Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante announced the arrests of 15 individuals for various narcotics violations in the Hoboken Housing Authority area in Hoboken. All but one of the arrests occurred on May 8, 2015, while the other occurred on May 6, 2015. The arrests took place after a two-month investigation that was performed by a collaborative effort between the Hoboken Police Narcotics Unit and the Hudson County Prosecutors Office Narcotics Task Force. The arrests followed multiple complaints by residents, stating that West Side Plaza, the strip mall with several restaurants and stores had been overrun by those who were allegedly dealing drugs in front of those stores. The investigation immediately showed an open air drug market had formed at 301 Jackson Street. The investigation also spread to several other areas around the Hoboken Housing Authority and the City of Hoboken.

“I want to thank Chief Ferrante, the Hoboken Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriffs Office, NJ Transit Police, and agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for working together as a team on this important investigation to ensure that every Hoboken resident feels safe in their neighborhood,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “This investigation began in response to community concerns, and I thank all the residents who raised their voices about public safety. I am proud that under the leadership of Chief Ferrante and the Hoboken Police Department, we are working proactively and collaboratively with the community and other law enforcement agencies to keep our community safe.”

Chief Kenneth Ferrante was proud of the results of this investigation and the work done by many.

“I was disturbed to hear the accounts of residents explaining how West Side Plaza was no longer safe for children, seniors, and the rest of the good people of the Hoboken Housing Authority,” said Chief Ferrante. “It was also tough to be patient while the investigation took all of its necessary steps as I pleaded with residents and store owners who were growing frustrated that we were working on it without being able to tell them what we were doing. Tonight, West Side Plaza is much safer as many who were making that area unsafe have been put behind bars. Processing continues at the time of this release and the bails range from $50,000 to $150,000. I thank the Hoboken Narcotics Unit under the command of Capt. Charles Campbell and Sgt. Edwin Pantoja, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office Task Force and the several other agencies that assisted our Hoboken Police Detectives and Uniformed Officers today. In my first six months as Chief, I have had a great experience collaborating with Hudson County Prosecutor Gaetano Gregory on many issues that help the City of Hoboken and its residents and visitors.”

“During this potentially dangerous operation, the professionalism shown by all the officers and the near perfect execution of the operation netted these 14 arrests with neither defendants nor any officers sustaining any injuries,” added Ferrante.

The first arrest which was part of the operation, was executed on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at approximately 2pm, when police arrested Orlando Martinez near his residence at 917 Clinton Street. A search warrant uncovered that Martinez possessed approximately five ounces of Marijuana, along with Crack Cocaine, Heroin and Steroids, and over $30,000 in cash. Martinez was arrested on 15 drug charges.

The following is a list of the individuals that were arrested on May 8, 2015:
1) Kishaun Gilyard, Age 20
310 Jackson Street, Hoboken
Multiple Counts of Distribution of CDS
Bail: $50,000 cash

2) Jarell D. Lee, Age 23
310 Jackson Street, Hoboken
Multiple Counts of Distribution of CDS
Bail: $100,000 cash

3) Dyshawn G. Ladson
70 Bowers Street, Jersey City Distribution of CDS
Bail: $100,000 cash

4) John P. Ramos, Age 42
153 Bowers Street, Jersey City
Multiple Counts of Distribution of CDS
Bail: $125,000 Cash

5) James Fields, Age 27
97 Van Wagenen Avenue, Jersey City
Distribution of CDS (Note, Fields has been arrested several times in 2015 for assaults on store owners of West Side Plaza) Bail: $125,000 cash

6) Julio Fermaint, Age 22
410 Marshall Drive, Hoboken,
Multiple Counts of Distribution of CDS
Bail: $75,000 cash

7) Stacey Johnson, Age 44
311 13th Street, Hoboken
Distribution of CDS
$100,000 Cash

8) Julian Braxton,
Hoboken
Possession of CDS

9) George Pickett
Hoboken
Failure to Appear Warrant

10) Larry Ladson
Jersey City
Motor Vehicle Warrant and Possession of CDS

11) Curtis Jefferies Hoboken
Possession of CDS

12) Ray Latimer Jr, Hoboken
Possession of CDS

13) Armando Roman
400 Marshall Drive, Hoboken
Defiant Trespassing
Released on Summons

14) Lavada Evans
1112 Jefferson Street, Hoboken
Defiant Trespassing
Released on Summons

The above defendants are presumed innocent on all charges until proven guilty in a court of law.

Construction activities will commence on May 11, 2015 on Hudson Street between 14th Street and 15th Street. During construction, which is expected to last four to six months, the 1400 block of Hudson Street will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The purpose of the project is to address flooding and for utility work related to the construction of 1400 Hudson Street. The roadway will be re-graded, a rain garden will be built at the corner of 15th Street and Hudson Street, and stormwater detention systems will be installed under the street and sidewalks to alleviate localized flooding at Hudson Street and 15th Street.

betweenartandcomfort:

Samuel L. Jackson

Gieves & Hawkes Dinner Jacket

Source: The Rake Magazine

All the Fish in the Sea

Photograph by Jeff Hester, National Geographic Your Shot

Your Shot member Jeff Hester was drawn to make this image because, he says, I believe this is what our oceans should look like. But Cabo Pulmo, a marine park off Mexicos Baja California peninsula, hasn't always been this way. In 1995, [the] park was established by local citizens to counteract depleted reef fishes and marine life due to overfishing, he says. Today, the biomass is booming, and the ecosystem is returning to a healthy state. For this particular image, I wanted to show some scale ... so I had my wife, seen in the foreground, swim ahead of me.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more.

Yellow Jellies

Photograph by Ciemon Frank Caballes, National Geographic Your Shot

The residents of Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malkone of the Rock Islands of Palausurround a snorkeler in their midst. The saltwater lakes golden jellyfish, harmless to humans, spend much of their lives following the sun as it makes its daily progress across the sky. For these jellies, sunlight is essential: It nourishes the algae-like organisms that live symbiotically in their tissues.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Join now

Proof that children are nothing but tiny, wasted adults.

The owner of this house, who is in no state for company.

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This idiot.

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This kid, who just couldn't keep it down.

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This future rugby lad.

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View Entire List ›

In the Hole

Photograph by Christoph Jorda, National Geographic Your Shot

To get this shot, taken in Austria, Your Shot member Christoph Jorda set up two Profoto B1 flash systems: one on top of the ice cave and one inside. We had to dig out the entrance of the cave because it was almost totally closed by the snow you see in the foreground, Jorda writes. The problem? According to Jorda, the ice cave was at an altitude of nearly 9,800 feet, the temperature was at minus 4F, and the flash didnt work properly. So he [had] to jump a couple of times to get it right, he says.

Jordas image was recently featured in Your Shots Daily Dozen.

This photo was submitted to Your Shot, our storytelling community where members can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Join now

On Sale at Sierra Trading Post: Bill’s Khakis M3 “Trim Fit” Chinos

And now, something for everyone. Sierra Trading Post just restocked Bill’s Khakis well-regarded, American-manufactured M3 chinos in plenty of colors and nearly full size runs, starting at just $70–a 44% discount, and likely eligible for stacking with STP’s DealFlyer email codes for an additional 25% to 55% off (unfortunately, don’t have any of those handy at the moment).

A faded olive color is available here; all other colors can be found here, including the khaki, British khaki, charcoal, and dark olive pictured above.

Note that although the M3s are well-made and called a “Trim Fit”, you likely have to size down one in the waist and have the legs tapered by a tailor.

You can see all newly-arrived Bill’s Khakis M3s here.

Pilgrim Surf + Supply hit the jackpot with three top summer footwear collaborations featuring two sport sandals and a classic sneaker. First up, a Vans printed slip-on shoe references the Pilgrim logo with a navy and white pennant design, a laid-back style with a skate feel. For maximum toe exposure on those warmer days, opt for the nylon strap sandal by BEAMS and Chacos in a sea green and black and white checked colorway, or try Suicoke‘s version of the sporty “DEPA” sandal in navy and forest green; shades said to represent the ocean and mountains. Available in limited numbers at the Pilgrim Surf + Supply pop-up shop at BEAMS Shibuya.

Pilgrim Pop-up: BEAMS Shibuya, Shibuya Jinnan 1-15-1

The post A Trio of Summer Footwear Collaborations from Pilgrim Surf + Supply appeared first on Selectism.

Intelligent Travel

Photograph by Brian Skerry, National Geographic

Spinner dolphins return from foraging to a bay off Oahu, Hawaii. Garrulous and gregarious, spinners gather in groups that can number in the thousands.

See more pictures from the May 2015 feature story Its Time for a Conversation.

Skerry talks about photographing the soul of the sea on Proof.

As an American playing in the Premier League, one of the things that continues to blow my mind is the passion of the fans over here. Just this weekend, we got a massive 1-0 win on the road against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, and sure enough, our traveling supporters were singing their hearts out in their corner of the stands. It’s one of the things that makes the Premier League’s atmosphere so incredible. All these people who gave up their weekend to drive 115 miles from Birmingham to London in rented coaches just so they could show their support and try to drown out the chants of 30,000 Tottenham supporters. And by the end, they did. You would have thought we were playing at home.

The Players’ Tribune asked me to come up with the 5 most epic road stadiums I’ve ever played in. As someone who has been lucky enough to play all over the world, it was no easy task. There was only one rule: I couldn’t list our home stadium of Villa Park (shout out to the Holte End).

Estadio Azteca
The first stadium that comes to mind straight away is Azteca in Mexico City. As a U.S. player, it’s intimidating because so many teams before us have gone down there to play Mexico and failed to get a point. It’s like this mythical place that you hear about as a young player, and you’re like, “What could be so crazy about it? No big deal.”

Then you have your first trip to Mexico City, and the intense vibe starts before you even leave the hotel. The locals invariably find out where we’re staying and there always seems to be a crowd waiting for us as we board the bus. We always have a huge police escort. It’s almost like a presidential motorcade to get to the stadium. Driving through the streets, it’s pretty wild. You get a few hand gestures. Maybe a beer or two thrown at the bus windows. There’s an overwhelming feeling like, Okay, it’s the guys on this bus versus an entire country.

When you get to the locker room, the staff wheels in oxygen tanks and it reminds you that you’re about to play 90 minutes at 7,000 feet above sea level. Performing at an elite level at that altitude isn’t easy. No matter how much you train for it, at some point you just can’t catch your second wind, and your mental concentration starts to go out the window.

When you get to the field and look up, it’s just a massive wall of human beings and concrete. It almost feels like the stands are completely vertical. There’s no real “slant” to the upper bowls like there is with modern stadiums. You can’t even see the sky. Plus, there’s nowhere for the air to go, which makes a hot day feel even more suffocating. It’s kind of claustrophobic. You feel enclosed in a giant cauldron with 104,000 people who are very much not there to support you.

At kickoff, the noise is incredible. The stadium’s enclosed walls create an incredible buzz. I’ve heard it described as a beehive. You can’t really hear what’s going on around you. Barking instructions to defenders on set pieces becomes a nightmare because you can hardly hear the guy standing three feet away from you. You have to wave your arms to try to get guys’ attention.

One of the most memorable games I’ve ever played was the 0-0 draw we got there in World Cup Qualifying in 2013. It was only the second time in history that the U.S. went to Azteca and got a point. At the final whistle, I spotted a very, very small pocket of American fans in the corner of the stands and gave them a round of applause. I remember thinking, “Man, those are some very brave Americans right there.”

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Anfield
I’ll never forget my first trip to Anfield. Being an American playing in the English Premier League is so special because you get to experience so much history. Liverpool is as historic as it gets. When the team bus drives up to the stadium, you go through the famous Shankly Gates — these big black iron gates with the club slogan “You’ll Never Walk Alone” carved at the top. You creep through this narrow street at two-miles-per-hour while the bus is escorted by police on horseback, and you see all the fans walking to the stadium in their red and white gear. It feels like something out of another time — like the way it used to be in the 1960s.

When you walk out of the simple locker room and into the tunnel area and prepare to go on the pitch, you walk under the historic painted sign that reminds you just where you are: “This is Anfield.” It’s kind of like Notre Dame’s “Play Like a Champion Today” sign. As an American, to walk out of that tunnel and hear the fans singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and holding up their scarves, if you don’t get goosebumps then there’s something wrong with you.

The first time I ever saw the field in a Premier League match was at Anfield. Brad Friedel got a red card in the 65th minute and so I had to come in cold and try to stop a penalty from Steven Gerrard with the famous “KOP End” at my back (this is where the hardcore of the hardcore fans sit). That was the only time in my career where I kind of had an out-of-body experience, and for a split second as I was walking from the sideline to the goal I thought, Wow, this is pretty special.

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Old Trafford
I’m an ’80s baby, so when I was a kid growing up in Illinois, Manchester United was entering its period of dominance. They were the team you always saw in the Champions League on ESPN, and you always heard about this place called “The Theater of Dreams,” otherwise known as Old Trafford. It sounded magical.

The special thing for me at Old Trafford is the experience of walking out of the tunnel and onto the field. There’s nothing like it in the world. You come out to the pitch by the corner flag where so many legends have made their entrance before you, but the unique thing is that to get onto the pitch, you have to step up this slope. The grass is higher than the rest of the ground around it. It creates a feeling that you’re literally stepping onto a stage in front of 75,000 people. The “Theater of Dreams” thing is actually pretty accurate.

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St. James’ Park
This is one of my favorite stadiums from an architectural standpoint. At field level, the way the transparent roof extends over the stands creates a really dramatic atmosphere. There are technically larger stadiums in the Premier League, but St. James’ feels really massive. Newcastle also puts the away fans at the very top, top, top corner of the stadium so you can barely see them.

The passion of the fans in the Northeast of England is crazy. Back in the day, Newcastle was a Champions League team and the fanbase is dying for a return to glory, so there’s a lot of pent-up energy and frustration. It creates a unique kind of tension. I guess you could compare it to the Oakland Raiders in America. Going into Newcastle, you know you’re going to be exposed to some very interesting chants and songs. The supporters are going to tip-toe right up to the line of decency, and maybe over it. The banter is borderline abusive but often hilarious. Thankfully, once you get on the pitch, it’s actually quite hard to make out what the fans are saying, especially at a 50,000-seat stadium like St. James’ Park. At the smaller grounds like Loftus Road, where there’s just a few thousand people sitting five feet behind your goal, it’s a different story. You have to be very focused not to let it distract you.

Off the field, I’ve been told that Newcastle is a very good night out. I’ve never been out (and with a new baby at home, probably never will have the pleasure), but I’ve certainly heard some stories.

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Estadio Olímpico, Honduras
This tiny ground gets a special mention strictly for the, uh — let’s call it “passion” of the Honduran fans. We went there for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers, and you just know going into those hostile environments that you’re not going to get a lot of calls. I remember the game being incredibly physical. Every time there was a violent tackle, we’d jump up on the bench and the ref would stick his hands out. “Play on, play on.” It’s a tough spot to be a referee in environments where you see the riot police standing on the sidelines. The saving grace was that the Estadio Olimpico has a running track around the pitch, which saved our guys on corner kicks. In some places where we play in qualifying, the fans are 10 feet away from you at the corner flag. I’ve seen like 25 cups of beer rain down on our guys when they’re trying to take a corner. God bless the running track.

We ended up pulling out a come-from-behind 3-2 win to lock up our place in South Africa, and as we were coming off the field, the police had set up a huge inflatable tunnel to get us safely into the locker room. The problem was that the tunnel wasn’t long enough, so the crowd was still able to throw stuff at us. The riot police police had to line up across from one another and improvise a tunnel of shields for us to run under. So as we crouched down and ran through, we could hear coins, lighters, and all kinds of random stuff pinging off the shields.

It wasn’t over yet. We finally got into the locker room and we were ready to celebrate. Our staff brought in some beers and champagne, and all of a sudden we heard some banging on the glass-block windows that were high up on the wall. The way the stadium was designed, the fans could look right down into our locker room from street-level. The next thing we knew, people were kicking through the windows and trying to throw stuff down at us. It was pandemonium, but I have to say, it was also a pretty great adrenaline rush.

At the very least, I can say I’ll never forget escaping the stadium that night.

There’s a reason why hitting a baseball is widely considered one of the most difficult tasks in sports. You’re playing with a bat, which is round, and you have to make solid contact with a round baseball — the physics of it is just a formula for failure.

Now, consider the fact that in MLB, these baseballs are being thrown by the greatest pitchers in the world. There is no such thing as an “easy” at-bat. Through nearly 700 at-bats in the big leagues, I’ve yet to face a pitcher that I was relieved to see on the mound.

Naming a few of the toughest pitchers out of all of the elite pitchers I’ve faced is hard. I don’t really struggle with the typical fastball — that’s not something I’ve ever had an issue with. I struggle more with guys that throw 86 to 92 mph with really good movement on their fastball as opposed to a guy that comes in and throws a flat 98.

That being said, here are the most difficult pitchers I’ve faced so far in my young career. (Full disclosure: I’ve yet to face Clayton Kershaw but I have a feeling he might be added to this list once I do.)

Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds

I’ve seen him a lot. Johnny is very successful because he trusts his stuff. He’s not afraid to come after guys with his fastball. That alone gets him out of a lot of situations where other pitchers might give in and make a mistake. He turns his whole body to centerfield on windup and then throws a 90 mph fastball. He has a great cutter. I’m not sure if most fans notice it on TV, but anything inside that rides up is a cutter at about 91 or 92 mph. He throws it just as much as his four-seamer and two-seamer. The confidence he has — which gives him the ability to go after guys — and his control are what give him a great track record.

I need to lay off the cutter. Most lefties like to pull the ball. We get a little excited and almost always end up getting jammed. The other case is you see it and just swing straight through it. I need to stop swinging at the cutter because I’ll either get jammed or just hook it foul and give away a strike.

Imagine you’re playing tennis and your opponent gets slice on a ball. Now think of that coming at your face in the form of a baseball. That’s what a great cutter like Cueto’s is like. Pretty intense.

Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants

Madison’s deception is great. He does an excellent job of hiding the ball. He also has unbelievable off-speed pitches. When you’re mixing off-speed pitches with a good fastball, you have guys guessing out there.

All of these things were on display in the World Series last year — that was one of the most impressive pitching performances the sport has seen in a while.

When facing him, you have to keep your shoulder in and just be as comfortable as possible, which isn’t easy.

Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres

Tyson simply has outstanding stuff.

The first pitch that comes to mind is his heavy fastball. He’s so tall and lanky that it seems like the ball is already halfway to the plate when he releases it. The angle that he gets on his ball makes things so much more difficult. He gets batters to swing at a lot of stuff that’s up and out of the zone.

While most pitchers would have their ball drop at some point, his just stays up there. When he does throw a strike down in the zone, it looks like it’s going to go in the dirt, but nope, it stays right in there. That just ties into his release point and deception. He also has one of the best sliders I’ve ever seen.

Jacob deGrom, New York Mets

I first faced Jacob last year around All-Star break, about halfway into the season. I got two hits off of him, but I’ll admit they were pretty weak contact.

My first at-bat against him is most memorable. I was mystified because these fastballs were coming over the plate, and I’m thinking, I should be putting these in play, but I just kept fouling them off. I thought I was having an off day, but it turns out that everyone was having the same trouble.

Then I paid closer attention and followed the pitch right into the plate. It was at that point that I noticed his fastball had really, really rare late movement. It moves just a tad at the end and it misses the barrel of the bat. It just looks like a regular fastball.

I think that was a big part of his success and he has a really bright future. I’m looking forward to facing him many more times.