cover story spreads – one for the Giants parade and one for the breaking news that Snooki and JWoww of “Jersey Shore” will be moving to Jersey City to film a spin-off. Lots of craziness happening!

Also, my story on a $2.3 million home in Jersey City – which photographer Andrew Miller dubbed an “urban palace” – was the fourth most popular story on NJ.com on February 8!

News:

• PHOTOS: Inside the secret urban palace selling for $2.3 million in Jersey City
• Jersey City Medical Center to hold ‘Dinner with the Doctor’ heart health event in Hoboken
• Movers load items into Jersey City firehouse for Snooki, JWoww ‘Jersey Shore’ spinoff as residents sound off (Cover!)

Entertainment/Features:

• Gourmet chocolate tasting at Jersey City bar to show Hoboken chocolatier’s skill
• North Bergen’s up and coming rapper TyAlaxandar is fighting the haters
• Jersey City Pro Arts calls for submissions for art proposal dinner
• Jersey City entrepreneur aims to help kids, performers leave their mark
• Violinist, pianist to show storytelling power of music at free Jersey City concert
• Jersey City artists create instructional DVD with portrait artist who inspires them
• Jersey City women to tell stories of romance, revenge, silliness in Jersey Shorts
• Jersey City artist’s ceramics on display at downtown bakery, cafe until Wednesday
• The Theater Company to stage ‘The Wild Party’ at Monroe Center for the Arts in Hoboken
• NJCU adjunct professor in the running for a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album of the Year

Giants/Super Bowl coverage

• Weehawken brothers’ Dannon Oikos yogurt Super Bowl ad starring John Stamos praised by critics
• Super Bowl champ Giants fans trash-talking along the victory parade route
• Giants’ Jersey City ‘Super’ fan sees it all live, from game to parade
• Giants fans from Hudson County flocked to ticker-tape parade (Cover!)

Published Articles 1/30/12 – 2/4/12

I’ve been focusing on features lately (although I got roped into doing Jersey City crime a couple times this week, which I admit, was tons of fun) and I have a lot more features coming out.

I’m hoping to get pieces on fashion bloggers, rappers and even more awesome stuff. I’m also going to take a second swing at getting George R. R. Martin, the author of “Game of Thrones” and the rest of the “A Song and Ice and Fire” series, to talk to me.

I’m also compiling a list of stand-out Hudson County artists (or artists who are hidden gems, too!) to possibly write features about into the distant future. Theater and musical artists, of course, are also on the list. If anyone has suggestions, they can leave a comment here or contact me personally.

News:

• Jersey City ‘thief’ found with cocaine after stealing cash from friend: cops
• Jersey City firefighters chase, aid in arrest after seeing four teens attack, rob man
• Jersey City woman stabbed, seriously injured after fight with two sisters: cops
• Armed Jersey City teen, partner robbed man of sneakers at Hoboken Light Rail station: officials
• Tires slashed on 4 more vehicles in Jersey City: police
• Jersey City man charged with chasing couple with corkscrew: ‘I’m going to have to kill someone’
• Jersey City teenager charged with kidnapping friend’s child, driving off in stolen car
• Jersey City teen robbed of cell phone while walking home: police
• Hoboken Catholic
  Academy has Middle States Association accreditation
• Jersey City school’s contest helps ‘Kindle’ student interest in reading
• Naming contest for baby tortoise at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City opens

Entertainment/Features:

• ‘Love/Hate’ art exhibit in Hoboken explores range of emotions
• Jersey City ceramicist Beth DiCara sets art on fire
• Jersey City artist explores African culture, art in ‘Afrocentricity’
• Spanish Pavilion in Harrison gets a better grade from Gordon Ramsay during his latest visit
• Owner: Ibby’s Falafel in Jersey City, Hoboken and Freehold ‘made falafel famous’
• Hudson County artist lets imagination run wild in paintings, illustrations
• Stevens Institute of Technology students to present seven scenes from Shakespeare plays Friday and Saturday night
• The Laugh Tour heads to town with Jersey City comic Kyle Grooms
• Union City slates concert by actress, singer Annie Kozuch
• New exhibit at Gallery 1200 in Hoboken pays tribute to “La Femme”
• Grammy nomination for NJCU adjunct professor Roseanna Vitro
• ‘The Wild Party’ musical to bring 1920s decadence to Hoboken

‘Secrets;Love’ website launched!

My official website for my play “Secrets; Love” has launched!

The show will be performed both at the Monroe Center for the Arts in Hoboken and the Downtown Urban Theater Festival in New York City in March.

On the website, you can find more information, rehearsal photos, updates and of course, links to tickets. (Or if you’re lazy, you can click here to get them.)

Visit SecretsLovePlay.com.

Published Articles 1/23/12 – 1/28/12; Call for possible arts feature subjects

Things have slowed down for me now that I’m in the office, but I’m still doing a fair amount of news and lots of great features – some of which have not yet been published.

I’m putting together a wishlist of arts people to write about until Feb. 17 and beyond, so if y’all know someone with Hudson County ties and awesome talent, tell me!

News:

• Carbon monoxide monitor carried by Jersey City EMS may have saved lives
• Hoboken, Bayonne hospitals no longer accept Aetna, United Healthcare
• Gas line rupture caused by construction crew briefly halts traffic flowing westbound out of Holland Tunnel in Jersey City
• Nonprofit invites Hispanic students to apply for scholarships, book stipends
• Some traffic delays expected after light on Route 1&9 in Jersey City goes out
• Robbers ask St. Peter’s College student for time, then snatch cell phone: cops
• Four assault, shoot at Jersey City man to steal his boots: cops
• Jersey City man tries to grab gun from robber before chasing him in car: police report
• Robbers grab Jersey City teen by neck, take $400 in items: police
• 2 Jersey City men charged with early morning robbery, cops said
• Sporting goods stores in Hudson County say happy Giants fans are scooping up NFC Championship shirts and other merchandise in a buying binge

Entertainment/Features:

• Hoboken exhibit’s portraits show different ethnicities inspired by one woman’s face
• Hoboken actress Jezabel Montero is one of the stars of Relaciones Peligrosas, new soap opera debuting on Telemundo tonight
• Hoboken Museum exhibit explores history of Holland, Lincoln tunnels
• Gordon Ramsay revisits Harrison restaurant on ‘Kitchen Nightmares’
• Jersey City comedian to headline next installment of ‘The Laugh Tour’
• Jersey City gospel play ‘Underneath It All’ to showcase faith, forgiveness
• Jersey City filmmaker’s movie on ‘Surviving Family’ ready for a screening in New York
• Margaret Murphy’s work on view at NJCU in Jersey City

<li.Union City couple advocate for humans’ freedom through their art

• Hoboken illustrator, writer’s children’s book highlights Meadowlands’ tale of survival

‘Something Inside That Head of Yours,’ revision 1

So I revised my short story “Something Inside That Head of Yours” into a monologue (about 2.5 to 3 minutes long) to audition for The Theater Company’s upcoming V-DAY production!

Don’t know if I got a part in the show yet, but I was pretty pleased with how this monologue turned out – it makes me want to turn even more of them into performance pieces.

Something Inside That Head of Yours

I like to imagine possible perils. Like, maybe the produce guy will toss me in a box of potatoes and rape me. Or maybe I will get distracted by a man with gorgeous locks blowing in the wind and my guts will go flying everywhere as a car runs me down as I cross the street. Or maybe I’ll get whacked after I accidentally charge airline tickets to a mobster’s credit card.

I know that these things are highly improbable. They just add some extra thrill to my life.

I went into a new bakery and saw a man cutting bread. Perhaps he is a serial killer, I thought. The place is loaded with torture devices – knives, toasters, really hard breadsticks. I thought maybe in a preemptive strike, I could grab the nearest baguette and hit him over the head with it.

He turned around before I could, though. “Can I help you?” he said.

It was then that I knew he was the love of my life. Why didn’t I notice how attractive he was before? Oh, right. He was facing the other way.

“Can I have a croissant with Nutella?” I said.

“No croissants left,” he said.

“Okay. Anything you can recommend?”

“…I really like the croissants.”

“But you just said you didn’t have any left, so that doesn’t really help me.”

It was then I realized my true love was stupid. We settled on a roll.

As I ate, my belly began to hurt and I knew something wasn’t right.

Perhaps he had poisoned me? Or perhaps the poison was intended for him! Maybe it was someone who also loved him!

The pangs started getting worse and I could feel my gastric juices stirring. Maybe they sang their heart out for him in public and he said, “What was that?” and they said, “Taylor Swift’s ‘You Belong to Me,’” and he said, “Ew.” It was probably really tragic.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Probably just upset stomach. Got Pepto?’

“I can check.” He left me behind. A few minutes later, I fell to the floor in pain.

A little after the world went fuzzy and a little before the world went black, I heard him on the phone.

“It’s done, boss. You don’t have to worry about that little rat buying tickets with your card on no Priceline.com no more.”

Published Articles 1/16/12 – 1/21/12; Leaving the Hoboken beat

Monday and Tuesday were my last days as the Hoboken beat reporter – I have officially passed the torch on to the awesome Travis Fedschun. For the next few weeks, I will be doing general news assignments and will also continue doing entertainment.

Some quick notes – rehearsal for “Secrets; Love” is moving right along (click here for tickets) and I got to party it up with some awesome people from the county’s arts community at Art House Productions’ Snow Ball! All in all, an awesome week.

News:

• Leaky ceilings at some apartments in Hoboken’s Marion Towers frustrate senior citizen residents
• Hoboken cop fired for angry airport incident after SWAT scandal to fight for job
• Committee stands by cancellation of 2012 Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade, hopes for future revival
• Hoboken celebrities sound off on St. Patrick’s Day Parade cancellation
• Jersey City man stabs Hoboken man in dispute over panhandling spot: cops
• Pregnant woman punched in family feud over video game in Hoboken: police
• Hoboken women scuffle after fight over Facebook comments: cops
• Hoboken says pumping station has greatly reduced flooding in southwest part of city, but some question if that’s so
• Paramedics’ carbon monoxide monitors may have saved life in Jersey City

Entertainment/Features

• ‘Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro Jr. will hand out autographs, sweets at Office Depot opening
• Hoboken artist Michelle Doll explores security vs. vulnerability in Jersey City exhibit
• North Bergen photographer shows ‘little epiphanies’ of light, geometry in Hoboken
• Jersey City artist’s work in new abstract show
• Hoboken author’s new book tackles weight issue from both sides
• Restaurant Week gets under way next week in Hudson County
• Audience can ‘play-along’ in interactive performance of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in Jersey City
• Bayonne composer raises funds to make musical ‘Fantasie’ come true