MAY 7, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015, 12:25 AM
BY STEVE JANOSKI AND ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
The officer who fatally shot a Wyckoff family’s 5-year-old German shepherd was also involved in an alleged 2010 police chase in Newark that ended when the police car he was driving fatally struck a domestic violence suspect.
The officer, Kyle Ferreira, was not charged or indicted in the Newark case, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday. And Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox said that the department knew about the incident when he was hired in February 2012.
Newark agreed to settle a civil lawsuit related to the incident for $350,000, according to federal court documents. Ferreira was among 160 Newark police officers who were laid off in late November 2010 because of budget cuts, an attorney for Newark said.
Fox said that the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office had cleared Ferreira of any criminal wrongdoing in the case and that it was “simply ruled an accident.” He said that Wyckoff authorities were “aware of it, and we investigated it.”
Katharine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, said prosecutors had presented the case to a grand jury, which found “no cause for action” against Ferreira. “In essence, his actions were deemed to be justified,” Carter said.
North Bergen, N.J. – The New Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Unit, Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and personnel from Newark Station, are investigating a crash involving a Washington Township, Bergen County, police car that struck two pedestrians on the New Jersey Turnpike earlier today at approximately 1:06 a.m.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Jason Champion, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nuwnah Laroche, 34, of East Elmhurst, were traveling in a 2001 Cadillac Escalade when it became disabled on the southbound side of the roadway. Sometime later, both individuals were pedestrians in left, northbound lane in the area of milepost 115, when they were struck by a Washington Township Police car driven by 46-year-old Officer Arsenio Pecora.
According to the Washington Township Police Department, Officer Pecora was returning from training at Fort Dix at the time of the accident. The victims were pronounced deceased on scene at 4:33 a.m. via telemetry. The cause and circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation.
MAY 5, 2015, 9:45 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015, 10:28 PM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Westfield Garden State Plaza confirmed Tuesday that it has signed five new luxury fashion brands as tenants, solidifying the Paramus mall’s profile as a center for high-end fashion.
Versace, Ferragamo, Longchamp, Burberry and Hugo Boss, with their Fifth Avenue pedigrees, will open this fall in a space created by the relocation of Victoria’s Secret and other stores. The deals will give the Plaza the only Versace store in New Jersey, and will help it match offerings at its two rivals for upscale mall shoppers — The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack and The Mall at Short Hills. Riverside has Hugo Boss, Burberry and Ferragamo shops, and Short Hills has Burberry and Longchamp stores.
The announcement by the Plaza comes as two of North Jersey’s other major malls deal with concerns about empty space and weigh decisions that could determine their long-term survival. The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack has more than 100,000 square feet of space that was vacated by Saks Fifth Avenue. Paramus Park has been talking for years about a movie theater wing, though work has yet to begin.
In addition to online retailing, which threatens the mall industry nationwide, North Jersey malls face the future opening of the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex in the Meadowlands.
The Plaza has been on a campaign to attract more upscale retailers ever since its leasing coups in the 1990s, when it landed North Jersey’s first Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores. In recent years, the mall has added Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. The new tenants will be located near those high-end neighbors, on the lower level.
North Jersey is fertile territory for affluent shoppers. The median household income in Bergen County is $83,974, ranking it 42nd among the nation’s 3,143 counties, according to the latest data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Last year the Plaza opened a fashion wing that included stores by designers Tory Burch and Vince Camuto, as well as a Microsoft store. Pirch, a high-end appliance showroom, opened in a corner of that wing in March.
The mall has added more than 40 retailers over the past year.
Won Moon Joo in a photo from his 2012 Tenafly High School yearbook.
MAY 5, 2015, 4:28 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015, 11:19 PM
BY HANNAN ADELY AND MINJAE PARK
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
The college student from Tenafly detained in North Korea sought to be arrested and hoped his arrest would lead to better relations between North Korea and South Korea, he said in an interview that aired Tuesday on CNN.
Speaking at a hotel room and appearing relaxed, even smiling at times, Won Moon Joo, 21, said he intended to cross into North Korea from China. To do so, he had to pass two barbed wire fences and a cross a river before he was stopped by soldiers.
Joo, a student at New York University, was vague about his motivations for entering the country.
Related: Tenafly resident detained in North Korea says he crossed into country on purpose
“Once the thought of entering the DPRK seeped into my mind, I couldn’t really escape it. I guess I constantly thought about it,” he said, referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the name North Korea gives itself.
MAY 5, 2015, 6:05 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015, 11:15 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Vukobratovic family of Wyckoff returned to their “empty house” on Tuesday night, but they did so knowing that the tragic story of Otto, their German shepherd shot by a policeman during a mistaken burglary call, is likely to get a formal review by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
That was the result of a sometimes emotional Wyckoff Township Committee meeting where the family had gone demanding answers to what happened — step-by-step — last Wednesday in the moments leading up to Patrolman Kyle Ferreira’s shooting 5-year-old Otto twice in the back yard of family’s Lawlins Road home.
The meeting also saw boisterous picketing outside Township Hall by about 60 people — some with their dogs — who questioned the appropriateness of Ferreira’s response to what police say was an attack by Otto. And it included an apologetic Police Chief Benjamin Fox again expressing his department’s pain and regret over the incident, as well as Mayor Kevin Rooney’s stern condemnation of how Ferreira has been pilloried on social media even as a police review of the incident is continuing.
MAY 4, 2015, 7:07 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015, 7:07 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A communications mix-up Monday led the Bergen County Freeholders to postpone action on a proposed $3-million bond issue to renovate a building at Bergen Community College.
Three freeholders who serve on the Board of School Estimate were about to discuss the measure when County Administrator Dominic Novelli said he had not seen the proposal.
There was also concern over whether adequate notice was given for the vote, which several freeholders said took them by surprise as well.
“The conclusion that we came to is that the meeting was not properly noticed,” Freeholder David Ganz said after the Board of School Estimate voted to adjourn until an unspecified date.
“You don’t want — with the dollars amounts what they are — to make a mistake,” he added.
College officials had sought approval for $3 million for renovating Ender Hall on the Paramus campus.
They also sought $1.5 million toward upgrade of information technology equipment.
College President B. Kaye Walter explained that Ender Hall started out as a temporary building many years ago.
She said there are plans to use the building for a number of new initiatives, including a pre-college program for high school students studying engineering.
At first, freeholders sought to accommodate the request, which came during a budget hearing for the college.
Ganz and Freeholder Joan Voss convened a meeting of the board of estimate, which normally includes three freeholders and two college trustees.
They even temporarily swore in Freeholder Tracy Zur to fill in for Freeholder Steve Tanelli, who was not present.
But they quickly recessed the meeting after Novelli pointed out that the administration had not approved the spending.
“Quite frankly, I’m not familiar with this request for additional funding,” he said.
Won Moon Joo in a photo from his 2012 Tenafly High School yearbook.
MAY 4, 2015, 9:02 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015, 10:06 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
TENAFLY — An interview that CNN aired Tuesday morning with a Tenafly college student detained in North Korea shed little light on why he entered the country or what will happen to him.
Won Moon Joo, 21, told CNN that he purposely crossed into North Korea from China, passing two barbed wire fences and a river before he was stopped by soldiers. Asked why: “I thought by my entrance — illegally I acknowledge — I thought some great event could happen and hopefully that event could have a good effect in the relations between the north and south,” he said, appearing relaxed and even smiling during the interview.
The interview did little to answer the questions that have swirled in North Jersey’s Korean neighborhoods since North Korea announced Joo’s arrest on Saturday for having illegally entered the country. In community centers, groceries and media offices, people have been asking how he ended up in such a terrible situation and worrying for his family.
It’s a nightmare for any family — hearing that a son with so much promise travels abroad and takes a risky action that ends with him in prison. North Korea’s government detained Joo on April 22, and while South Korea is fighting on his behalf, his fate remains unclear.
“I hope I will be able to tell the world how an ordinary college student entered the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) illegally, however with the generous treatment of the DPRK that I will able to return home safely,” he said in the interview.
Joo also told CNN he has had no access to phone or Internet and has not been able to talk to anyone from the U.S. or South Korean governments yet, but has been treated well.
“I’ve been fed well. I have slept well and I have been very healthy. I would just like to apologize for creating a lot of worry among my loved ones,” he said in the interview.
Garrett Calls on DOT and OMB to Finalize Hazardous Materials Rule for DOT-111 Tank Cars
Apr 29, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) yesterday called on Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and OMB Director Shaun Donovan to complete their final review of a rule regarding DOT-111 tank cars by their May 2015 deadline. This rule could protect New Jersey from a potential hazardous materials disaster by ensuring freight cars have adequate safety standards.
Since 2011, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has been working on a proposed rule, the Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for High-Hazard Flammable Trains, to determine the safety of DOT-111 tanks cars. DOT-111 tank cars are used for the transportation of hazardous materials, including crude oil and ethanol. They have been identified by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as having design elements that pose a clear, demonstrated risk that hazardous materials could be released during a rail accident.
“The American public entrusts the DOT with the responsibility of ensuring that hazardous materials are transported safely by rail, making any further delays of this proposed rule completely unacceptable,” said Garrett. “A timely review of the DOT’s final rule will allow the rail industry to begin to make the necessary changes to their existing rail cars, budget for new costs, and protect New Jersey from a potential disaster. My constituents need assurance that adequate protections are in place when hazardous materials are being transported through our communities.”
In 2013, nearly half a million carloads of crude oil were transported by rail in the United States. In New Jersey alone, there are approximately 2,400 miles of rail freight lines. Reps. Frank LoBiondo (NJ-02), Chris Smith (NJ-04), Leonard Lance (NJ-07), and Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) signed Rep. Garrett’s letter.
We are so excited to announce our 4th annual Mary Therese Rose Run. It will be held on Saturday May 9, 2015 at the beautiful Darlington County Park in Mahwah NJ. This will be a morning of family fun activities, 5K, prizes, and food. Online registration is available at
Rep. Scott Garrett with the 2015 United States Service Academy nominees from New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District , including Christopher Lee , Ridgewood High School
(Please see list below for individual photos of nominees)
Apr 28, 2015
PARAMUS, NJ – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) is proud to announce the nomination of 36 Fifth District students to United States service academies, including the Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. This year’s nominees were honored by the Congressman at a reception at Bergen County Community College in Paramus on Wednesday, April 8, 2015.
“It’s an honor to nominate this group of talented, intelligent, and dedicated young men and women from New Jersey’s Fifth District to our country’s prestigious service academies,” said Garrett. “One of the United States’ oldest and proudest traditions, our service academies have been training future leaders for a life of service since the late 1700’s. I wish everyone all the best as they move through the final steps of the application process, and I’m proud of their achievements.”
Applications to the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy require a nomination by a Congressman or a Senator, however, the Congressional nomination does not guarantee acceptance. To assist with the nomination process, Congressman Garrett established an esteemed committee of military and civic leaders that interviewed potential nominees, reviewed their applications and made recommendations to the Congressman. Click here for more information about Congressman Garrett’s nomination process.
Below is a complete list of the nominees by academy and links to individual photos of the nominees with Rep. Garrett. Names without a corresponding link were unable to attend the April 8th reception.
**Please note: some candidates were nominated to more than one academy.
United States Military Academy at West Point
Olivia Beattie – River Vale, Pascack Valley High School
Shayne Harrell – Hamburg, Bergen Catholic High School
Christopher Lee – Ridgewood, Ridgewood High School
John Lorenz – Glen Rock, Glen Rock High School
Michael McPherson – Dumont, Bergen Catholic High School
Brady Miller – Glen Rock, Glen Rock High School
Danielle Peck – West Milford, West Milford High School
Haley Ann Steele – West Milford, West Milford High School
Edward Yoon – River Edge, River Dell Regional High School
Gregory Zabrodskiy – Ramsey, Green Meadow Waldorf School
APRIL 29, 2015, 5:13 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015, 5:13 PM
BY KIBRET MARKOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Two attorneys were arrested and charged with simple assault on Wednesday after they got into a heated dispute that turned into a fist fight at the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack, authorities and witnesses said.
Costantino Fragale, 42, and Jeffrey Mandel, 43, were in a deposition in a room on the fourth floor about 1 p.m. when the dispute erupted, said Anthony Cureton, spokesman for the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, which is in charge of security at the courthouse.
“There were verbal arguments, and there was a fight,” Cureton said. He said he did not know what caused the dispute.
Witnesses said they heard a commotion in a jury-deliberation room that doubles as an attorney conference room, and later saw one of the attorneys had a bloodied face. More than a dozen sheriff’s officers showed up at the scene and broke up the fight, they said.
Fragale and Mandel were later released without bail.
APRIL 29, 2015, 10:52 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015, 10:57 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
WYCKOFF — A police officer investigating a report of a possible burglary went to the wrong home and fatally shot a German shepherd dog that lunged at him and bit him on the boot, Police Chief Benjamin Fox said Wednesday.
Fox said police received the call at 3:45 p.m., reporting the possible break-in at 621 Lawlins Road. Patrolman Kyle Ferreira responded and mistakenly went to 622 Lawlins Road, Fox said.
Ferreira received no answer when he knocked on the front door of the wrong house, Fox said, so he went to the rear of the house and let himself into the back yard through an unlocked fence gate. When he got to the rear of the house, the patrolman saw an open window and believed he had found a possible point of entry for a burglar, Fox said.
Ferreira drew his revolver and approached the window, believing he might encounter a burglar, but “a large, growling German shepherd lunged out the open window, bit the officer on his right foot and latched onto his boot,” Fox said in a statement.
APRIL 30, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY REBECCA GREENE
CORRESPONDENT |
WYCKOFF SUBURBAN NEWS
Wyckoff — Two mayors having difficulty getting hold of each other has resulted in a stalemate when it comes to solving issues residents are having with their Ridgewood Water bills.
Wyckoff Mayor Kevin Rooney and Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn say they have made attempts to speak to each other and both are expressing frustration about the time between returned phone calls and emails.
The Village of Ridgewood operates Ridgewood Water, a utility that serves Wyckoff, Midland Park, Glen Rock and Ridgewood. Wyckoff residents have been complaining about large bills they have recently received that reflect actual use versus estimated use going back several years.
When one resident complained at a recent Township Committee meeting about the $1,071 “surcharge” bill he received, Rooney told the resident he has tried several times to contact Aronsohn to resolve the issue. He said his attempts prior to the committee meeting were unsuccessful.
PARAMUS – More than 100 people attended a fundraiser Tuesday night for Republican Bergen County Freeholder candidate John Mitchell.
The event, held at Biagio’s in Paramus, drew a host of GOP stalwarts from around Bergen County. Those in attendance included Bergen County Republican Organization Chairman Bob Yudin; Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino; state Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi (R-39), 38th Legislative District candidates Anthony Cappola and Mark DiPisa; and former 38th Legislative District candidate Fernando Alonso, an attorney from Oradell who is a senior lecturer and the director of several programs for Hispanic students at Fairleigh Dickinson University. (Bonamo/PolitickerNJ)
April 28,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog ,Bergen County Mosquito Control and County Executive James Tedesco
“This morning, I went with County Public Works and Mosquito Control officials, as well as Freeholder Tom Sullivan, to release Gambusia fish into a marshy area known for mosquito breeding. These fish eat mosquito larvae and help reduce the mosquito population in our county.” County Executive James Tedesco
Ridgewood NJ, Bergen County Mosquito Control Program is based on a system of “Integrated Pest Management” consisting of surveillance source reduction, water management, and biological and chemical control.
Mosquito Control in Bergen County is an ongoing, year round program.
In early spring, the surveillance and application program begins. Surveillance entails looking for larvae and applying materials to prevent hatching. After the pre-season is completed, a regularly scheduled inspection and control program begins in the eleven districts covering the 70 municipalities.
Nearly 4000 specific breeding sites are routinely inspected and larvae is collected and identified. If mosquito larvae is found, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BTI) is applied. BTI is a selected larvicide which affects mosquito and black fly larvae and causes no harm to :
Animals
Beneficial insects
Birds
Humans
Marine life
Pets
Vegetation
Wildlife
During the warmer months, mosquito breeding habitats are stocked with Gambusia, a small fish with a hearty appetite for mosquito larvae. During this time a variety of traps are installed county-wide to monitor the adult mosquito population.
Adulticiding to control the adult population is only done when necessary, from a truck or hand held unit, not by helicopter, in response to adult mosquito surveillance and identification.
The NJ State Mosquito Control Commission funds a Biological Control Program which uses five species of mosquito-eating fish which are raised at the DEP’s Division of Fish, and Wildlife’s Charles O. Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown.
These fish are distributed at no charge to county mosquito control agencies. Where practical, these fish control mosquito populations and reduce the need for pesticides.
During the winter months, hand labor and heavy equipment is used to clear and desilt ditches, streams and ponds to allow for free movement of water. Tide-gates and dikes are inspected and repaired to prevent flooding of low-lying areas and water in ditches and brooks are lowered to minimize mosquito breeding.
MOSQUITO PREVENTION TIPS
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco Encourages Residents to Take Simple Precautions
It’s time to take important steps to protect yourself and your family against West Nile Virus (WNV) infection and mosquito annoyance in general.
WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, so it’s important to take steps to prevent getting mosquito bites and to clean or remove items on your property that can serve as mosquito breeding grounds.
Individuals can take a number of measures around the home to help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas, including:
• Dispose of cans, buckets, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar containers that hold water on your property.
• Properly dispose of discarded tires that can collect water. Stagnant water is where most mosquitoes breed.
• Drill drainage holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers.
• Clean clogged roof gutters every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees tend to plug drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and don’t let water stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use and remove any water that may collect on pool covers.
For stagnant pools of water, homeowners can buy Bti products at lawn and garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring bacteria kills mosquito larva, but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.
Additionally, these simple precautions can prevent mosquito bites, particularly for people who are most at risk:
• Make sure screens fit tightly over doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out of homes.
• Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, or in areas known for having large numbers of mosquitoes.
• When possible, reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito periods, usually April through October.
• Use insect repellants according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An effective repellant will contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Consult with a pediatrician or family physician if you have questions about the use of repellent on children, as repellant is not recommended for children under the age of two months.
WNV is an arboviral disease which people can acquire through the bite of a mosquito that has fed on an infected bird. WNV is not directly transmitted from birds to humans. About one in 150 persons, or less than 1 percent of those infected with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease. Symptoms of more serious illness include severe headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.
The elderly are at higher risk of more severe disease. Bergen County’s WNV surveillance, control, and prevention activities involve the coordinated efforts of a number of federal, state and local agencies. These include DHSS, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Mosquito Control Commission, the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, local and Bergen County Health Departments, and of course our Bergen County Department of Public Works Division of Mosquito Control.
For more information about mosquito control in Bergen County,
call the Health Hotline: 201-225-7000 or visit the website:https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/index.aspx?nid=325
To contact the Bergen County Division of Mosquito Control about a mosquito problem, call 201-634-2880.
