GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES PROCESS FOR LONG-TERM ENERGY MASTER PLAN
Governor Jon Corzine has announced the beginning of a year-long interagency process that will produce an Energy Master Plan for the long-term vision to meet New Jersey’s energy needs through 2020. The Master Plan will fundamentally address 3 areas:
-Security, safety and reliability of the prices of energy supply and services
-Economic impact of the energy production, transportation and end use
-Environmental impacts associated with energy production.

The Governor said the public will be actively engaged in development of the Energy Master Plan through a series of stakeholder meetings around the state over the next year. The first set of public meetings will begin the week of
October 23rd.
-October 23, 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Board of Public Utilities, Newark
-October 24, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., War Memorial, Trenton
-October 25, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., Delaware River Port Authority, Newark
-October 26, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., Atlantic Cape Community College, Atlantic City

CORZINE AND BEACHEM SPEAK AT NEW YORK CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FORUM
    Alliance for Action President Philip K. Beachem was an invited speaker at a construction industry luncheon in New York sponsored by the New York Building Congress in cooperation with the New Jersey Alliance for Action. A key topic was the planned $7.2 billion construction of a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New Jersey and Manhattan. The featured speaker was Governor Jon Corzine.

Governor Corzine reaffirmed his support for the tunnel project, declaring: “This is the No. 1 item on my infrastructure agenda” and thanked the Alliance for being the lead organization on the Tunnel project for New Jersey. Beachem said infrastructure investment is the best way to achieve Corzine’s goal of growing New Jersey’s economy.

Richard T. Anderson, President of the New York Building Congress, presided at the meeting. At the urging of leaders in both states, the Alliance for Action and the New York Building Congress have formed Friends of the Tunnel for public education and to build support.

ROUTE 1 TRANSFORMATION BEGINS FINAL STAGE
The final phase of the $336 million widening and traffic improvements project for Route 1 has begun. This phase will include widening of a 2.5-mile stretch in Middlesex County between the Garden State Parkway and Route 287.

The work will include reconfiguring the intersection at Grandview Avenue, Parsonage Road and Ford Avenue in Woodbridge with new jughandles and traffic signals. The Amboy Avenue bridge will be widened and a bridge over the former Conrail line will be removed. The highway also will be lowered to the level of the abandoned train tracks and the path of the tracks will be transformed into a pedestrian walkway.

IS STEVE WYNN RETURNING TO ATLANTIC CITY?
Atlantic City has been buzzing with reports that casino mogul Steve Wynn wants to return to New Jersey by building another one of his signature casinos. Wynn had a private audience with Governor Corzine at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. Corzine told Wynn that Gary Rose, the Governor’s Economic Development Chief, would lead the discussions.

CHERRY HILL MALL TO RECEIVE $100 MILLION EXPANSION
More than $100 million on expansion and upgrades will be spent on the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, NJ. Additions will include a 144,000 square-foot Nordstrom store and a 35,000 square-foot Crate and Barrel outlet, plus another 120,000 square feet of retail space.

Built in 1961 as the first enclosed mall in the Northeast, the mall already has 165 stores in 102 million square feet. It is owned by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust of Philadelphia.

STATE PROGRAM TO AWARD $18 MILLION IN WORKFORCE GRANTS
    An $18 million initiative to award High-Growth Workforce Investment Grants through competition among specific industry sections was announced by Governor Jon Corzine. The first round of competition will include pharmaceutical/biotechnology; science/technology; information/technology; logistics; energy; finance, and hospitality/tourism.

Corzine said the program will sustain productivity growth, develop a highly trained workforce and focus on New Jersey workers who are employed but require additional skills. The first cycle of grant solicitation will close on October 20. For information on how to apply, visit New Jersey’s Business Portal at www.nj.gov/njbuisness.

PUBLIC SERVICE PROMOTES TWO SENIOR EXECUTIVES
    Public Service Enterprises Group is promoting two senior executives to run the state’s biggest gas and electric utility. The announcement came less than two weeks after the proposed merger with Exelon ended.

Ralph Izzo, who had been President and Chief Operating Officer of Public Service Electric & Gas, was named as President and Chief Operating Officer of the parent company, effective October 1. Izzo’s present position will be filled by Ralph LaRossa, who has been serving as vice president of delivery at PSE&G. PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
-Supreme Court Justice James Zazzali has been nominated by Governor Corzine as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. He will succeed Deborah Poritz, who is retiring as Chief Justice.
-Appellate Judge Helen Hoens was nominated by the Governor to succeed Zazzali as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
-Nelson Ferreira was elected President of the Utility and Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) at their Fourth-First Annual Convention held in Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino & Resort. Outgoing President Jack Murphy and the Association’s Legal Counsel, Steven Brawer administered the Oath of Office.
-Clifford Heath, Senior Vice President of the New Jersey Alliance for Action, will speak at the 2007 Rutgers Paving Conference on March 5-6, 2007, at the Sheraton Hotel, Iselin. His presentation will be: New Jersey Turnpike – 1st Perpetual Pavement.

ALLIANCE IN ACTION
From the County Chapter Desk-
The Mercer County Chapter meeting will feature presentations by Commissioner Susan Bass Levin, NJ Department of Community Affairs, Commissioner Kris Kolluri, NJ Department of Transportation, Mayor Janice Mironov, Township of East Windsor and Assistant Commissioner Rick Hammer from the NJ Department of Transportation.

The Mercer County Alliance for Action meeting will begin at 8:15 a.m. on Friday, October 20, 2006 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center, just off Route 33 (Turnpike Exit 8) in East Windsor. Seating is limited. To register go here.

Elected to the New Jersey Alliance for Action Board of Directors are the following:
-Larry Bashe, Director of Raymond James & Associates, Inc., was elected as Treasurer of the Alliance.
-Kenneth Parker, President of Atlantic City Electric, was elected as a member of the Board.
-Louis Giammarino, President/Business Manager of Local 472, Heavy and General Construction Laborers Union, was elected to the Alliance Board.

To tell us what you think of our on-line news Go Here.

Back to Online News Home Page