Glen Rock NJ, Police and fire departments from Glen Rock and Hawthorne responded to multiple 911 reports of a strong natural gas odor in the vicinity of Lincoln Avenue and Boulevard, Glen Rock/Warburton Avenue, Hawthorne on Sunday afternoon, 10/15. The source was identified as a vent pipe installed in connection with a nearby construction project. A PSE&G technician determined that a relief valve within the vent apparatus had failed which resulted in a constant gas release. A portion of Warburton Avenue in Hawthorne was closed to facilitate repairs by a PSE&G crew. Police and fire units were released from the scene following the deployment of portable traffic barricades. No structures were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
Ramsey NJ, from the Ramsey Office of Emergency Management ,the County of Bergen has contacted the Borough of Ramsey that they will be milling and paving a portion of North Central Avenue, from MacArthur Boulevard in Mahwah to High Street in Ramsey, starting on Monday October 16th. Weather permitting they are anticipating having it completed by Tuesday October 17th (2 day project). Please expect detours and periodic road closures.
Fort Lee NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today that charges against CARMEN LOMBARDI (DOB: 10/24/1975; single; and employed as a vehicle inspector) have been upgraded to Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5.1, a second degree crime, and a new complaint summons was issued to him earlier today. LOMBARDI was previously charged with Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1, a third degree crime, in connection with a hit and run accident that took place yesterday morning at the intersection of Lemoine Avenue and Bridge Plaza North in Fort Lee.
The 57-year-old female accident victim succumbed to her injuries last night while receiving care at Hackensack University Medical Center, which resulted in today’s upgraded charges. LOMBARDI’s initial appearance will still take place on November 3, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, N.J. The charge against LOMBARDI is merely an accusation and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
Fair Lawn NJ, Fair lawn Police arrested two men in connection with a hit-and-run reported at 3:14 a.m. on Saturday. Officers responded to a report of a pedestrian hit by a car on Plaza Road at Fair Lawn Avenue. The Police found a 29-year-old Park Ridge man on the ground with what police described as significant lower body injuries.
Witnesses reportedly told the police they were crossing Plaza Road at High Street when a blue 2006 Volkswagen Jetta almost hit them. When the Volkswagen stopped for a red light while traveling south on Fair Lawn Avenue, the group approached the vehicle and a fight ensued. A passenger from the vehicle pushed the Park Ridge man to the ground and got back inside the car, at which point he was run over, the vehicle then sped away.
The Police reported that the investigating officers found the occupants from the Volkswagen in another car parked in front of the Wells Fargo Bank at 22-11 Fair Lawn Avenue. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver attempted to flee. The officers were forced to stop the vehicle at gunpoint and arrested the driver, David Rodriguez, 21, of Fair Lawn, and a passenger, Danial Dushaj, 21, of Dix Hills, New York, when he did not comply with officers’ commands, police said.
According to police the blue 2006 Volkswagen Jetta was later recovered at Rodriguez’s residence on Hartley Place and impounded.
The victim was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.
Rodriguez faces charges of second degree aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of an injured person, leaving the scene of a crash with an injury, failure to report a crash, reckless driving, careless driving, two counts of failure to produce vehicle documents and failure to inspect. Rodriguez was expected to be sent to the Bergen County Jail.
Subsequent to the arrest, officers found marijuana on Dushaj’s person, police said. Dushaj was charged with obstruction of justice and drug possession, police said. Officers released him pending a court appearance.
Criminal Activity Alert – Auto Theft – West Saddle River Rd – Lock Vehicles – Remove Key Fob’s from ALL vehicles
October 15,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Saddle River NJ, the Saddle River Police report that on Thursday the 12th a vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a residence off of West Saddle River Rd. The vehicle was unlocked and the key fob was left in the vehicle.
Saddle River and several neighboring jurisdictions have experienced high end auto thefts and auto burglaries. If everyone removes the keys and key FOB’s from their vehicles these thefts will stop. Locking your vehicle when its in the driveway prevents car burglaries from occurring and deters criminals from our area.
If you see suspicious activity call the Saddle River Police desk anytime at 201-327-5300 or call 9-1-1
Address/Location
Saddle River NJ Police
83 E Allendale Rd
Saddle River, NJ 07458
Glen Rock NJ, in a very busy week for Glen Rock Police and Glen Rock Fire and EMS a Saturday afternoon, 10/14, two (2) vehicle crash in front of 229 Rock Road, Glen Rock resulted in two (2) victims being transported to The Valley Hospital by ambulance. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Glen Rock Police and Glen Rock EMS responded.
Fair Lawn NJ,Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the arrest of KENNETH SMITH (DOB: 6/6/1971; single; and employed as a trucking company dispatcher) of Paterson, New Jersey on charges of Aggravated Arson and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon. The arrest is the result of a joint investigation conducted by members of the
Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Fair Lawn Police Department under the direction of Chief Glenn Cauwels.
On June 27, 2017, the Fair Lawn Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire at the Knights of Columbus located at 16-16 Maple Avenue, Fair Lawn, N.J. The
subsequent investigation revealed an unknown male threw a Molotov cocktail type device through the front window of the building. Responding police and fire units found the front office area engulfed in flames. The fire was contained to the front office area and did not spread into the remainder of the structure.
As a result of the investigation, Kenneth SMITH was arrested on Friday, October 13, 2017 in Paterson, New Jersey and charged with one count of Aggravated Arson, N.J.S.A.
2C:17-2a, a 2nd degree crime; and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3, a 3rd degree crime. After being processed, Kenneth SMITH was remanded to the Bergen
County Jail pending a first appearance at the Bergen County Central Judicial Court on Monday, October 16, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.
Prosecutor Grewal states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,
and would also like to thank the Fair Lawn Police Department and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance in this investigation
Rivervale NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi moves to set the record straight . “As a result of having no platform or positions of their own, the women running against us rely solely on running a negative campaign against me. Over the next several weeks I will set the record straight on every negative and false claim made by them against me.”
FACT VS FICTION
Today’s attack – Claiming that I wouldn’t vote on legislation to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill persons, my opponents state “You deserve a representative that shows up to work, makes tough decisions, and keeps you safe.”
My response – Despite New Jersey having some of the strictest gun safety policies in the nation, more than 49 additional bills have been brought to the legislature for a vote during my five years in the Assembly. Several bills have been proposed regarding mental health. I do not know which particular bill my opponents are attacking me on but in 2015 I had to miss several session days during my recovery from brain surgery to repair a brain aneurysm. Two years later, in 2017, I missed a session to attend my five year old son’s kindergarten graduation. I would certainly hope that the women running against me are not saying I should be penalized as a result of being very ill or for being a mom.
I have long been a proponent of sensible gun safety measures to get weapons out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and the mentally ill. Yet, as a victim of two violent crimes in my early twenties I understand the importance of second amendment rights in order to protect oneself.
With respect to my votes over the past five years on gun safety, I believe in sensible gun legislation. I voted in favor of keeping guns out of the hands of carjackers, gang members, and racketeers among other dangerous people. I voted in favor of stronger background checks and increasing penalties for unlawful possession, improper use, and removing a gun’s identification marks. I am the prime sponsor of a bill to ban bump stocks, as I personally believe their only purpose is to circumvent a 30 year old bipartisan ban on automatic weapons.
Almost all of bills I didn’t support don’t do anything to protect anyone because the laws proposed already exist in New Jersey or cannot be enforced due to lack of technology, such as a bill to require not-yet-invented “smart guns.” There is one recent bill pertaining to mental health and guns on which I abstained because mental health professionals, including the Mental Health Association of NJ, the NJ Association of Social Workers and the NJ Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association asked for substantive changes to the bill in order to protect patient confidentiality and to address HIPPA concerns, but they were ignored.
I am more than willing to listen to any thoughts on how to prevent evil acts like what happened in Las Vegas in the future. Both sides of the aisle feel strongly about protecting our families, our neighbors and our constituents. There isn’t disagreement on providing safety, it’s how best to provide it. We must address better mental health initiatives, common sense legislation for gun safety and we need to come together and have an honest dialogue about a critically important issue, not promote fear and slander for political gain.
Paramus NJ, the Bergen County Zoo has officially received its re-accreditation designation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission. This is a major achievement could not have been possible if not for the hard work put in by the Zoo and the Bergen County Department of Parks staff. I stopped by the Zoo this week to congratulate the staff.
To be accredited, the Bergen County Zoo underwent a thorough review to make certain it has and will continue to meet ever-rising standards in categories which include animal care and welfare, veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete this rigorous accreditation process every five years in order to be members of the Association.
Research reinforces interest expressed by families and girls nationwide as organization looks to offer programs that meet the needs of today’s families
Irving, Texas , Today, the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors unanimously approved to welcome girls into its iconic Cub Scout program and to deliver a Scouting program for older girls that will enable them to advance and earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout. The historic decision comes after years of receiving requests from families and girls, the organization evaluated the results of numerous research efforts, gaining input from current members and leaders, as well as parents and girls who’ve never been involved in Scouting – to understand how to offer families an important additional choice in meeting the character development needs of all their children.
“This decision is true to the BSA’s mission and core values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law. The values of Scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, the BSA’s Chief Scout Executive. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children. We strive to bring what our organization does best – developing character and leadership for young people – to as many families and youth as possible as we help shape the next generation of leaders.”
Families today are busier and more diverse than ever. Most are dual-earners and there are more single-parent households than ever before [1], making convenient programs that serve the whole family more appealing. Additionally, many groups currently underserved by Scouting, including the Hispanic and Asian communities, prefer to participate in activities as a family. Recent surveys [2] of parents not involved with Scouting showed high interest in getting their daughters signed up for programs like Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, with 90 percent expressing interest in a program like Cub Scouts and 87 percent expressing interest in a program like Boy Scouts. Education experts also evaluated the curriculum and content and confirmed relevancy of the program for young women.
“The BSA’s record of producing leaders with high character and integrity is amazing” said Randall Stephenson, BSA’s national board chairman. “I’ve seen nothing that develops leadership skills and discipline like this organization. It is time to make these outstanding leadership development programs available to girls.”
Starting in the 2018 program year, families can choose to sign up their sons and daughters for Cub Scouts. Existing packs may choose to establish a new girl pack, establish a pack that consists of girl dens and boy dens or remain an all-boy pack. Cub Scout dens will be single-gender — all boys or all girls. Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts program, the organization will also deliver a program for older girls, which will be announced in 2018 and projected to be available in 2019, that will enable them to earn the Eagle Scout rank. This unique approach allows the organization to maintain the integrity of the single gender model while also meeting the needs of today’s families.
This decision expands the programs that the Boy Scouts of America offers for both boys and girls. Although known for its iconic programs for boys, the BSA has offered co-ed programs since 1971 through Exploring and the Venturing program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018. The STEM Scout pilot program is also available for both boys and girls
Glen Rock NJ, A reported bomb threat forced the evacuation of the Glen Rock Middle School/High School building located at 600 Harristown Road, Glen Rock on Friday afternoon, 10/13. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the incident. A sweep of the building’s exterior by a Bergen County Sheriff’s Office K9 Team yielded negative results. Students were eventually allowed back in to the building, however they were “sheltered in place.”
Glen Rock NJ, An individual dressed in a bear costume with a GoPro camera strapped to its chest and a large dog in tow, was observed standing outside of a Glen Rock elementary school at afternoon dismissal time on Friday, 10/13. Glen Rock Police received at least one (1) 911 telephone call about the individual from a concerned parent, and dispatched a uniformed patrol officer and a uniformed patrol supervisor to investigate. Responding units located the “bear with dog” two (2) blocks away from the school. The individual was identified as a local juvenile male. He was interviewed and then escorted back to his home and released to his mother. The intent of standing in front of the school dressed in a bear costume with an attached GoPro and dog was not made public.
Wyckoff NJ, Wyckoff and Waldwick Police report that a Waldwick Police Officer interrupted a suspect committing a burglary to an unlocked vehicle in their Borough.
Wyckoff Police have also experienced this in the past and would like to remind our residents to please remove all valuable items and especially key fobs from your vehicles and to lock your car doors at all times. Locking your vehicles and removing the key fobs is a simple way to deter criminals. It only takes a second to lock the doors. We cannot stress enough the value of our residents remaining alert in their neighborhoods and reporting anything unusual or suspicious to the police, “Hear It! See It! Report It!” We encourage all residents to report any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activity occurring in their neighborhoods at any time to Wyckoff Police- County Dispatch (201)891-2121.
Old Tappan NJ, Bob is an old friend of the Ridgewood blog and he is running for Assembly in District 39. Bob never forgets he is a small business owner . Bob is somone who can fight to set the balance right against ANTI-Business , ANTI-jobs Trenton.
District 39 is (Bergen and Passaic Conties) Bloomingdale, Closter, Demarest, Dumont, Emerson, Harrington Park, Haworth, Hillsdale, Mahwah, Montvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ringwood, River Vale, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Wanaque, Washington (Bergen), Westwood, Woodcliff
Unlike most modern day politicians Bob entered into politics to help the everyday people of New Jersey, like himself. After graduating from New York University, Bob opened a small insurance company with my wife, Elsa. While it was prosperous at first, the state of New Jersey began to pass heavy regulations that placed a burden on insurance companies like his. After all but six of my competitors went out of business because of these new laws I realized that it was very possible that I might also lose everything I had worked so hard for. It was at that point that I decided to reach out to my friend Senator Cardinale to see if there was any way that he could help me. With a little negotiation Senator Cardinale was able to get Allstate Insurance to work with me which stopped me from having to go out of business. Through this experience, I witnessed firsthand the power of the government to both destroy and to aid.
After Senator Cardinale had helped him Bob decided to try and return the favor. Little by little, Bob started to do additional work for him until finally he became an unpaid volunteer aide for him in Trenton. After working for Senator Cardinale for 25 years a seat in the Assembly opened up; and while Bob was hesitant at first to run for office, he realized that this was my opportunity to help people, just as Senator Cardinale had helped him.
So in 2014, against all odds and very tough competition, I won a seat in the assembly. Even after all his time in the New Jersey Legislature I have kept one rule; before Bob votes on anything he must ask himself how would I feel as a taxpayer seeing my own vote? Bob is an Assemblyman because he has witnessed firsthand the power of the government to both impede and to aid, and Bob wants to ensure it will not impede again.
Westwood NJ, A peewee football league has banned a parent and his family for life after the father allegedly snapped when his son was rotated out as quarterback on a flag football team and attacked a teenage coach.
Peter Iappelli, 50, who earns $171,136 a year as school business administrator in Closter, was charged Wednesday by Westwood Police with simple assault and disorderly conduct after allegedly placing the 16-year-old coach in a chokehold.
Westwood Youth Football is for 6 to 12-year-olds and Westwood Youth Football is a founding member of newly created and formed NNJJFL ( The Northern New Jersey Junior Football League). This newly formed league was built with fair competitive play as the cornerstone of its development. Joining Westwood in the NNJJFL are the following programs: Washington Township, Hillsdale, Rivervale, Lodi, Garfield and Hawthorne.
![Carmen_Lombardi[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/10-12-17_Carmen_Lombardi1.jpg "UPGRADED CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH FATAL FORT LEE HIT AND RUN")
![Kenneth_Smith[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/10-13-17_Kenneth_Smith1.jpg "Bergen Prosecutor Announces Arrest of Fair Lawn Knights of Columbus Bomber")
