No rabies found in second coyote killed in Norwood
APRIL 28, 2015, 4:19 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015, 8:14 PM
BY NICHOLAS PUGLIESE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
NORWOOD — The coyote that was shot by a borough police officer Thursday and was found dead in a trap Sunday has tested negative for rabies, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection said Tuesday.
The coyote was the second to be killed in a scare that gripped Norwood last week after a man was bitten by a coyote while he was walking his dog on April 19.
The day after that incident, a coyote attacked the tires of a police car and was shot dead. That coyote tested positive for rabies, making it only the seventh recorded case of a rabid coyote in New Jersey but the second in Bergen County in less than a month.
While there have been reports of a third coyote in the Norwood area, the state DEP spokesman, Larry Hajna, said that “at this point we don’t have any reports of aggressive coyotes,” adding that the department would continue to respond to reports of aggressive coyotes as necessary.
If you’re ever taking a nighttime drive along New Jersey’s Garden State Parkway, keep your eyes peeled as you approach Exit 82, and with any luck — or maybe lack of it — you’ll see one of New Jersey’s most often seen ghosts, the “Parkway Phantom.”According to Asbury Park Press, many of New Jersey’s “most notable ghosts,” such as the Parkway Phantom, are said to haunt the realms of New Jersey’s roads and highways, likely because that’s where the human vessel the ghost once occupied experienced some dire trauma, leaving its body no longer working or, in other words, dead.
New Jersey motorists have been reporting roadside apparitions and highway ghosts like the Parkway Phantom for decades, the ghosts apparently having no choice but to wander the area of road where their death occurred. Perhaps they don’t realize, or understand, that their turn at life has come to a traumatic halt, and no matter how much they wave and try to flag down the help of passing New Jersey motorists, their transition to ghost has put hope out of reach.
APRIL 23, 2015, 8:57 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015, 9:02 PM
BY TODD SOUTH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
HACKENSACK — Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco presented his budget to the freeholders Thursday afternoon, showing that a combination of mandated expenses and debt coming due would mean a $17 million increase to the tax levy.
For the owner of the average home in the county, assessed at $324,000, that translates to a property tax increase of $12.73.
Tedesco illustrated that figure as the cost of two foam-topped Starbuck’s specialty coffee drinks with extra expresso shots and caramel — drinks that he placed on the freeholders’ round table.
Under Tedesco’s $531 million spending plan, the total $387 million tax levy would mean the county portion of the tax bill on an average home would be $762.28, up 1.7 percent from 2014.
APRIL 22, 2015, 5:18 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015, 5:20 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
MIDLAND PARK — A December 2014 state inspection of Midland Park’s three schools did not find evidence of fraudulent markings in the buildings’ boiler logbooks, a claim made in a recent lawsuit by two former custodians who contend they were fired after pointing out inconsistencies in those logbooks.
Kerri H. Gatling, public information officer for the Department of Labor & Workforce Development, said that the department found no violations during its Dec. 30 visit, only “minor issues” with the logbooks that were not cited.
“Under state law, a licensed operator is needed in the building when the building is occupied and the boiler is operating,” Gatling said, adding that the boilers were shut down during the inspection because school was not in session. As a normal course of action, she said, inspectors will return once more when the boilers are operating.
APRIL 22, 2015, 11:45 AM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015, 12:01 AM
BY SCOTT FALLON AND LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
A coyote that was killed by a state wildlife officer this week after it attacked the tires of a police car in Norwood has tested positive for rabies — and the hunt continues for another coyote that could also have the disease, state officials said on Wednesday.
Officials say the coyote with rabies may be the same animal that bit a man in the borough on Sunday, but they noted they can’t be sure.
“There is no guarantee that we got the right coyote, which is why we’re still out here,” David Chanda, director of the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, said at a news conference in Norwood.
It is only the seventh time that rabies has been confirmed in a coyote since 1989, when the variant of the disease that spreads through raccoons first entered the state from Pennsylvania, said Colin T. Campbell, the state public health veterinarian.
APRIL 23, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY REBECCA GREENE
CORRESPONDENT |
WYCKOFF SUBURBAN NEWS
Wyckoff — Dozens of residents have complained to the Township Committee after receiving bills from Ridgewood Water containing surcharges for what are alleged to be under-paid quarterly billing cycles going back several years.
Paul Coppola of Birchwood Drive told the governing body on April 14 that he was “shocked” when he received a bill labeled as a “surcharge” for $1,071.
“Ridgewood Water has been less than forthcoming, have operated in less than good faith, and have participated in what I would call questionable business practices,” Coppola said.
Coppola said he failed to get an explanation of why he received the extra bill, although Ridgewood Water said it may have been that he changed over his telephone service.
“I have not changed my phone lines, I have not upgraded to FIOS and I have not done any construction,” Coppola said. “They could not explain why they were not reading my meter.”
The surcharge is for four years and Coppola said Ridgewood Water offered him four years with no interest to pay the debt.
APRIL 21, 2015, 8:59 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015, 9:59 PM
BY SCOTT FALLON AND STEFANIE DAZIO
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
State wildlife staffers armed with guns patrolled a Norwood neighborhood in search of at least one coyote that may be rabid as reported sightings of the animals across Bergen County on Tuesday forced some schools to keep children indoors and animal control officers to set traps.
The heightened attention on coyotes comes as two men in the county were attacked by the animals in separate incidents this month — a rare occurrence that state officials say is likely due to a rabies infection.
“They typically would not be approaching people unless they are sick,” said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.
A coyote that bit a Saddle River man on April 6 has tested positive for rabies, only the sixth coyote identified as rabid in New Jersey in the last 25 years, according to state records. Another coyote that bit a Norwood man Sunday is being tested for rabies. Results are due back today.
State wildlife officials believe that another aggressive and possibly sick coyote is on the loose in the wooded Fox Hill section of Norwood.
APRIL 20, 2015, 4:46 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2015, 4:47 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The new Bergen County Justice Center – the biggest public works project in the county’s history – will cost more than the original $147 million price tag, County Executive James Tedesco said.
The new Department of Public Works facility in Paramus, part of the overall project, will wind up costing more than anticipated when the bonds to pay for it were approved by the freeholders in a unanimous vote in April 2014, he said.
Tedesco said he does not yet know how much more money will be needed. The county will have to borrow more or cut back on renovation of the historic 103-year-old court house in Hackensack, the final phase of the project.
The first two phases include a new six-story Justice Center on Court Street that will house the County Prosecutor’s office, the Sheriff’s Office and the Probation Department; and a five-story parking deck and new DPW garage on River Street in Hackensack.
The garage on River Street is largely completed. The last slab of pre-cast concrete for the parking deck on Court Street was installed last week, and the new Justice Center building is under construction and should be completed by November 2016.
The DPW complex in Paramus – which features bays where 30,000-pound vehicles can be lifted – originally was set to be completed this spring. That opening has been pushed to later this summer, Tedesco said.
Marauding coyote caught in Norwood; two dens found near school
APRIL 20, 2015, 5:05 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015, 6:31 AM
BY DEENA YELLIN AND STEFANIE DAZIO
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
Print
NORWOOD — A strangely aggressive — and possibly rabid — coyote that had bitten a resident’s leg Sunday night and later attacked a police cruiser was captured Monday evening and sent to a state laboratory for testing, borough police reported.
Delivering the news on their Facebook page, police also issued an additional caution: They said two coyote dens had been found near the Norwood Public School and that traps would be placed near the dens.
“The aggressive Summit Street coyote was just captured and is [en] route to the State Lab for testing,” a police statement issued about 8:40 p.m. stated. “Unfortunately, two dens have been found near the school and it is unknown if our Summit Street problem has been solved.”
State wildlife staff members had set traps in the borough’s Fox Hill area to catch — and potentially kill — the coyote.
At one point during the search Monday evening, borough police reported that the coyote had just attacked the tires of a police car on Villa Court and then had escaped capture. “Please be careful,” statement warned. “This is in the area of the NORWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL!!!”
To resident inquiries after the coyote’s capture, police advised that school children not be allowed outside activities while investigators made sure the dens were clear. But in late evening, other residents reported on the department’s Facebook page that they had seen two other coyotes in the area.
North Jersey vets, pet owners worrying dog flu virus could surface here
APRIL 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015, 10:57 AM
FROM STAFF AND NEWS SERVICE REPORTS |
THE RECORD
A canine flu outbreak has sickened many dogs in the Midwest, but whether the potentially deadly bug will make its way here is still anybody’s guess.
“It’s a hard question to answer but with today’s mobile society and people bringing their pets wherever they go, I’m concerned about that — that it could hit the West or East Coast,” said Dr. John DeVries, assistant director of the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine says the virus has sickened at least 1,000 dogs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. Recent tests from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory have identified the strain as H3N2. Clinical assistant professor Keith Poulsen says it’s not yet known how effective current vaccines are against this strain, which is believed to have come from Asia.
He said an older strain, H3N8, has also been detected in the region.
Both viruses can cause persistent cough, runny nose and fever in dogs. Experts say a small percentage will develop more severe symptoms. The H3N2 infection has been associated with some deaths.
APRIL 17, 2015, 3:45 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015, 10:38 AM
BY JAY LEVIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Sol Abrams stopped at nothing to promote Palisades Amusement Park. If that meant having an elephant water-ski with a showgirl on the Hudson, so be it.
“Genius? I’d give him that honor,” Vince Gargiulo, who runs the Palisades Amusement Park Historical Society, said of Abrams, who died Wednesday at home in New Milford. He was 89 and the last surviving member of the park’s management team.
For 20-plus years, until the day in 1971 that the landmark attraction straddling Fort Lee and Cliffside Park closed for good, Abrams, the consummate PR man, dreamed up ways to get Palisades Amusement Park on the airwaves and into the newspapers.
A jury today issued a verdict of guilty to three out of five charges in the corruption case of former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero.
Guilty of racketeering, wire fraud and bribery-related charges, Ferriero escaped conspiracy to promote bribery and mail fraud charges. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)
APRIL 14, 2015, 6:43 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015, 6:43 PM
BY MARINA VILLENEUVE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
MIDLAND PARK — Two former school custodians are claiming the Board of Education fired them in retaliation after they told the district it was violating occupational health and safety law.
Plantiffs William Edland, Jr., and Frank Gabriele claim the board fired them in January after the two found that a log book had been altered to create the appearance that Gabriele, a licensed boiler operator, was in Godwin Elementary School when he was actually on leave. Under New Jersey law, a person licensed to operate boilers must be in the building whenever it’s occupied.
According to an April 7 lawsuit filed in state Superior Court, both Edland and Gabriele have a boiler operator’s license known as a “black seal license.”
State law also requires custodians with black seal licenses to sign the log book upon arrival to work.
APRIL 14, 2015, 6:06 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2015, 6:08 PM
BY MARY JO LAYTON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
After a bitter years-long legal battle to keep Hackensack University Medical Center from expanding in Bergen County, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center will be joining forces with its former rival, officials said Tuesday.
Englewood will maintain its own operations, finances, board, physicians and employees, but launch a clinical and academic affiliation that will create a regional cardiac program as well as other ventures.
“Hackensack University Health Network is pleased to partner with Englewood Hospital and Medical Center,” said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Health Network. “Today’s health care model places emphasis on collaboration.’’
As the delivery of health care and reimbursements to hospitals and physicians changes nationwide, many hospitals are joining large networks like Hackensack, which continues to grow well beyond its Bergen County roots to emerge as a statewide force.
While officials said the affiliation is not a merger with Hackensack, the hospital is currently in the process of turning another affiliation into an acquisition. Three years ago, Hackensack announced a clinical affiliation with Palisades Medical Center, which gave Hackensack a foothold in Hudson County. In September, Hackensack announced plans to acquire the North Bergen hospital, a deal that is under regulatory review.
The hospital’s parent company is also in the process of merging with Meridian Health and its six hospitals in Ocean and Monmouth counties, allowing Hackensack to tap into a market with one of the highest percentages of older residents in the country. In addition, Hackensack, along with a for-profit partner, reopened Pascack Valley Hospital in Westwood and owns Mountainside Hospital in Essex County.
And earlier this year, Hackensack announced plans to open a private medical school with Seton Hall University in 2017 at the former Hoffmann-LaRoche site in Nutley and Clifton.
APRIL 13, 2015, 6:16 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2015, 6:19 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco has created the framework for a 15-person panel to advise him on what could be one of the biggest decisions facing his administration: the future of Bergen Regional Medical Center.
Tedesco signed an executive order Friday creating a health advisory committee. He has not named the panel members except for one: County Administrator Dominic Novelli. But the order outlines where the other panel members will come from and the scope of what they will study. The panel will include:
A representative from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the union that represents blue collar and craft service employees at the hospital.
A representative of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, which represents nurses, social workers, substance abuse and addiction counselors and recreation therapists at the hospital.
A medical doctor with a practice in Bergen County.
Two members of the Freeholder board.
Six Bergen County community representatives.
A representative from the Bergen County Health Department.
A representative from the Bergen County mental health community.
A board member from the Bergen County Improvement Authority.
Tedesco said he expects to name the committee members within two weeks. He added that he will be flexible on a timeline for the committee to report back to him.
“I’ve not put a specific date in it, because I don’t want to hamstring the committee nor the professionals and have them not do a thorough job,” he said.
The county-owned hospital in Paramus is run by a private operator under a 19-year lease that expires in March 2017.
Tedesco has asked the advisory panel to explore the following options:
A third-party operator with a new lease and operating agreement.
Creation of a new joint operating company involving the Improvement Authority and/or the county, along with a third partner.
Creation by the county and/or the Improvement Authority of a not-for-profit corporation to operate the hospital.
Partnering with the Veteran’s Administration to expand veteran services offered by the hospital.
Any other options considered by the committee.
There is one option not open for study. Tedesco, a Democrat, made it clear during his campaign for county executive that he would not favor including the possible sale of the hospital.
On that point he differed with his opponent, former County Executive Kathleen Donovan, a Republican, who argued that all options should be studied, including a possible sale.
Tedesco’s committee replaces a seven-member panel that Donovan named in September. She was criticized at the time by Tedesco and two other freeholders for not having enough people on her panel.
