AUGUST 25, 2015, 8:00 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015, 10:46 PM
BY MARINA VILLENEUVE
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Someone’s been stealing street signs around the village and authorities are warning: Surrender the plundered signs to police by Sept. 15, or risk criminal prosecution.
In an electronic missive to residents on Tuesday, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld promised the amnesty in exchange for the return of any of the 37 street signs gone missing from village roadways.
Street signs taken in the dead of night are not a new problem in Ridgewood. But Sonenfeld said it continues even after village employees have started using wiring and vandal-proof screws to make it harder to get signs off the eight-foot-tall poles. Now, she said, some thieves have taken to removing the entire pole to get to the sign.
No suspects have been identified, officials said. But in her electronic e-note, Sonenfeld noted “The occurrence seems to increase right before colleges begin.”
It’s become an issue of public safety and increased cost to the taxpayer, said Sonenfeld, who estimated it costs about $100 to replace a sign, including materials and labor.
“For emergency-services employees who are fairly new, it can hurt you in finding a street,” Sonenfeld said. “The thought was we would encourage people to bring their signs in and we wouldn’t ask any questions.”
Borough officials and police chiefs in nearby Glen Rock, Waldwick, Wyckoff, Hawthorne and Oakland all said, thankfully, that stolen street signs haven’t been a problem in their communities.
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.
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.
NEWTON, NJ – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) announced the winners of the 2015 Congressional Art Competition. This year’s top honor went to Norwood resident and Academy of the Holy Angels student Na Young Lee for her piece, “Crammed.” This year’s competition featured 95 student entries and was hosted at Sussex County Community College in Newton. Meagan Khoury and Sherry Fitzgerald, both of Sussex County Community College, judged the competition. The winners were announced at a ceremony on Saturday, May 16th.
“Congratulations to the winners and participants of the 2015 Congressional Art Competition,” said Garrett. “I am amazed at the quality of work produced by these students. Each student should be very proud of their efforts, and I want to thank their parents and teachers for encouraging and cultivating such exceptional talent.”
The Congressional Art Competition is an annual event held in congressional districts across the country. The first place winner from each congressional district will have his or her artwork displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol alongside winning artwork from other high school students across the country. The second, third, and fourth place winners will have their submissions displayed in Congressman Garrett’s Glen Rock, Newton, and Washington, D.C. offices. Click here for more information about the nation-wide contest.
Below is a complete list of this year’s winners and participants. Names without a corresponding link were unable to attend the May 16th ceremony.
2015 Congressional Art Competition Winners
1st Place
Student: Na Young Lee
Title: “Crammed”
School: Academy of the Holy Angels
Residence: Norwood
2nd Place
Student: Cindy Lee
Title: “Bakekujira the Ghost Whale”
School: Northern Valley Regional High School – Old Tappan
Residence: Norwood
3rd Place
Student: Haley Fletcher
Title: “Covetous”
School: Lakeland Regional High School
Residence: Ringwood
4th Place
Student: Yubin Lee
Title: “Bounded”
School: Bergen County Academies
Residence: Haworth
5th Place
Student: Alessandra Ferrari-Wong
Title: “Investigation”
School: Bergen County Academies
Residence: Westwood
6th Place
Student: Laura David
Title: “Looking Ahead”
School: Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Residence: Hamburg
7th Place
Student: Kara Kovach
Title: “Hot and Beardy”
School: Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Residence: Franklin
8th Place
Student: Anna Kristofick
Title: “True Colors”
School: Indian Hills High School
Residence: Wyckoff
Honorable Mentions
Student: Hannah Kim
Title: “Yin and Yang”
School: Northern Highlands Regional High School
Residence: Upper Saddle River
Student: Melanie Rosenblatt
Title: “Zoe”
School: Northern Highlands Regional High School
Residence: Upper Saddle River
Student: Julia Grace Shea
Title: “Indecisive”
School: Northern Highlands Regional High School
Residence: Ho-Ho-Kus
Student: Nico Tolinkski
Title: “Mutilation”
School: Northern Highlands Regional High School
Residence: Allendale
Student: Anna Allen
Title: “Emotion in Full Color”
School: Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Residence: Stockholm
Student: Nicole Spangenburg
Title: “Dead End”
School: Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Residence: Hamburg
All Participants
Student: Na Young Lee*
Title: “Crammed”
School: Academy of the Holy Angels
Residence: Norwood
Student: Lydia Chen
Title: “The Road”
School: Bergen County Academies
Residence: New Milford
Student: Haine Cho
Title: “Parent”
School: Bergen County Academies
Residence: Northvale
Camden, N.J., has long been known for its poverty and violence. But President Obama gave it a new label this week, calling the city, “a symbol of promise for the nation.”
He praised the Camden County Police Department’s effort to improve community relations. The city still has a high crime rate, but the president says progress so far makes it a model for others.
But , three South Jersey Cities Named Among the Most Dangerous In America
By Chris Coleman February 9, 2015 1:28 PM
Three towns in South Jersey have made the list of being one of the 100 most dangerous cities in America. In fact, two of the three towns are in the top ten.
If you guessed Camden was #1 on the list, you are correct. In fact, in Camden you have a 1-in-39 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime. But the other two cities and where they rank might surprise you. The survey ranked Atlantic City as the eighth most dangerous city in the nation and Bridgeton is #25 on the list. As per their rankings, you are safer in Atlanta, Newark, NJ,Philadelphia than you are in Atlantic City or Bridgeton.
Here are the top five and where other cities in our region ranked:
1. Camden
2. Chester, PA
3. Detroit
4. Saginaw, MI
5. Oakland, CA
8. Atlantic City
9. Wilmington
25. Bridgeton
27. Trenton
31. Newark, NJ
55. Philadelphia
Ed Schwartz drinking from a coconut he picked off a tree during a previous trip to Maui. (Photos courtesy of Julie Tung)
RIDGEWOOD—With only a few weeks to live, a Ridgewood man is on his way to fulfill his dying wish: to see the sunset in Hawaii.
“I think it’s one of the most beautiful places on the planet,” said Ed Schwartz, whose battle with blood cancer can no longer be waged medically. “Doctors are telling me I only have a few weeks. I’d much rather spend the time there, in paradise.”
Schwartz, known locally as “Eco Ed” for his work as an environmentalist, began his journey to Maui on Wednesday, along with his wife, Julie Tung, and his son, Kyle. They took off this morning from Teterboro in an air ambulance, heading to Oakland, Calif., in order to take a charter plane for the rest of the way. Friends and community members have raised more than $35,000 on a GoFundMe page to help make the trip possible.
After undergoing chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and various trials, Schwartz has run out of treatment options and doesn’t have much time left, Tung told NJ Advance Media by phone, when they stopped to refuel the medical transport in Omaha, Neb. They don’t have a set plan for their visit, except to relax and enjoy the scenery, she said.
“We don’t have a game plan. We don’t know how long we’ll have,” she said. “If he could just see one last sunset, it will be worth it.”
Schwartz was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer, in late 2013. Before he started chemotherapy, he asked his doctor if he could first take a trip to Hawaii, Tung said. The answer was “yes, but you’ll die.” So, they held off on the trip, but now, knowing that the cancer is incurable, “it’s time to go,” she said.
Bergen County burglary task force caps 6-month investigation with five arrests
MARCH 18, 2015, 5:25 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015, 8:48 AM
BY STEFANIE DAZIO
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A Bergen County task force has solved more than 40 burglaries in Bergen and Monmouth counties after a six-month investigation, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities said three different groups of suspects are responsible for the crimes. Five men were arrested in February and officials recovered hundreds of suspected stolen proceeds, including guns, jewelry, electronics, collectables, antique coins, cellphones and a safe.
“This is one of the largest recoveries of stolen proceeds in recent years,” Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said in a news release.
So far, the men have been linked to 42 residential burglaries, including ones in Allendale, Englewood, Franklin Lakes, Fairfield, Fair Lawn, Hillsdale, Mahwah, Nutley, Oakland, Oceanport, Old Tappan, Parsippany, Pearl River, N.Y., Ridgewood, River Edge, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Tinton Falls, Totowa, Verona, Waldwick, Washington Township and Woodcliff Lake.
More charges are anticipated as detectives try to find the owners of the recovered items, the release said.
Religious Freedom Meeting–Tuesday Feb 3, at 7:30 K of C Oakland
Tonight Tuesday, February 3, we will be having our monthly meeting.
There are several very good videos I have found on the subject of the suppression of religious speech and rights on college campuses put out by an organization called FIRE (Freedom for individual Rights in Education. They are hard-hitting, and so we’ll show them. If anybody can find any others, we can see them too.
As we discussed last meeting, we have sent out letters introducing ourselves to the other Protestant churches in Oakland. Now we are awaiting a response.
Hope to see everybody then. And bring a friend.
Knights of Columbus
www.kofc.org/
7 Court House Place, Oakland, NJ 07436
(201) 337-7539
MICHAEL SHETLER HONORED WITH 4TH NJAR® CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD®
February 1, 2015
2014 NJAR® Circle of Excellence Sales Award®
Michael Shetler, a top-producing agent with Keller Williams Village Square Realty in Ridgewood, NJ, was honored with the Silver level 2014 NJAR® Circle of Excellence Award®, presented by the New Jersey Association of REALTORS® for his sales achievements.
This is the 4th time Michael has received the award, having been a recipient in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
In 2014, he earned the Silver Level award, which has requirements of generating at least $6.5 million in sales volume and closing a minimum of 20 units during the calendar year.
Michael Shetler, Real Estate Agent, Keller Williams Realty
The NJAR® Circle of Excellence Sales Award® recognizes those members who have demonstrated excellence in the field of salesmanship.
“I am honored to receive this award and thank my buyers andsellers in 2014,” said Shetler. “I also thank my clients from previous years who referred them to me. The true indicator of success in this business is to have happy clients.”
SEARCH HOMES IN ALLENDALE
SEARCH HOMES IN GLEN ROCK
SEARCH HOMES IN RIDGEWOOD
SEARCH HOMES IN UPPER SADDLE RIVER
Mr. Shetler has been with Keller Williams in Ridgewood (Keller Williams Village Square Realty) since it opened its doors in 2012. He covers the Bergen County area including Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Allendale, Fair Lawn, Wyckoff, Paramus, Saddle, River, Upper Saddle River, Ramsey, Mahwah, Oakland, Woodcliff Lake, Montvale, Park Ridge, Hillsdale, Westwood, Oradell and River Edge. Michael specializes in relocation services, first time home buyers, luxury homes and top notch selling services.
To learn more about how Michael Shetler can help you with your home buying or selling needs or if you are a real estate professional interested in joining his team, contact Michael at 201-421-0506 or [email protected]. Information is also available at https://BuyingInBergen.com.
Buzzer sounds on Izod Center: Arena expected to close after years of decline
JANUARY 14, 2015, 2:55 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015, 1:27 AM
BY JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Christie administration wants to close the Izod Center, which has been a key component of the Meadowlands Sports Complex for 34 years, perhaps as soon as the end of this month.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority board will be asked at its monthly meeting Thursday to approve a plan that would shutter the 18,000-seat arena by the end of March. The date would be moved up if acts booked there for February and March can be relocated to the Prudential Center in Newark.
Two influential Bergen County Democrats — state Sens. Paul Sarlo and Loretta Weinberg — were harshly critical of the proposal.
The facility, which since 2007 has borne the name of the clothing maker Izod, lost its sports tenants – the Devils of the NHL, Seton Hall University basketball and the Nets NBA franchise – between 2007 and 2010. Only a handful of concerts have been held at the arena in the past two years, although three dozen schools held graduation ceremonies there last spring and the arena still attracts family oriented holiday shows.
Wayne Hasenbalg, the president of the sports authority, said the decision, though difficult, was a matter of economics and the ongoing transformation of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, highlighted by the American Dream entertainment and retail project.
“Just about everyone in New Jersey and the region has great memories of big-name concerts, basketball or hockey games or other family entertainment at the arena,” said Hasenbalg, who grew up in Oakland.
Religious Freedom Meeting Tuesday Jan 6 Knights of Columbus Oakland
Happy New Year to all. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a Happy New Year this Thursday.
The K of C Hall has been reserved so we can have our monthly Religious freedom meeting this Tuesday night, January 6, at 7:30. While the country has been immersed in the Christmas season, a lot of things have been happening regarding religious freedom. Among them are the following:
1. Unreasonable restrictions placed on Christian chaplains at the VA.
2. Unjust punishment meted out to an Army Lieutenant Colonel for running afoul of the Administration’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.
3. Foreign students legally admitted to the US to attend a religious training school now told they may be deported.
4. An Army Chaplain punished for mentioning his faith in a lecture to troops on handling depression.
5. A Catholic University (Marquette university) suspended a professor for defending a student’s right to state the Church’s position on homosexuality.
6. A recent GAO report that Obamacare is subsidizing abortions, contrary to Obama’s promise made to the contrary.
7. Information that Muslims are exempted from Obamacare because insurance violates Muslim doctrine.
8 Movie Faith Freedom Foundation (Christian/Muslim Issues)
While everyone has been absorbed in the holidays, militant secularism never takes a break. These and other things will be discussed at our meeting. If you know of any other incidents or examples come share them with us.
Well, I hope to see everyone on Tuesday night.
Have a happy and safe New Year
Joe Kuhns
Knights of Columbus Oakland
7 Court House Place, Oakland, NJ 07436
(201) 337-7539
Stile: new energy for Roy Cho fails to attract donors
A routine campaign event along the banks of a scenic lake in Oakland on Wednesday illustrated just how much life has changed for Roy Cho, the 33-year-old Democrat running for New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. (Stile/The Bergen Record)
CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH “SECOND-CHANCE” BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
Ridgewood NJ, Families and children of all ages were invited to a Blessing of the Animals celebration on Sunday October 12, 2014 at 3 PM, at Christ Episcopal Church, 105 Cottage Place in Ridgewood.
Everyone was invited to bring their favorite pets: dogs, cats, rabbits, goldfish, stuffed animals . . . any beloved “creatures,” great or small. A short service celebrating all animals was followed by individual blessings of each animal. Refreshments were served.
Some orphaned dogs and cats who are eligible for adoption from the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland were also be present.
The service was held at the outside altar, which is by the entrance to the Nursery School on Franklin Avenue.
Many churches hold Blessing of the Animals celebrations on the first Sunday in October, honoring St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, whose feast day is October 4. The Christ Church celebration on the 12th provides a second chance for anyone who missed the prior week.
Christ Episcopal Church is located at 105 Cottage Place, at the corner of Franklin Avenue, in Ridgewood, NJ. For more information, call the church office at 201-652-2350 or visit the website at christchurchridgewood.org.
Father Greg Lisby, Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Ridgewood, blesses one of God’s smaller creatures at the 2013 Blessing of the Animals celebration. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OFFERS “SECOND-CHANCE” BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS ON OCTOBER 12
Families and children of all ages are invited to a Blessing of the Animals celebration on Sunday October 12, 2014 at 3 PM, at Christ Episcopal Church, 105 Cottage Place in Ridgewood.
Everyone is invited to bring their favorite pets: dogs, cats, rabbits, goldfish, stuffed animals . . . any beloved “creatures,” great or small. A short service celebrating all animals will be followed by individual blessings of each animal. Refreshments will be served.
Some orphaned dogs and cats who are eligible for adoption from the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge in Oakland will also be present.
The service will be held at the outside altar, which is by the entrance to the Nursery School on Franklin Avenue. In the event of rain, the service will take place inside the church.
Many churches hold Blessing of the Animals celebrations on the first Sunday in October, honoring St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, whose feast day is October 4. The Christ Church celebration on the 12th provides a second chance for anyone who missed the prior week.
Christ Episcopal Church is located at 105 Cottage Place, at the corner of Franklin Avenue, in Ridgewood, NJ. For more information, call the church office at 201-652-2350 or visit the website at christchurchridgewood.org.
The good school-expensive home dilemma June 13, 2014, 10:00 a.m. EDT
Peter and Megan Dale of San Francisco say their two-bedroom condominium in Cole Valley, just south of the Haight-Ashbury District, is starting to feel cramped; their two school-aged children share a single room. But they have no plans to leave the condo, which they bought for $990,000 in 2007. The reason: The nearby public school is rated a “9” out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, an Oakland, Calif.-based education-advice website.
A good local school can be one of the biggest drivers of home prices in a community. And parents hoping to get their children the best education possible are often willing to stretch their finances for a pricey home in a good school district, sometimes taking out ambitious loans. When the Dales bought their condo, they took out an interest-only jumbo mortgage that allowed them to put down just 3% instead of the usual 20%. When the market fell, they briefly found themselves underwater on the home. And they face hefty payments ahead when their loan resets to a principal and interest payment. Mr. Dale, a 42-year-old software designer, says the headaches are worth it for the great school and a short commute to his Montgomery Street office: “Some things are just more important than money,” he said.
In the past year, relatively low rates for jumbo loans have made buying in expensive school districts a little easier for some borrowers. Even so, some jumbo borrowers say they have trouble competing in markets where cash-only deals are commonplace. Anna Sikha, who lives in San Francisco with her husband, needed jumbo financing when they shopped for a home in the same neighborhood as the Dales in the hope of getting their 3-year-old son into same school. They lost out on several homes to all-cash buyers. “We were constantly getting outbid. It was so depressing that we thought about renting,” Mrs. Sikha, who works for a biotechnology company, said. Ultimately, they bought a condo in the neighborhood for $1.25 million, with the help of a jumbo loan.
Mark Livingstone, president of Cornerstone First Financial, a mortgage broker in Washington, D.C’s Georgetown neighborhood says he often needs to write aggressive preapproval letters for his jumbo-loan clients that waive appraisals and financing contingencies in neighborhoods such as Bethesda, Md., that have highly rated public schools. “Families are willing to pay more for a home to get into a well-rated public school. They see themselves saving $10,000 to $20,000 year in private-school tuition,” Mr. Livingstone said.
