AUGUST 5, 2015, 5:02 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015, 12:10 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS AND ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
A Glen Rock detective whose job centered on protecting children was arrested Wednesday, accused of sending naked photos of himself to a 14-year-old girl and sexually explicit text messages to another teenage girl, both of whom had been under his supervision, authorities said.
Detective Sgt. Eric Reamy, 51, the borough’s juvenile officer, was arrested at his home in Fair Lawn following a one-month investigation that began when the mother of a 17-year-old girl went to Glen Rock police after finding “inappropriate” messages from the detective on her daughter’s cellphone, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said.
The investigation led police to a 14-year-old girl who recently moved with her family to Texas, and whose phone was examined Tuesday by Bergen County detectives who traveled there to interview her and her parents, the prosecutor said. Reamy had persuaded the girl to send him naked photos of herself and had sent her “two naked photos of his private part,” Molinelli said.
Reamy has been charged with five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, including one first-degree count, Molinelli said.
Price tag for Bergen County DPW facility grows by a Staggering $5 million
This has “Ridgewood parking garage” written all over it
AUGUST 5, 2015, 9:39 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015, 7:36 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The new Bergen County public works maintenance facility in Paramus will cost at least $5 million more to build than originally estimated, County Executive James Tedesco told the freeholders Wednesday.
The project, which had been estimated to cost $16 million, has cost $21 million thus far, Tedesco said.
He also said the project, scheduled to open on Oct. 1, is about seven months behind schedule from it’s originated projected completion date in March.
Related: Cost of Bergen County Justice Center expected to grow by $1.3M
Tedesco has been saying for months that the facility was “underfunded.” But Wednesday marked the first time he specified how much more money it would cost.
The DPW facility is part of a larger multi-project $147-million bond issue that also includes a new Justice Center and parking deck and another DPW garage in Hackensack. Taken together, the work is the largest public works project in the county’s history.
Tedesco said the Justice Center and parking garage are close to coming in on budget. The five-story parking garage is set to open later this summer and the adjacent six-story Justice Center is about six weeks behind schedule, he said. The Hackensack DPW garage is completed.
The Paramus DPW facility, though, has undergone several changes in the last seven months that have added to the cost of that project, he said. For example, one building at the site was designed as a cold-storage garage, to store vehicles without providing any heat. But to allow for diesel-powered vehicles to be stored there, the county has added electric heating blocks to thaw them out in winter, Tedesco said.
He said the original design also did not call for the concrete in the maintenance garage to be sealed with epoxy. That change has added to the expense and the time required to install it, he said.
DPW Director Raymond Dressler said another change was related to how the current administration, which took over in January, plans to use the building. Dressler said one garage bay is getting a lift capable of raising large trucks, so that the county can offer heavy-equipment maintenance as a shared service to municipalities and fire departments. He said plans call for at least two shifts daily to work out of the building, rather than just one, which required reconfiguring the space.
Glen Rock NJ, A 15-year old male Glen Rock resident riding his bicycle was struck by a car and injured at the intersection of Ackerman Avenue and Rock Road on Tuesday morning, 08/04. The youth’s injuries were minor; he was treated on the scene by members of the Glen Rock Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The driver of the car that struck the victim remained on the scene and cooperated with Glen Rock police officers. The incident was reported shortly after 10 AM.
by Sarah MulhollandLisa Pham
August 1, 2015 — 3:35 PM EDTUpdated on August 2, 2015 — 12:56 AM EDT
Verizon Communications Inc. said employees will continue to work as negotiations continue between unions and the second-largest U.S. telephone company on an agreement on benefits.
Contracts with the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers expired Saturday night at midnight New York time, the company said in a statement.
The telecommunications giant is pushing back against union demands such as increasing tuition assistance and eliminating employee health-insurance contributions, which were instituted for the first time in the 2012 contract. Verizon’s initial offer in June included a 2 percent wage increase in each of the first two years of the three-year contract, plus a lump-sum payment in the final year.
“The company has barely moved off its initial June 22nd proposal,” Ed Mooney, a vice president for Communications Workers of America, said in a separate statement.
Washington Twp man fished out of the back yard pool durring cardiac arrest
August 2,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blogWashington Twp NJ, The Washington Township Police Department received a frantic 911 telephone call at approximately 1:50 PM on Saturday, 08/01 from a woman who reported finding her husband on the bottom of their back yard pool.
Local police and ambulance personnel, along with a nearby paramedic unit, responded to the location where they found the victim in full cardiac arrest.. He was transported by an ambulance with a police escort to The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood. Washington Township Police were assisted by the Washington Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps and a paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital.
AUGUST 1, 2015, 11:09 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015, 11:23 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
From a stinging rebuke by the state’s highest court to Friday’s reversal of the official-misconduct conviction of former Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa, it’s been a bad run of late for John Molinelli, Bergen County’s longtime prosecutor.
Although the county’s top law enforcement official has logged plenty of wins in more than a dozen years in the post, his office now finds itself on the losing end of some high-profile cases. On Friday, a state appellate panel tossed out Zisa’s conviction and described the prosecution’s case against him as weak and tainted by prejudicial and improper remarks and evidence.
Only recently the state Supreme Court cited “gross abuse of discretion” in Molinelli’s fight against Carlstadt Mayor William Roseman’s entry into a trial-diversion program known as Pretrial Intervention, or PTI.
Meanwhile, questions about possible political influence in Molinelli’s office emerged this year during the federal trial of former county Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Ferriero, when federal prosecutors referenced a years-old case involving a doctor who was allowed to enter PTI twice and avoid prosecution on allegations that he groped female patients.
Major Water Main Break Soaks Washington Twp Closes Swim Club
July 31,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington Twp NJ, A major water main break on Ridgewood Boulevard North in Washington Township affected a wide area of the municipality, reportedly resulting in the temporary closure of the Washington Township Swim Club.
The break occurred sometime around 11 AM on Thursday, 07/30. A portion of Ridgewood Boulevard North in the 400 block was closed to all vehicular traffic as a result of the leak. Crews from United Water arrived at the scene within 30 minutes to assess the situation. A water company worker was overheard telling an area resident that water would be “off” for most of the day Thursday.
JULY 30, 2015, 7:35 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015, 8:24 PM
BY PATRICIA ALEX
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The positions of 64 full-time lecturers at Bergen Community College have been cut as the school struggles to cope with a mix of stagnant state and county funding and declining enrollment.
The move will save nearly $934,000 and comes after 150 part-time staffers either had their hours eliminated or reduced earlier in the month in an effort to save $1 million more, said school spokesman Larry Hlavenka Jr. on Thursday.
The lecturers carry a full teaching load – about five courses each semester – and are paid $38,600 a year plus benefits. They must reapply for their jobs each semester and are considered temporary employees, Hlavenka said.
Only 28 lecturers will be kept. The other 64 are being asked to reapply as adjuncts, who make about $2,100 per course and have no benefits, according to the college.
The cutbacks will not affect any of the 350-400 full-time tenured faculty, Hlavenka said.
There was concern that the departure of the lecturers would affect teaching quality at the school.
JULY 30, 2015, 7:05 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015, 7:46 PM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
MAHWAH — Police have arrested one of two men allegedly involved in the theft of a bag of about $150,000 in cash that had been accidentally left on a curb this week and are looking for the other suspect, saying in a news release on Thursday that the pair already spent some of the money, using cash to purchase an SUV.
Alton Harvey
Alton Harvey, 42, of Hillside was arrested Wednesday afternoon as police conducted surveillance in Irvington of the white van allegedly used by the suspects on the day of the theft and a Chevrolet Tahoe that had been purchased with money from the bag, Police Chief James Batelli said Thursday. Police are also looking for Jamar A. Bludson, 35, of Newark, he said.
Video surveillance cameras recorded the passenger of a white van removing the bag from the lawn, Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said.
Police said that Harvey drove the van and that Bludson, the passenger, was the person seen on video surveillance picking up the satchel of money from the curb. The bag had been left there accidentally by two workers for an ATM company located on Industrial Avenue. Police have not identified the company for security reasons and company officials have not responded to messages seeking comment.
photo Courtesy of Boyd Loving Facebook page
Paramus Accident Results in Assault on other driver
July 28,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ , Paramus EMS personnel transported one (1) person to The Valley Hospital following a 10:30 PM crash on Route 4 eastbound near Route 17. The male driver of one (1) vehicle involved in the crash assaulted another driver and a construction worker who came to that driver’s aid. Paramus PD officers subdued the assailant and placed him under arrest. He is now in the Bergen County Jail.
Fair Lawn police officers investigating a collision between a bicyclist and vehicle at the intersection of Plaza Road and Waverly Avenue
July 27,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fair Lawn NJ, Fair Lawn police officers investigating a collision between a bicyclist and vehicle at the intersection of Plaza Road and Waverly Avenue in Fair Lawn that took place shortly before 12:30 PM on Saturday, 7/25. More than one (1) vehicle may have struck the victim, who was transported by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson. The victim was reportedly in full cardiac arrest at the scene of the collision. Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation personnel were called to the crash site to assist in the investigation.
Ridgewood NJ, Rep Scott Garrett finds him self in the cross hairs of a over hyped media attack based on unsubstantiated rumor and innuendo.
We have seen this one to many times were the main stream media template trumps the facts and continues to report a false story because it better fits their news template .
The anti Garret charge has once again been led by weak inside the beltway GOP members and the Bergen Record . Who’s publisher Stephen Borg, came to Ridgewood for a “civility forum ” in February and told the crowd , ” the whole problem is that since people have found their voice through social media they have come to so many different opinions civil discourse has fallen .Things were so much better when North Jersey Media had a monopoly on public discussion and could always dictate terms . Borg implied that elites like himself we the only ones qualified to make those decisions. Borg pointed out how this blog and its anonymous posters are the greatest enemy to not only American Democracy but to the dominance of North Jersey Media Group. While I was rather flattered that the Publisher and President, North Jersey Media Group thought this blog shook the very foundations of civil discourse and was viewed as the barbarians at the gate , I would suggest the far larger problem might be the totally bias, and slip shot reporting of his Media Empire. Borg set the tone for the evening which came down silencing critics and reasserting true elitist “we know better than you ” , so time to be quite .”
The whole thing started when Garrett refused to pay his NRCC dues because of a feud with Speaker Bohner, but has been morphed into according to unsubstantiated sources Garrett didn’t support the NRCC because “it actively recruited gay candidates and supported homosexuals in primaries,” .
By the way many in the GOP do not support the NRCC including this blog because despite a landslide win the GOP has failed to deliver on a single issue and has instead conspired to help the “Obama agenda”.
The Jersey media has run with this tripe of coarse without any effort to substantiate facts .The GOP elites in DC have been joined by the usual suspects like “Blue Jersey ” who have hired a “rent-a-mob to protest at Garrets office in Glen Rock today at 1230 at 266 Harristown Rd.
There have been at lest 20 hit pieces to date citing these unsubstantiated comments reporting them as fact , like the Mike Brown ,hands up fake controversy the facts will eventually get in the way of this witch hunt , but until then expect to hear more garbage from New Jersey media sources and more blame falling on the “mean and uncooperative anonymous bloggers” while the media has a free had to quote anonymous sources .
Jennings Column: Few Republicans Publicly Criticizing Garrett for Gay Remarks
The openly gay chair of the Passaic Republicans is putting pressure on other party leaders to denounce Rep. Scott Garrett’s alleged objections to gay candidates. John Traier said he initially gave Garrett the benefit of the doubt, but Garrett did not return his message: (Jennings/The New Jersey Herald)
JULY 26, 2015, 11:16 PM LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2015, 11:20 PM
BY HERB JACKSON
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD
Rep. Scott Garrett’s decision to stop supporting a key Republican campaign fund did more than raise questions about his attitudes toward gay people — it highlighted an often-obscured reality about the political machinery that ties congressional power to cash.
Party leaders — for both Democrats and Republicans — know that certain committee assignments give members of Congress access to lucrative streams of contributions from industries that those committees oversee.
Ridgewood NJ, Two Bergen County residents Joe Delcalzo and Peter Reuther opened the county’s first Brewery, Brix City Brewing, in Little Ferry last month.Due to the small production size of our Brewery we are only on tap at a few bars and restaurants in the area. Make sure to call ahead, as many restaurants and bars rotate taps the beer is sold at . In Ridgewood the Office Beer Bar & Grill sell the beer.
Nestled in the borough of Little Ferry, Brix City Brewing is one of the newest craft breweries to hit the beer scene in New Jersey. Brix City Brewing is dedicated to bold styled beers that showcase intense flavor profiles and the highest quality ingredients. We make the beer we enjoy drinking, so hopefully you do too.
In 2010, co-founder Pete left the Army after serving in the infantry for four years, two of which were spent in Germany where he began to appreciate the many different styles of beer. Upon his honorable discharge, he was unsure of what he was going to do with his life. At the same time, fellow co-founder Joe was attending college as an accounting major while working part time, also unsure about what he would be doing in the future.
The two men had been friends since high school and both shared a passion for beer. They would soon buy a home brew kit, and before you knew it they were knee deep in the craft brewing world, most of their free time from that point on was spent brewing (and drinking for that matter). Before long, the two had the crazy idea that they could make this wonderful hobby a career and they began developing the brewery that would unfold to be Brix City Brewing.
JULY 22, 2015, 9:28 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2015, 9:46 PM
BY ALLISON PRIES
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
PARAMUS — The Borough Council should abandon an ordinance to raise the tobacco buying age to 21, Paramus’ attorney recommended during a council work session Wednesday night.
Attorney Paul Kaufman told the council that the ordinance it introduced June 9 could make the borough vulnerable to costly litigation because of concerns over preemption by the state law and enforceability.
The way the law is written, Kaufman said, it’s silent on whether the tobacco buying age would be preempted by the state law, which puts the purchasing age at 19.
Related: Paramus to discuss tobacco-buying age
“I don’t think the taxpayers here should have to pay $100,000 in legal expenses to find out the answer,” he said.
Kaufman also said that it “breeds disrespect for the law to enact an ordinance that’s not enforced.”
Instead, Kaufman suggested the council pass a resolution urging the state to amend the statute.
“I get the point that when you enact an ordinance like this that you’re sending a message to the state Legislature,” Kaufman said. “I think there’s another way … to get that point across.”
The resolution could be brought to the state by hometown Assemblyman, and former Councilman, Joe Lagana. Also, the Paramus clerk could share the resolution with the Bergen County Municipal Clerks’ Association of New Jersey to spread the word, Kaufman suggested.
JULY 23, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015, 12:32 AM
BY KELLY NICHOLAIDES
STAFF WRITER |
SOUTH BERGENITE
The municipalities of Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst and Rutherford have filed lawsuits in Superior Court against the Council on Affordable Housing and Mt. Laurel ruling.
The municipalities seek declaratory judgment granting temporary immunity from exclusionary zoning lawsuits also known as builder’s remedy lawsuits, five months to complete an updated affordable housing methodology and judgment of compliance and repose, the documents read.
The COAH process has inundated courts since the agency failed to adopt new third round regulations. COAH third-round obligations from 2004 were challenged in 2007, with the Appellate Division invalidating various aspects of regulations, and a revised third round was published in 2008, only to have amendments added. The transfer of jurisdiction to the courts later showed that the growth-share methodology was invalid, and COAH should use methodologies adopted in the first and second rounds. COAH deadlocked on adopting revised third-round regulations, and the Fair Share Housing Center filed a motion to enforce litigants’ rights. The court ruled COAH’s administrative process non-functional, and allowed developers to go directly to court bypassing the agency — setting up towns for lawsuits from builders.
Although municipalities had until July 8 to submit their affordable housing plan to the court, East Rutherford, along with at least 70 municipalities, is asking for a five-month extension from the date of the court ruling and opted to hire experts to come up with a new methodology to calculate fair share housing since COAH failed to adopt revised regulations. The towns hired Robert W. Burchell and Rutgers, in a Municipal Shared Services Defense Agreement to prepare a statewide fair share affordable housing analysis to be undertaken by Rutgers and Burchell. Burchell will analyze any challenges to the Initial Fair Share Analysis and prepare a rebuttal report for the court
