Category: Bergen County

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Tedesco: Surprise, Surprise, Bergen County Justice Center to cost more than expected

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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.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/tedesco-bergen-county-justice-center-to-cost-more-than-expected-1.1313559

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Marauding coyote caught in Norwood; two dens found near school

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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.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/marauding-coyote-caught-in-norwood-two-dens-found-near-school-1.1312786

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North Jersey vets, pet owners worrying dog flu virus could surface here

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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.

https://www.northjersey.com/community-news/pets/north-jersey-vets-pet-owners-worrying-dog-flu-virus-could-surface-here-1.1312001

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Sol Abrams, Palisades Amusement Park promoter, dies at 89

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FILE PHOTO Sol Abrams in 1979

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.

Beauty contests? Check.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/sol-abrams-palisades-amusement-park-promoter-dies-at-89-1.1311828

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Jury finds former Bergen Democrat Boss Ferriero Guilty of racketeering

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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)

Jury finds Ferriero guilty | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis

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Former Midland Park school custodians claim unjust firings after reporting altered logs

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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.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/former-midland-park-school-custodians-claim-unjust-firings-after-reporting-altered-logs-1.1308796

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Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center to create joint ventures

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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.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/englewood-hospital-and-medical-center-hackensack-university-medical-center-to-create-joint-ventures-1.1308787

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Panel to explore options on future of Bergen Regional Medical Center

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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.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/panel-to-explore-options-on-future-of-bergen-regional-medical-center-1.1308080

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ACCESS FOR ALL COMMUNITY FORUM” ON APRIL 25 at the Village Hall

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April 12, 2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco today announced that the Department of Human Services Division on Disability Services will hold an Access for All Community Forum on Saturday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Ridgewood Village Hall 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ.

This summit is for municipal Access for All Committees in the County of Bergen to come together and discuss local issues, challenges and new initiatives that other towns can emulate. Public officials, safety personnel & volunteers, as well as concerned residents, are invited to attend. Topics will include programs, resources for municipalities, grant opportunities, housing, emergency services, and problem solving.

Moderators include: Freeholder Chairwoman Dr. Joan M. Voss; Freeholders Tracy Silna Zur and Maura DeNicola; Jim Thebery, M.A., CSW, Director Div. on Disability Services; and Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn.

Please join us………..this will be a unique opportunity to hear from all the Access for All Committees to share ideas, learn from others and find out new and creative ways to interact and work together on projects. This is a wonderful event, not to be missed.

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Coyote involved in Saddle River incident tested positive for rabies

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Use caution around all wild life.

April 9,2015Saddle River NJ, In response to the developments in the recent coyote attack, today, April 8, 2015, the Acting Mayor of Saddle River, Dr. Al Kurpis called an emergency meeting. In attendance were:

Today we learned that the coyote responsible for attacking a man earlier this week tested positive for Rabies.  In response to this result Officials are implementing the following guidelines to be followed.

·       Due to the suspected exposure to a rabid animal one resident immediately started rabies post-exposure vaccination after having an encounter with a coyote.

·        As a result of a coordinated effort between Saddle River Police, Saddle River Animal Control and the Department of Fish, Game and Wildlife, the offending animal was captured and euthanized.

·       The coyote was brought to the NJ Department of Health and tested positive for rabies.  Six dead pups were found in the coyote’s den.

·       Currently, The Saddle River Police Department, the Department of Fish, Game and Wildlife are seeking the mate or any other offspring of the rabid coyote.

·       At this time, Officials are requesting that no small children or pets should be left unattended outdoors.

·       All mammals are susceptible to rabies; rabies is naturally occurring and is well established in our area.

·       Normally coyotes are shy animals.  According to NJ Department of Health statistics this is only the 6th coyote identified as rabid in the last 25 years.

·       All pet owners are reminded to keep their animals up to date on their rabies vaccinations.

·       Keeping vaccinations current will prevent a pet from possibly being subjected to a lengthy quarantine or euthanized if it has an encounter with a rabid animal.

·       The Health Department reminds everyone to stay clear of all wildlife, especially any that are acting sick or unusually friendly.  If you see suspicious acting wildlife please report them immediately to the Saddle River Police Department.

·       Any resident that suspects that they or their animals may have been exposed should call the Saddle River Health Office  immediately  at 201-327-2609 ext. 234

·       For more information on rabies visit https://www.nj.gov/health

Or https://www.cdc.gov

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Decision on notice of recall of Mahwah mayor due Thursday, April 9

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APRIL 8, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015, 3:31 PM
BY TOM NOBILE
STAFF WRITER |
MAHWAH SUBURBAN NEWS

Mahwah – Township Clerk Katherine Coviello said she expects to announce her findings bynoon Thursday, April 9, as to the validity of a notice of intention to recall Mayor William Laforet.
A Notice of Intention to Circulate a Recall Petition, signed by five township residents, was delivered to the mayor’s office early March 30. If approved by the Coviello, the petition would require signatures from 25 percent of Mahwah’s registered voters – roughly 4,000 residents – to place a recall question on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Annette Freund, one of the petition’s sponsors, said a series of poor decisions by Laforet led to the recall initiative, but it was “escalated” by the mayor’s handling of the recent Department of Public Works controversy.
Laforet had moved to terminate DPW Director and political foe Ed Sinclair after according to Laforet, pornography was discovered on at least one public works’ computer. Supporters of Sinclair objected, calling the move a political ploy, and on March 26 the council voted to overturn the mayor’s action. Councilwoman Lisa DiGiulio, enraged by the mayor’s tactics, called him “a piece of (expletive)” during the meeting and led 150 residents in a “recall” chant. A 4-3 vote of “no confidence” in Laforet’s leadership followed.
The notice cited a number of reasons for the recall, including:
n Goss incompetent management of personnel matters with reckless disregard for township policies.
n Failure to abide by municipal statutes governing the protection of the township’s real property assets.
n Breach of fiduciary responsibilities in allowing significant over-expenditures of the police overtime budget without advising the Township Council.
n Accepting political contributions from applicants before the Planning Board on which he sits, and voting favorably on their applications.
n And misuse of the township police communications channel for self-promotion.
Gary Montroy, a former construction official who also sponsored the petition, said the DPW situation was the “straw that broke camel’s back.”
“After what happened with Mr. Sinclair, I was appalled by that whole thing,” he said.
Laforet has stood by his decision to terminate Sinclair, saying the petition is “politically motivated and it disregards the facts.”
“Inappropriate material was being viewed on town computers,” he said.
Members of the governing body declined to comment on the petition, but indicated that the growing between the mayor and governing body began early in his tenure.
Council President John Roth said the tension is often due to a “lack of communication between him and the council.”
“The communications that we get are often suspect [and] misleading,” Roth said.
The installation of an ice rink on township property without the council’s knowledge and using the Nixle system for political purposes are among the most recent disputes.
While Freund remains confident the petition can achieve the 4,163-signature threshold, supporters face an uphill battle.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/mayor-targeted-by-residents-alleging-poor-decision-making-1.1304798

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Coyote euthanized after it attacks Saddle River man

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APRIL 6, 2015, 9:25 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2015, 1:35 PM
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

SADDLE RIVER — A man working in his garden in the Twin Brooks area of the borough was attacked Monday by a coyote that was then hunted down and euthanized, authorities said.

The man, whose identity was not released, was taken to a hospital for treatment and then released for recovery at home, according to a report on the Saddle River Police Department’s Facebook page.

The man was attacked from behind by the animal and managed to escape, the police report said.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/coyote-euthanized-after-it-attacks-saddle-river-man-1.1303757

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Bergen County golfer Morgan Hoffmann’s trip to Masters took a lifetime

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APRIL 4, 2015, 11:38 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015, 12:02 AM
BY TARA SULLIVAN
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD

Morgan Hoffmann has always been a man with a plan. From the one he hatched as a little boy to become a pro golfer, to the flight plan he registered for sometime today so he’ll be able to fly his private plane from Florida to Georgia, he is a man who decides what to do and does it.

So it is with meticulous planning that Hoffmann has put himself on the cusp of his first Masters tournament, completing yet another step in the golf journey that started on the manicured lawns of his Wyckoff home. A transcendent end to the 2014 season saw him rocket up the year-ending FedExCup standings, and that was followed by a 2015 start that included a recent fourth-place finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. And now the 25-year-old Hoffmann stands among the world’s elite.

But if golf offers many barometers of individual success, from simply making the PGA Tour all the way to contending for major titles, there is an even more exclusive bubble inside that world: qualifying for The Masters. Augusta represents something more, something bigger, something so coveted it is on every aspiring golfer’s dream-come-true list.

“It truly is the experience of a lifetime, playing, walking, watching. If you are a golfer, it’s heaven,” said Jim McGovern, the teaching pro at Haworth’s White Beeches Golf & Country Club and the last area golfer to compete at Augusta, finishing tied for fifth in 1994.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/sullivan-bergen-county-golfer-morgan-hoffmann-s-trip-to-masters-took-a-lifetime-1.1302962

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‘Disorderly’ goat corralled in Paramus

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photo Paramus Police

APRIL 5, 2015, 10:04 AM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015, 10:05 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Paramus police got their goat Saturday.

Members of the department apprehended a small white goat shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday after getting a call that the animal was head-butting a door in the Beech Lane area of the borough.

The goat, described as “disorderly” on the Paramus Police Department’s Facebook page, was captured by Officers Christian Tsentas and Steve Nepola.

The animal was brought to Tyco Animal Control. Anyone with information about the goat should call the Paramus Police Department at 201-262-3400.

The police department’s Facebook page included a photo of the horned creature, wrapped in a large of piece yellow plastic, being held by Officer Jonathan Henderson.

The post about the goat launched a long string of cheeky comments, including, “Update, the goat was charged and tried for burglary. The judge was lenient on him because he was just a ‘kid.’”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/disorderly-goat-corralled-in-paramus-1.1303173

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Disillusioned first-term Waldwick councilman won’t seek reelection

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APRIL 2, 2015    LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY MARINA VILLENEUVE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

WALDWICK — When Anthony Celeste was elected councilman three years ago, he had a starry-eyed view of local politics as free of the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. But just two years in a ground-level office has made him reverse that outlook.

Celeste, a 25-year-old devotee of libertarian Ron Paul and Waldwick’s youngest-ever councilman, this week announced he’s leaving politics “for good” and won’t seek reelection.

“Unfortunately, our political dysfunction from D.C. via Congress has spread like a disease to our NJ Assembly, county, and local municipalities,” Celeste wrote on Twitter late Monday.

Celeste, a Republican, won his first three-year term in November 2012. It will now be one of two council seats up for grabs in November, with Republicans Joseph Oravetz and incumbent Charles Farricker likely vying against Democrats John Danubio and Joseph Giovannoli. Republican Mayor Thomas Giordano, now in his first term, will run against Democrat James Schultz.

In an interview, Celeste said he remains optimistic about politics, but that state lawmakers are failing future generations by not addressing sky-high property taxes and a huge pension crisis.

“The country’s in dangerous territory,” Celeste said. “I don’t want to sugarcoat anything.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/waldwick-councilman-has-had-enough-1.1301207