The Jersey Journal from Jersey City, New Jersey • 1

7 The Jersey Journal 133rd No 296 Monday April 17 2000 INSIDE WTRANSITgp rie4BfeqV A Thousands take a test ride on first day See LEADERS Page A8 See PAULUS Page A8 Thousands of marchers fail to stop world finance meeting Details on Page B2 of See MOVIE Page A6 BAYONNE TIMES EDITION BayoW WEATHER S3M ABOARD! By Alberto Csnsl Journal staff writer By Mike Jaccarino Journal staff writer By Larry Magasak Associated Press writer Journal photo by Ellie Markovitch GOV CHRISTIE WHITMAN address es the opening day crowd Today: Cloudy with periods of drizzle High: 50s Low: Around 40 Tomorrow: Cloudy and windy with periods of drizzkle High: Upper 40s Leaders cheer light rail opening as Hudson steps into 21st century Bayonne residents will soon have a new place to watch the latest movies as a state appeals court has given the green light to developers planning to build a movie thea ter at Broadway and 21st Street Developers for the project said that with their legal troubles out of the way they ex pect to resume construction some time within the next two months with an eye toward completion by the end of the year NJ Transit employee Steve Ju row who was ushering in the lines at Exchange Place in Jersey City have to wait on long lines to get their chance to ride But tomorrow it will be business as With childlike enthusiasm thousands of riders gathered Bank helps restore LoewsTheater Page Bl TOP SPIKERS San Diego wins NCAA title at Stevens Tech Page Cl The idea behind the first phase of the project is ti con nect workers to the growing REBIRTH Restaurant rises from the ashes Page Bl at least 40000 people from throughout the region was not as heavy as expected perhaps because of rain Still 7500 pas senger trips were recorded on opening day officials said yes terday And NJ Transit kept up a festive mood by offering free rides and musical performances at most of the 12 stations along the new system which runs from 34th Street in Bayonne to Exchange Place in Jersey City with a spur that heads west to West Side Avenue in Jersey City Officials hope the most ex pensive public transit project in the history at least a decade in the making will do better at drawing crowds this time commuters during rush hour Saturday the day of the $11 bil lion ceremonial start up about 20 residents protested their latest round of problems with the light rail not like sour grapes you said a soft spoken Hugh Hales Tooke who lives on Sussex Street here so going to use it but I have to lose sleep because of ANNIVERSARY Bayonne Youth Center to celebrate PageA2 HAVE a Seat Paulus Hook protesters want a quiet light rail 50 Home weekly At one point police in riot gear and on motorcycles charged into a crowd that had surged toward the police line Tear gas and pepper spray drove the protesters back But unlike the protests that overwhelm ed police and smashed windows in rainy Seattle at trade meetings late last year the weekend demonstrations were largely non violent and the sun beamed on them yes terday seen a whole lot less property dam5 age than after a Bulls game in said Han Shan a protest organizer from the By Alberto Canal Journal staff writer When word first got out that a new commuter line wouldrun through Jersey quiet his toric Paulus Hook neighbor hood residents railed against NJ Transit Since then everything from construction noise lighting and the speed of the 90 foot long trains has been a point of con tention between the two groups By Mike Jaccarino Journal staff writer Metal barricades stood from end to end at each of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail stations Satur day forming quasi loading areas for the long lines of people who wanted to take a ride on the first day of service just like (an amusement park) ride out here said See THOUSANDS PageA9 IGHTING BACK Dad rips of boys by relatives WASHINGTON Thousands marchers failed to stop world finance lead ers from meeting yesterday but paraded through the capital in a spirited show of celebration and anger that provoked one ugly episode a tear gas attack on a surg ing crowd estive street theater with giant pup pets coexisted with pushy confrontations between police and protesters agitating about the plight of the poor and the of the rich HWirrnwriiferiHri fTjaf What has been called the vehicle for redevelop ment pulled into the light rail station at Lib erty State Park in Jer sey City Saturday carrying Gov Christie Whitman to a host of politicians waiting to bask in the transit debut you take a ride you will see the revitalization tak ing place around every station along this Whitman told several hundred people gath ered to watch the official open ing of the $11 billion Hudson Bergen Light Rail Transit Sys tem The turnout for mid morning ceremony which officials had hoped would draw Journal photo by Joe Samo A CROWD prepares to board the Hudson Bergen Light Rail at the Liberty State Park station Nearly 7500 people rode the line during its first day of service Saturday Journal ohoto bv Joe Sarno KENNETH DORSEY of Jersey City takes in the view during the first Light Rail ride open to the public Judge movie theater Associated Press photo Rpp Pairp A 1 4 UU rULILt Wdllt UllUUgii crowd of protesters yesterday THIS WEEK happening around the city Page A2 4 rv a 7 vj rj Brwtu I I a TRANSIT A 1 Mil 81 'I 'I I 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