Category: Bergen County

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Proposed assisted living facility in Waldwick rejected

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JULY 9, 2015    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2015, 2:53 PM
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
CORRESPONDENT |
WALDWICK SUBURBAN NEWS

Waldwick – Following more than two hours of testimony Wednesday, July 8, by residents who have been opposing construction of an assisted living facility on Wyckoff Avenue, the zoning board voted 5-2 to reject the application after 13 months of hearings.

The board will formalize its decision by resolution at its Aug. 12 meeting, said board attorney John D’Anton. He said the developer, Formation-Shelbourne Senior Living Services, would then have 45 days to file an appeal in state Superior Court.

Formation-Shelbourne had originally proposed an 85-unit, 100-bed facility, to be known as Solana of Waldwick, on 3.5 acres that is now occupied by four single-family homes at 237, 239, 241, and 247 Wyckoff Ave. Formation-Shelbourne attorney Robert Podvey said the applicant had submitted a final revised site plan on July 7 that reduced the number of units from 85 to 79 and the bed count from 100 to 94. He said the facility was moved back on the property approximately 16 feet from Cambra Road neighbors by removing six residential units on three floors.

The applicant’s engineer, Joseph Miele of Dresdner Robin, Fairfield, said it had also slightly reduced the building’s floor area ratio and impervious coverage, though both still required variances. The facility required a total of four variances, including ones for side parking and its height of three stories. It also required a minor subdivision.

Board members Eugene Sullivan, George Tencza, Ken Gurian, Jesus Mones and Stan Wekarski opposed the application, while member George Pedersen and chair J. Patrick Hunter favored it.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/proposed-assisted-living-facility-in-waldwick-rejected-1.1371608

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Grand Jury Indicts former Ridgewood Lacrosse star In Mother’s Death

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July 1,2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blogRidgewood NJ, A grand jury has indicted a former Ridgewood Lacrosse Star Nicholas Piotti of Ho Ho Kus for the killing of his mother.

Piotti was accused of stabbing and beating his mother to death in the fall of last year.

Nicholas Piotti, 24, was indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the killing of his mother, Karen, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon

According to prosecutors, the 63-year-old victim suffered multiple stab wounds and beating trauma in the Sept. 1 attack.

Piotti’s lawyer said last year his client had psychiatric problems and he’d pursue an insanity defense.

Piotti, is due back in court in August and is currently being held in the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $2 million bail.

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Midland Park principal accused of filing false complaint in retaliation

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JUNE 29, 2015, 7:29 AM    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015, 2:30 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

MIDLAND PARK – A borough couple are claiming in court papers that the principal of a Midland Park school reported them for child abuse and neglect in retaliation for a complaint the couple filed with the state Department of Education about the prolonged bullying of their child.

A lawsuit, filed May 21 in Bergen County Superior Court, alleges that Midland Park Jr./Sr. High School Principal Nicholas Capuano made “defamatory” statements about Cyril and Cathy Burke to the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency with “actual knowledge” the statements were false. He did so, the suit said, as retribution for the Burkes’ April 11, 2014, complaint to the Education Department regarding several years of “harassment, intimidation, and bullying” their child faced while attending the school.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/midland-park-principal-accused-of-filing-false-complaint-in-retaliation-1.1365119

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N.J. residents don’t want north Jersey casinos, poll finds

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TRENTON — Casinos in north Jersey? The odds are against it.

A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll of 913 New Jersey residents released Tuesday found 56 percent oppose allowing casinos outside of Atlantic City, while just 37 percent support it.

“The public is questioning the logic behind allowing the spread of casino gambling,” said Krista Jenkins, a political science professor of political science and director of PublicMind. “They don’t seem to be sold on the idea of saving the gaming industry in the state by allowing it to spread.”

And despite a major push in recent months by politicians and business people who want to expand casino gaming, public opinion has not moved significantly from the last time FDU asked the question in February.

“This degree of attentiveness isn’t turning many people on to the idea. or the premise that the money can and should be rightfully used in places other than where the casinos are ultimately built,” said Jenkins

The polls are important because allowing gaming outside of Atlantic City would require an amendment to the state constitution. That requires voter approval.

North Jersey lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson), want to put the question on the ballot this year. South Jersey lawmakers have resisted that, even though some – including Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) – have been open to allowing casino gambling in northern New Jersey if hundreds of millions in proceeds go towards helping Atlantic City rebuild.

Supporters of expanding casino gaming have proposed dedicating $100 million a year in north Jersey casino proceeds to the struggling resort, which saw four casinos close in 2012.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/nj_residents_dont_want_north_jersey_casinos_poll_f.html

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Concerns about civil liberties in the air as Bergen seeks to use drones

Drone Surveillance

JUNE 23, 2015, 3:57 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015, 10:19 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Bergen County’s recent bid to be the first county in New Jersey to add drones to its toolbox for handling emergencies comes amid a growing national debate over the use of unmanned flying machines by government agencies.

Leaders of the county’s emergency management operation are seeking freeholder approval to acquire two drones, which would be used for purposes ranging from finding a lost child to getting a bird’s-eye view of a fire or disaster.

Civil liberties advocates say that’s fine. But they worry that what they termed “mission creep” could open the door to other uses for the new technology and lead to questions of who is watching whom and for what purpose.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/concerns-about-civil-liberties-in-the-air-as-bergen-seeks-to-use-drones-1.1361322

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Glen Rock council to hear proposal for new housing zone

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JUNE 22, 2015    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015, 12:24 AM
BY RICHARD DE SANTA
STAFF WRITER |
GLEN ROCK GAZETTE

The Glen Rock Planning Board has approved a draft ordinance that would permit “S-2” zoning at appropriate sites for the building of multiple-dwelling senior citizen housing, and has recommended its adoption by the Borough Council.

At present, the only option now open to developers of such projects is to apply to the borough for a use variance.

The board’s action came at a special meeting called for that purpose on June 9. Planners had previously reviewed an earlier version of the ordinance at a May session, opting to submit it for professional review.

Planning Board secretary Nancy Spiller said the draft approved last week included recommendations to reduce housing density of any such construction to 30 units per acre from 35 in the original draft; increase the front yard setback to 40 feet from 25 feet; and increase side yard setback to 15 feet from 10 feet. In addition, required total property side yard setbacks were increased to 30 feet from 20 feet, while minimum parking was reduced from two spaces per unit in the prior draft to 1.5.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/glen-rock-council-to-hear-proposal-for-new-housing-zone-1.1360691

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Judge affirms Bergen schools’ right to withhold full security-drill reports from NBC-TV

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file photo by Boyd Loving

JUNE 19, 2015, 5:26 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015, 5:26 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A state Superior Court judge has ruled that a dozen Bergen County school districts were within their rights to redact details of their school security drills before turning drill records over to a TV station probing alleged irregularities.

Superior Court Judge Robert P. Contillo wrote in the decision that the safety and security concerns voiced by the districts outweighed plaintiff WNBC-TV’s interest in receiving un-redacted records. The redactions, he wrote, which varied district-to-district but generally blacked out the date, time, and length of the drills, were “necessary to protect defendants’ interest in maintaining the safety and integrity of the school community.”

“Any other result would risk this information falling into the wrong hands and being of use in an effort to cause harm,” he wrote.

Donald Doherty, attorney for plaintiff WNBC-TV, was disappointed by the June 4 ruling, which he said didn’t make sense given that other districts freely gave the network the information.

“If it was such a security risk, you’d have thought everybody would have thought [so],” he said. “But I’m not the judge.”

Doherty said he doesn’t plan to appeal the decision, but that that “doesn’t mean we think the judge is right.”

Named in the station’s Feb. 20 suit were the boards of education in Allendale, Bergenfield, Englewood Cliffs, Hillsdale, Oakland, Old Tappan, Ramapo-Indian Hills, Ramsey, River Vale, and Tenafly, as well as the Bergen County Technical and Special Services districts. Also named were those districts’ business administrators, who serve as public records custodians.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/judge-affirms-bergen-schools-right-to-withhold-full-security-drill-reports-from-nbc-tv-1.1359734

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FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING

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file photo by Boyd Loving
…FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING…

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS…IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…
EASTERN BERGEN…EASTERN ESSEX…EASTERN PASSAIC…EASTERN
UNION…HUDSON…WESTERN BERGEN…WESTERN ESSEX…WESTERN
PASSAIC AND WESTERN UNION. IN SOUTHEAST NEW YORK…BRONX…
KINGS (BROOKLYN)…NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)…NORTHERN NASSAU…
NORTHERN QUEENS…NORTHERN WESTCHESTER…RICHMOND (STATEN
ISLAND)…ROCKLAND…SOUTHERN NASSAU…SOUTHERN QUEENS AND
SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER.

* FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING

* HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THE REMNANTS OF BILL IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT
THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS
EXPECTED TO OCCUR DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY
MORNING…AND COULD LEAD TO WIDESPREAD URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
FLOODING. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE
BETWEEN 1 TO 2 INCHES…ALTHOUGH AMOUNTS OF UP TO 3 INCHES WILL
BE POSSIBLE WITH AREAS OF HEAVIER RAIN…AND IN THUNDERSTORMS.
THE HEAVY RAINFALL SATURDAY NIGHT COULD FALL WITHIN A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME…LEADING TO SHARP RISES ON SMALL STREAMS AND
CREEKS IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SIGNIFICANT POOR DRAINAGE
FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO
FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING
DEVELOP.

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Court blasts Bergen County prosecutor on pre-trial program denial

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JUNE 19, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015, 7:58 AM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON AND JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Thursday that it was “a patent and gross abuse of discretion” by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office to deny Carlstadt Mayor William Roseman entry to a trial-diversion program in a criminal case involving health insurance wrongly provided by the borough to his wife after they divorced.

The unanimous ruling comes amid scrutiny of another decision by the office of Prosecutor John Molinelli involving the program known as Pretrial Intervention — twice approving a Teaneck doctor for PTI who had been indicted on charges of groping female patients but avoided trial and was allowed to keep his medical license.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/nj-state-news/court-blasts-bergen-county-prosecutor-on-pre-trial-program-denial-1.1359044

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Drug overdose deaths soar to double the number of N.J. road fatalities in 2014

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JUNE 17, 2015, 10:02 AM    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2015, 12:20 AM
BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Drug overdoses from illicit and prescription drugs claimed twice as many lives statewide in 2014 as auto crashes, becoming the leading cause of accidental death in New Jersey, according to a national report and state data released Wednesday.

In Bergen County, heroin overdoses rose sharply, one of the most dramatic increases in New Jersey last year, according to data provided by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.

But there are signs that in North Jersey that trend may be reversing, as more first responders are using the rescue drug Narcan to save people in the throes of an overdose. So far this year, the drug has been used 60 times, resulting in far fewer deaths, said Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli. Since Narcan was approved for use in 2014, more than 45 towns across North Jersey have deployed it to stop overdoses. The drug, which can reverse an overdose in as little as two minutes, is injected or inhaled.

Last month, Cliffside Park police responded to a call at a Day Avenue home and found a 34-year-old Fairview man lying on his back, a potential overdose victim. They administered two doses of the rescue drug in the form of a nasal spray and took the patient to Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen. Other saves occurred in Hillsdale, Lodi, Oakland and Ramsey in recent weeks.

The results have been a reduction in deaths so far this year, with 11 people dying of heroin overdoses, compared with 42 who died all of last year in Bergen County, according to Molinelli, who has organized task forces to rein in the heroin trade in North Jersey.

“All the community outreach being done by addictive service groups, parent and school organizations and law enforcement has been substantial,” Molinelli said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-drug-overdoses-double-over-4-years-become-leading-cause-of-accidental-death-1.1357250

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Paramus business executive accused of embezzling employer

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JUNE 17, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY HUGH R. MORLEY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Authorities on Tuesday accused a Paramus man of participating in a scheme to embezzle $2.6 million from a large international insurance company and using the proceeds to buy a multimillion-dollar house and two luxury cars.

The U.S. attorney for Manhattan charged James J. Shea, 49, of Paramus and Eugene Fallon, 51, of Nanuet, N.Y., with wire fraud, arresting Shea on Tuesday morning. Fallon remained at large late in the day.

Authorities said Shea, an executive at the company, which was not named but was described as “the North American subsidiary of an international insurance company,” forged the signature of his supervisor to “authorize numerous payments to bogus consulting companies that Fallon controlled.”

Fallon then returned two-thirds of the money – about $1.8 million – to Shea, the office of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.

Bloomberg News identified the insurance company as Australia-based QBE Insurance Group Ltd., and it quoted a spokeswoman as saying the company is cooperating with prosecutors.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/paramus-man-charged-in-fraud-scheme-1.1356727

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United Way planning affordable-housing project in Glen Rock

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JUNE 16, 2015, 7:58 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015, 8:00 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

GLEN ROCK — Bergen County’s United Way is considering land on Bradford Street as a possible site for an affordable-housing project for the physically and developmentally disabled.

Glen Rock officials disclosed in a meeting last week that the United Way was “under contract” to purchase 15 Bradford Street, the 0.34-acre site of a condemned, four-bedroom home built 80 years ago.

Tom Toronto, president of Bergen County’s United Way, confirmed on Tuesday that his organization had been working with borough officials to find a suitable site for a single-story “supportive housing project.”

It would be the United Way’s first project in Glen Rock and could serve as the new address for “less than 10” adults with needs, Toronto said. Similar projects have been constructed in Allendale, Mahwah, Demarest, Emerson, and Ramsey.

The United Way has been working with Mayor John van Keuren for three years “to identify a site that would make sense for such a project,” Toronto said Tuesday. “The mayor understands the need for this kind of housing. It’s a great locale in a beautiful neighborhood near a park.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/united-way-planning-affordable-housing-project-in-glen-rock-1.1356776

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Bergen Exec Tedesco: In North Jersey, Meadowlands casino option still cash money

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HACKENSACK – The whole of New Jersey might be embroiled in casino controversy chaos, but to Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, the case is clear: any future North Jersey casino should be built in the Meadowlands in his own Bergen County.  (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)

Bergen Exec Tedesco: In North Jersey, Meadowlands casino option still cash money | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis

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NJ TRANSIT’S SUMMER SHORE EXPRESS SERVICE RETURNS JUNE 21

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Enhanced North Jersey Coast Line express weekend service to beach towns launches Sunday, June 21

June 15, 2015NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT is making it convenient and affordable to get to summer shore destinations with the return of express weekend rail service from Penn Station New York and northern New Jersey cities to shore communities along the North Jersey Coast Line this Sunday, June 21.

Enhanced Saturday, Sunday and holiday rail service on the North Jersey Coast Line will operate from June 21 through September 12 and utilize the agency’s dual-powered locomotives to provide a one-seat ride.

“This one-seat ride rail service from New York is a sound investment that not only gives visitors and residents easier access to some of our most popular beaches and boardwalks, it also helps take cars off the roadway and boosts tourism and the economy in our shore communities,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Chairman Jamie Fox.

“Our Shore service provides a safe and reliable way to get people where they need to be to enjoy time in the sun and expands transit options for travelers along the state’s costal region,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim.  “NJ TRANSIT is grateful for the continued support of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) without whom funding for this service would not be possible.”

Four round-trip express trains will operate between Penn Station New York and Bay Head.  This service also features hourly train service between Bay Head and Long Branch from approximately 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Two of the round-trips will be geared to beach travelers, with an additional two round-trips providing service during the early morning and late night timeframes.

The express service will serve Penn Station New York, Secaucus Junction, Newark Penn Station, Elizabeth, Rahway, Aberdeen-Matawan, Red Bank, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and then all station stops to Bay Head, without the need of a transfer in Long Branch.  A travel time savings of approximately 25 minutes is expected from the normal travel time between New York and trains such as Belmar, Manasquan and Point Pleasant.

Seating will be limited aboard the express service.  Customers are strongly encouraged to purchase round-trip tickets or discounted beach packages to Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar (a savings of $6.50) prior to the start of their trip.  NJ TRANSIT beach packages are available at some ticket windows and ticket vending machines.  More information on beach packages is available on njtransit.com/summer.

Customers can also purchase NJ TRANSIT tickets using MyTix mobile ticketing.

Express trains will supplement NJ TRANSIT’s regular hourly rail shuttle service between Long Branch and Bay Head, and will operate using the statewide transportation agency’s new ALP-45 dual-powered locomotives.   These specialized trains will operate in electric mode between New York and Long Branch and will switch to diesel operation for travel between Long Branch and Bay Head – allowing for the one-seat ride.

The announcement follows the May 11, 2015 endorsement of the service by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), which authorized a $273,000 allocation through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) to fund the new service.

Detailed schedules are available on njtransit.com.