NOVEMBER 13, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY AIMEE LA FOUNTAIN
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Fair Lawn’s Radburn Players will present Sharr White’s drama “Annapurna,” opening on Nov. 13. The production is directed by Ridgewood resident and Radburn Players President Amy Sellars.
“Annapurna” tells what happens when Ulysses is confronted by his estranged wife Emma after 20 years apart. The play stars Stuart Aion of Caldwell and Erica Kresch of Hawthorne.
“It’s got the oldest device of two actors in one room forced to work out their problems simply by proximity,” Sellars said. “It’s very character-driven. The plot unravels throughout the course of the show and it’s quite a dramatic finale.”
The characters were the primary reason Sellars chose the play. “I like to work with actors based on character development, so that’s part and parcel why I chose it,” she said. “As a published poet, there was something about the way Ulysses used language and poetry that was so stunning and poignant that I personally connected with it.”
The show isn’t recommended for children due to its strong content, but Sellars hopes it attracts young adults. “Live theater has a lot to offer and you can learn a lot from a production that challenges the way you think,” she said. “It’s an important step away from reality TV culture.”
NOVEMBER 12, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY JOHN CICHOWSKI
THE RECORD
Ping!
As anyone with one foot on the gas pedal and an eye on the GPS knows, that sound is technology’s quaint way of telling us there’s traffic congestion ahead – a turn of events that can make grown-ups talk back to their global positioning systems.
“Tell me something I didn’t know,” I told the noisy little screen on my dashboard.
When you drive on Route 17, you expect such things. It was Monday and my Honda and I were approaching the Garden State Parkway in Paramus where crews were toiling at revising a connection that might someday make moving between these two asphalt marvels the kind of safer, seamless driving experience it should be.
But no, this wasn’t the sour song that my GPS was singing or pinging about. This backup was centered on the Ridgewood Avenue exits where a new restaurant is being built. It’s the same location that a persistent caller, Richard Compagnone, had been telling me about.
“In 55 years of driving, I can’t remember a construction job so small taking so long,” said Compagnone. “What’s going on?”
On the surface, what’s going on is a relatively small job to build a Panera Bread sandwich shop and connect it to necessary pipes and wires. But what was really going on was a tiny example of the daily delays and heart-pounding danger that, according to reader feedback, easily make Route 17 Bergen County’s least-favorite highway. Spurred by low gas prices and population growth, this north-south artery is experiencing some retail growth and even heavier-than-usual traffic.
Rep. Garrett tours key railroad tracks and infrastructure carrying crude oil through NJ-05 in Haworth (left) and Harrington Park (right) with local officials.
Nov 10, 2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Harrington Park NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) toured key railroad tracks and infrastructure carrying crude oil through NJ-05 in Haworth and Harrington Park with local officials. The tour allowed Congressman Garrett to see first-hand the measures being taken to prevent an environmental disaster and listen to the concerns of local elected officials about rail safety.
“The safety and security of northern New Jersey is my top priority, and it’s important that everyone knows that my office is a resource for the towns in my district,” said Garrett. “We need to ensure an open line of communication exists between local officials, the rail industry, federal officials, and New Jersey residents, and that’s why I’ve demanded answers from federal agencies such as the FRA, the DOT, and the OMB. I will continue to work with the mayors to guarantee the safety of our communities.”
Background:
With an increased number of trains carrying crude oil throughout the country, the safety and reliability of the train tracks and infrastructure carrying this oil through New Jersey is a top priority for Congressman Garrett. This year, he has called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) and OMB to finalize a rule about the safety of DOT-111 tank cars that carry crude oil, introduced an amendment to increase funding to rail safety and operations, and requested information from the Federal Railroad Administration about safety reports.
“While many of us hear about the threats facing our country, a few extraordinary men and women have come face to face with them. They looked our enemies in the eyes and took a stand against tyranny, violence, oppression, and terror. Today we thank our veterans for preserving the rights and freedoms we hold dear. May God bless our veterans, and may God bless the United States of America.” Congressmen Scott Garrett
The values and principles of the United States are preserved by the willingness of brave men and women to stand and defend our nation. These men and women—our veterans—sacrifice time with their families, the comforts of home, and their very safety in the name of freedom. Today our country stops to recognize their service. It is Congress’ responsibility to ensure our veterans receive the benefits and recognition that they deserve when they return home from the front lines.
Last year, we were all disturbed to learn that thousands of veterans waited more than 90 days to see a doctor at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) health care facilities. In the aftermath of these revelations, I led the New Jersey delegation in demanding answers about the VA health care facilities that service New Jersey veterans to ensure our heroes are receiving the best possible care.
In addition to this request, the House of Representatives took legislative action. We built on last year’s Veterans’ Access to Choice and Accountability Act by passing the VA Accountability Act of 2015. These pieces of legislation would help get veterans off wait lists and expand the VA secretary’s ability to fire employees who have been negligent in serving veterans.
I am also a cosponsor of the Keeping our Promises to Veterans Act and the Military SAVE Act. These bills would expand the eligibility for participation in the Veteran Choice Program by allowing veterans to find health care outside the VA health care system that is closer to home and by shortening wait time goals from 30 to 15 days.
Finally, if you or someone you know is a veteran that is having a difficult time with the VA or other federal agencies, please let me help. My offices in Newton and Glen Rock have helped countless veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned and they’re available to you any time.
While many of us hear about the threats facing our country, these brave men and women have come face to face with them. They looked our enemies in the eyes and took a stand against tyranny, violence, oppression, and terror. Today we thank our veterans for preserving the rights and freedoms we hold dear. May God bless our veterans, and may God bless the United States of America.
NOVEMBER 9, 2015, 5:52 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015, 5:52 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A 48-year-old Ridgewood man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a woman in front of her apartment complex in Westwood, then riding off on a bicycle, authorities said Monday.
Alan Broadbent was arrested Sunday after the victim provided a detailed description to police, said Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.
The investigation started on Friday, when police in Westwood received a 911 call from a neighbor who had seen the victim struggling with a man. When police arrived, Molinelli said, the woman told them she had just been attacked and sexually assaulted by an unknown man who fled on a bicycle.
NOVEMBER 8, 2015, 3:26 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015, 3:26 PM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
PARAMUS — Borough police, using a plan that was modified in the aftermath of a shooter entering the Westfield Garden State Plaza here two years ago, held an emergency-response drill at the mall Sunday morning.
The exercise kicked off at 10 a.m., and lasted less than an hour, involving about 100 police officers, said Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg. The participating police departments included not only Paramus but the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department regional SWAT team as well as ,Maywood, Hackensack, Rochelle Park, Fair Lawn and Ridgewood.
“It went well,” Ehrenberg said.
The drill was to test how quickly officers were able to respond to the mall in keeping with the plan that’s in place for any police emergency that occurs, including an active-shooter situation, Ehrenberg said. He described it as a “staging drill,” in which police reported to one of the shopping center’s parking lots.
“All we were doing was practicing and exercising our ability to call in mutual-aid towns to the Plaza,” Ehrenberg said. “It was more of a staging drill: how we could get people there and just practice our emergency-response time. … Even though it was at Westfield, the drill is to cover all our shopping-center infrastructure. … It’s a test of our reaction in case of a police emergency at one of our shopping centers.”
Local police have “enhanced” their emergency-response plan from the lessons learned from two incidents at the mall, according to the chief. In November 2013, 20-year-old gunman Richard Shoop entered Garden State Plaza and fired six rounds with a rifle, sending shoppers fleeing. He then killed himself. And in May last year, shoppers panicked and fled in cars and on foot when there were reports of gunfire inside the mall. It turned out that there was a car fire in a parking lot, and reportedly the sounds of the vehicle’s tires popping was mistaken for gunshots.
NOVEMBER 6, 2015, 10:44 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015, 10:45 PM
BY SCOTT FALLON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
HAWORTH — CSX engineers will meet this month with town officials to discuss the condition of two pedestrian tunnels under the company’s rail line that have become a concern now that millions of gallons of crude oil pass through the town on trains, Mayor John Smart said Friday.
Smart had been trying for months to get inspection reports on the condition of the Crocker Place and Park Street Playground tunnels, but a federal loophole in railroad regulations prevented him from getting any meaningful information. Smart said he recently secured a meeting with CSX executives and hopes to meet with them regularly.
Officials from Teaneck to Harrington Park have often complained that CSX, which operates the largest rail system in the eastern U.S., has been slow to address local concerns since railroads are regulated almost exclusively by the federal government.
Bogota officials famously issued a summons in 1999 to a CSX train for disturbing the peace by idling noisily even though railroads are exempt from municipal ordinances under federal interstate commerce law.
They say Florida-based CSX should be more responsive especially now that 15 to 30 trains, each carrying as much as 3.6 million gallons of volatile Bakken crude oil, pass through 11 towns each week on the company’s River Line. The oil has been involved in several fiery derailments across North America in recent years.
In Bergen County, the trains pass thousands of homes and businesses on their way to a Philadelphia refinery. They cross dozens of small bridges, some of which appear pristine and others that are heavily rusted with cracked foundations.
Among them are the two pedestrian tunnels in Haworth, one of which has cracked and crumbling concrete just under the railbed, and the other near the playground.
Smart was unable to get inspection reports because railroads are not required to submit them to their primary regulator, the Federal Railroad Administration, unless the FRA asks for them.
A spokesman for CSX said this summer that the tunnels were inspected in January and deemed safe, but would not make inspection reports public.
“Those tracks are inspected visually several times weekly, and are subjected several times annually to internal, ultrasound inspections and examination with a geometry car that measures physical characteristics to affirm compliance with engineering specifications,” Rob Doolittle, a CSX spokesman, said this week.
On Friday, Rep. Scott Garrett toured the Haworth site as well as a section of the rail line that goes over the Oradell Reservoir. Last month, Garrett called on the FRA to obtain inspection reports on all spans through the region and share them with local officials. He said Friday he is still waiting for them.
“I want to see what [CSX] thinks of the chipping concrete here,” the Wantage Republican said. “Is it something that lasts six months, six years? I’m no expert. That’s why we need those reports.”
“Today the Bergen Record covered the road from my illness through my recovery. I shared my story in part to bring awareness to the public of brain aneurysms. Towards that goal, I am announcing my newest endeavor. I have agreed to join the board of The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation. The newly formed Foundation was started by Todd Crawford who lost his wife Lisa Colagrossi, a popular newscaster, after she suffered a brain aneurysm earlier this year. The Foundation’s focus will be to raise awareness and educate individuals to warning signs and treatment options for brain aneurysms.
The Foundation recently launched the “Lucky 7” challenge. The effort is a one-of-a-kind national fundraising campaign that will directly fund brain aneurysm awareness, education, research and support initiatives across the country. “Lucky 7” encourages individuals and businesses to make donations that include the number 7, Lisa’s favorite number and the network she worked for in New York City.
For more information about The Lisa Colagrossi Foundation, Holly Schepisi’s board announcement, the “Lucky 7” challenge and information about brain aneurysms please visit www.LisasLegacy7.org. “Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi
Mountains to climb: North Jersey lawmaker tells of her road back after brain aneurysm
NOVEMBER 8, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2015, 12:59 AM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
On a Saturday in March, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi felt her left arm go numb. It was cold out, and she’d just given a speech at a rally to oppose oil trains crossing the Oradell Reservoir. Soon she felt like her tongue was swelling. She quietly excused herself.
At home, she felt “as if the synapses in my brain were misfiring,” she said. It was like “someone was pressing Bubble Wrap in my brain.” As she sat with her young son, her left side went numb.
“I felt like I was in the movie ‘The Matrix,’ popping in and out of reality,” she said. She jumped out of her chair. “Something is really wrong,” she told her husband.
Franklin lakes NJ, Franklin Lakes PD, EMS, and FD, along with a paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital, responded to a 911 report of a man lying unconscious on the roof of a synagogue located at 375 Pulis Avenue sometime around 12 noon on Wednesday, 11/04. The victim, an exterminator, was pronounced dead on the scene by the paramedic team. He apparently succumbed to a bee sting.
photo courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook
November 6,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
GlenRock Nj, A Hudson City Savings Bank branch located at 897 Prospect Street, Glen Rock was held up shortly after 10:00 AM on Friday, 11/05. The actor escaped with just under $2,000. Glen Rock PD was assisted at the scene by officers from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department K9, Bureau of Police, and Bureau of Criminal Investigation units.
46,471: Drug Overdoses Killed More Americans Than Car Crashes or Guns
By Susan Jones | November 5, 2015 | 7:52 AM EST More than half of the 46,471 drug-related deaths in 2013 were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin, the DEA says.
(CNSNews.com) – “Drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States, ahead of motor vehicle deaths and firearms (deaths),” the Drug Enforcement Agency announced on Wednesday.
In 2013, the most recent year for which data is available, 46,471 people in the United States died from drug overdoses, and more than half of those deaths were caused by prescription painkillers and heroin.
That compares with the 35,369 who died in motor vehicle crashes and 33,636 who died from firearms, as tallied by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Sadly this report confirms what we’ve known for some time: drug abuse is ending too many lives while destroying families and communities,” Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said as he released the 2015 National Drug Threat Assessment.
“We must stop drug abuse before it begins by teaching young people at an even earlier age about its many dangers and horrors.”
Bergen County GOP Chairman Bob Yudin
Citing four years of losses, GOP officials call on Bergen chairman to step down
NOVEMBER 4, 2015, 9:20 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015, 10:30 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Citing four years of losses by their party in Bergen County elections, three Republicans officials Wednesday called on County Chairman Bob Yudin to step down, including one – Wyckoff Mayor Kevin Rooney – who announced plans to challenge him for the job.
Yudin dismissed the critics, saying that such comments were to be expected after a defeat. He blamed the party’s losses in Tuesday’s freeholder election largely on being outspent 7-1 by the Democrats.
“It’s almost impossible for us to win county wide because of the huge sums that are coming in,” Yudin said Wednesday, citing support the Democrats got from labor unions.
Posted by Matthew Gilson On November 04, 2015 1 Comment
By Matthew Gilson | The Save Jersey Blog
Let’s dive right in, Save Jerseyans…
#1 – District 36 Got Even More Republican Locally
While things were dicey across the county, Republicans once again exceeded expectations in District 36, sweeping all the competitive races. The surprise of the night came in Wallington where two Republican challengers will join Chris Sinisi andSharon Robie on the council in January to create the first Republican majority in the town in decades.
In Carlstadt, though not unexpected Councilman Craig Lahullier scored a landslide victory along with his running mates to keep the town in firm Republican hands. Rutherford proved another solid victory for Mayor Joe DeSalvo and his team who now hold a 4-2 advantage on the council. While expected, it is nonetheless amazing that North Arlington, a town where Democrats outnumber Republicans 3-1, will now be completely Republican controlled as top vote-getter Brian Fitzhenry and his team clobbered the Democratic incumbents.
District 36 GOP’ers cleaned-up on a night with not a lot to be excited about elsewhere. They are the model for which the entire county should be running elections.
#2 – John Cosgrove Did More Than Enough to Cement Himself to Take on Bob Gordon
He may not have carried his running mates, but Mayor John Cosgrove was hundreds of votes ahead of his nearest Democratic competitor. I noted earlier that a big victory would set up Cosgrove to take on Gordon in 2017, and he put on a show made even more impressive by the fact that it was a dismal night for many in towns near him.
Republicans lost in the neighboring District 38 towns including Paramus and Glen Rock. While the lost Republican seats will be our top targets in 2017, Cosgrove gives Republicans a top-flight candidate to take on Gordon. Much like the “Scarpa or bust” chants of this year, the discussion of who should take on Gordon begins and ends with Cosgrove. But speaking of popular mayors in the swing district….
#3 – Popular Candidates Can Still Beat Machines
Nothing put on a smile on my face more than the re-election of Norman Schmelz in Bergenfield. Norman is truly one of the good guys and a dedicated mayor, but he faced an onslaught of dirty attacks by his opponents including a full-blown attack website. Knowing the overwhelming Democratic tilt of the town, Democrats tried to tie Norman to Chris Christie, Scott Garrett, Anthony Cappola and stopped just short of portraying him as a patsy of Nucky Thompson. Through the onslaught, through the excessive spending gap, through the bad night for everyone else, Norman Schmelz still eeked out a victory and proved good guys and popular candidates can still win.
After an event that drew the likes of Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, gubernatorial hopeful Phil Murphy and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36), members of the Bergen PBA descended on the streets of Bergen County to make a final plea to voters to get out there and vote for Democrats. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
NOVEMBER 3, 2015, 11:40 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015, 11:50 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD.
Bergen County voters swept three Democratic freeholders back into office Tuesday, ensuring that their party will control county government for at least the next two years.
Incumbents Steve Tanelli and Tracy Zur easily defeated Republican challengers John Mitchell and Ken Tyburczy and Green Party candidate Richard Siegel for the pair of three-year seats that were up for grabs.
And Thomas Sullivan Jr. outpolled Republican Daisy Ortiz-Berger and Libertarian Peter Rohrman for the one-year unexpired term that was created when former Freeholder James Tedesco resigned to become County Executive in January.
With all precincts reporting, Zur was the top vote getter with 63,114 tallies. Tanelli was close behind, with 63,059 votes.
Trailing them were Mitchell with 50,805 votes, Tyburczy with 48,879 and Siegel with 4,085.
In the contest for the one-year term, Sullivan led with 62,746 votes, followed by Ortiz-Berger with 45,748 and Rohrman with 4,496.
Reached Tuesday night, Mitchell said he was preparing to call the Democrats to congratulate them on their victory.
“It doesn’t mean that we didn’t get out and work as hard as we can in getting the vote out,” he said. “But clearly, the Democrats have done a better job in doing that.”
Zur said the victory meant that voters approved of the work done by the Democratic majority on the freeholder board over the last three years, including consolidating the Bergen County Police force with the Sheriff’s Office.
“I think we put forward a vision of where we want to move this county and I think that resonated with the voters,” Zur said.
All three Democrats said their biggest challenge will be steering the future of the county-owned Bergen Regional Medical Center, where the contract with the current operator expires in March 2017.
Their victory means the Democrats will maintain a 5-2 majority on the board. The two incumbent Republicans are up for election next year, so county government will remain under Democratic control at least through January 2018.
