Wild Goose Chase, Literally
Plus pickleball, an exclusive author interview, and so much more
Welcome to the latest Weehawken Gazette, a biweekly newsletter that is free to read and subscribe to since April 2024. But as of July, we are now accepting pledges to help sustain, and hopefully grow, the high-quality newslettering you’ve come to expect.
Even pledging the cost of a cup of coffee helps, and is so appreciated. More on why you should subscribe or upgrade to paid, will be found below. But let’s move this along, shall we? Lots to get to, including our exclusive interview with a local author.
Update: Deranged Hydrangea… Duo?
Since publishing the piece about plant thieves uprooting local gardens we’ve been made aware of more victims, including the one above and another on Columbia Terrace. We also had a neighbor who told us they saw it happening, and they even got pictures of the suspects fleeing — yes plural — apparently one clips and the other zips them away in a getaway car. Seems the only thing that will stop these pernicious petal peddlers — is winter. ICYMI the link to the original story, below:
“Get The Flock Outta Here!”
This past Friday August 1 reports flew in that Canadian geese had invaded the Weehawken pool complex. The Geese Police (yes, they are a thing, seen in the photo above taken a year ago) were called in, and according to witnesses, the brave Border Collie ran around and splashed into the pool to ferret out the fowl intruders. The birds were finally bested, a goose poo cleanup ensued, and then the pool was back to business as usual. Good dog!
🧺🌳Park It Here
Yes, there’s finally a place to sit with shade by the Weehawken tennis courts. Previously there were only metal benches with no backs. The choice of blue is inspired: It mimics the court color, the sky on a nice day, and frankly blue is our fave accent color for a garden. Who picked it out? Will more tables come? We have no idea. But whatever, here’s your heads up that this is here and a perfect picnic spot.
Speaking of park news, Lousia Park in Weehawken is getting a pickleball court, yoga area, ADA accessible ramp, and revamped basketball courts. No official day is set, but the town said it’ll be ready “in fall.” Flier with this news is here.
And the boringly-named Garden Park located next to the Tower Plaza parking lot has seen big things happen, with the addition of a trellis and new plantings plunked in last week. Fun fact: Garden Park was previously “Jacobson’s Power Mowers” seen below, as we found out via the Weehawken Historical Commission. That’s the embankment of the long-gone reservoir you see on the left, which is now a ginormous parking lot.
Yes, there was once a reservoir by Lidl in ye olden days…
Exclusive: Get To Know A Local Woman Of Mystery
Amanda Chapman, pictured, is a local-to-Weehawken author with a big new book coming soon. That book, Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library releases August 26 and it’s already been highly praised by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and celebrity author Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat, Pray, Love fame.
It’s not her first novel — she’s published three well-loved Cape Cod mysteries under another name, Amy Pershing, starting in 2021. But this book is bigger, set in NYC, and is set to put her on the map as a powerhouse of popular fiction.
But the mystery we wanted to unravel is how did she go from local wife, mom of two, and full-time corporate worker bee to bestselling author? We asked, she told, and our interview is below.
Q: How long have you been in Weehawken?
Oh dear. I just did the math. Let’s just say a long time. Certainly long before the Pathmark became the Lidl.
You were a mom, a communications consultant, and, once you went back to work full-time, the head of employee communications at a global bank for ten years.... When did you decide to start writing novels? And did you always think you had it in you?
I started writing fairly late in the game — essentially, after the last college tuition bill was paid. At that point, after a lifetime of earning my living with my pen and reading literally thousands of mysteries, I thought I might have it in me to write one myself. Well, four mysteries later and counting, I can safely say that, yes, I guess I had it in me. My agent and publisher seem to think so, too, so it’s not just me!
Who will love Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library, besides everyone?
Yes, obviously, everyone. But just to pin it down a bit, it’s definitely for fans of, say, Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries and/or Louise Penny’s Three Pines series. Kirkus Reviews very kindly said, “Fans of the Queen of Crime will delight in this modernized classic mystery,” and Publishers Weekly has chimed in with, “Fans of classic detective fiction are in for a treat.” And, believe me, these people know their mysteries!
The book is set a hop and a skip across the Hudson river...did you do any in-person research for it? Or, put another way, what settings in the book can we find in the real world?
Well, sort of. The (fictional) Mystery Guild Library makes its (fictional) home in one of the dozen or so (actual) Greek Revival redbrick, marble-trimmed town houses in what is known as “The Row” overlooking Greenwich Village’s Washington Square Park. My research for the setting, such as it was, consisted of living about four blocks away from Washington Square Park for a hefty chunk of my life.
What's the best advice you have for someone who dreams of becoming a novelist?
First, in the words of the wonderful writer Anne Lamott, “Put your [rear end] in the chair.” Every day. Somehow. Write something. Just (also from Ms. Lamott) “write the [crummy] first draft.” Don’t worry if it’s [crummy]. You’ll fix that in the second draft.
And finally, what is the greatest New Jersey mystery you'd like to crack?
There are more than a few, but I’m not going to try to crack them because I don’t want to sleep with the fishes.
Thanks Amanda/Amy! Check out her beautiful new website at amandachapmanauthor.com and pre-order the book here on Amazon or wherever books are sold.
Earthquake Poll!
On Saturday night around 10:18PM there was a 3.0 earthquake centered in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ that was felt in NYC to CT. Story here in the Bergen Record. Then on Tuesday August 5th, a smaller earthquake based in Hillsdale hit around noon. Story here on Patch.
Maybe you thought it was trucks going by, or your neighbor being annoying. Whatever you thought it was, did you sense them? We wanna know.
🤖 The Reviews Are In
You shouldn’t believe everything AI tells you. That said, this review is 100% legit in our opinion — thanks bots!
“If you're looking for a single, vibrant, and trustworthy source that combines news, fun, personality, and hyperlocal relevance, the Weehawken Gazette is the best option. It's like getting a weekly conversation with your clever, informed neighbor—who just happens to also be a seasoned journalist.” —Chat GPT when asked “What is the best source for news and entertainment in NoHu, also known as northern Hudson, NJ?”
🙇🙏 Pledges Now Gratefully Accepted
OK as we said at the start, this newsletter began April 2024. It’s free to read and subscribe to, then, and now. We moved it to its own domain in July: weehawkengazette.com is now live.
Some of you pledged $ here before we asked, and long before we’d accept it. That was really kind, and it helped us keep going.
But then we realized, besides the time and expenses already incurred, we wanna grow. We also want to keep writing whatever we want to write, and not feel we have to say nice things because we got a freebie. That’s just not how we roll.
Upgrade to paid and money you pledge will go to:
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If we get enough pledges, our stretch goals are to:
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Later 🐊
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Weehawken Gazette
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Tah for now nice nabes!
Susie
PS Subscribers get this newsletter first AND they can laugh at exclusive typos that are later corrected in the archive version.
Glad to see that the Great Weehawken Dragon attack of 1913 is finally getting some attention. Reliable sources state that the winged invader was quite a pest, singeing many oldy timey large mustaches of victims.