Governor Christie signed a bill this week that eliminates a concern raised by opponents of the consolidation of the Bergen County Police within the county Sheriff’s Office — the loss of revenue from traffic tickets. (John C. Ensslin, The Record) https://www.northjersey.com/
AUGUST 1, 2015, 11:09 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015, 11:23 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
From a stinging rebuke by the state’s highest court to Friday’s reversal of the official-misconduct conviction of former Hackensack Police Chief Ken Zisa, it’s been a bad run of late for John Molinelli, Bergen County’s longtime prosecutor.
Although the county’s top law enforcement official has logged plenty of wins in more than a dozen years in the post, his office now finds itself on the losing end of some high-profile cases. On Friday, a state appellate panel tossed out Zisa’s conviction and described the prosecution’s case against him as weak and tainted by prejudicial and improper remarks and evidence.
Only recently the state Supreme Court cited “gross abuse of discretion” in Molinelli’s fight against Carlstadt Mayor William Roseman’s entry into a trial-diversion program known as Pretrial Intervention, or PTI.
Meanwhile, questions about possible political influence in Molinelli’s office emerged this year during the federal trial of former county Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Ferriero, when federal prosecutors referenced a years-old case involving a doctor who was allowed to enter PTI twice and avoid prosecution on allegations that he groped female patients.
Note for the editor : John actually the GOP needs to offer some competitive ideas on how to run the county , not just be the party of “Democrat Lite “
LYNDHURST—John Mitchell, a challenger in Bergen County’s race for the Board of Chosen Freeholders said he is running for reelection in November for two reasons: 1. He wants to bring Bergen County back to a two party system and 2. He believes his budget methodology can benefit residents of Bergen County. (Alfaro/PolitickerNJ)
Mitchell: Bergen County Needs ‘Two-Party System’ | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis
Tedesco unveils a very expensive initiative to bring Internet to low-income high schoolers in Bergen County
JULY 15, 2015, 7:29 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015, 9:18 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco on Wednesday unveiled an initiative aimed at providing basic broadband Internet service to low-income families with children who are starting high school this fall.
Tedesco announced he will provide a $50,000 grant from a discretionary fund in his budget to Jersey On, a non-profit that aims to connect more low-income families to the Internet.
A wireless router is the hub of your home or business network, delivering a single Internet connection to other devices on the network, through either wired Ethernet or a wireless connection. Some routers, targeted at novice users, are easy to set up, while others take a little more know-how. Routers also vary in the throughput they can manage, depending on the antenna configuration and the hardware inside.https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2398080,00.asp
The organization is headed by Josh Gottheimer, a Microsoft executive who is a Democratic candidate for the 5th Congressional District seat now held by Republican Scott Garrett.
The $50,000 will provide a pocket-sized Wi-Fi hotspot device good for up to five wireless devices at no cost to 531 freshmen within the county whose families are eligible for the free or reduced-cost lunch program, starting this fall.
Those families also will receive free wi-fi for the four years that their student is in high school.
John Mitchell, Taxpayer Advocate Award to Bergen County Sheriff Mike Saudino. Under Sheriff Saudino’s leadership the taxpayer has saved over $2.5 million through prudent budget cuts and significant overtime reductions. Bravo Sheriff Mike!!
Three Democrats will try to fend off a challenge by Republicans led by Bergen GOP Chairman Bob Yudin
By Alyana Alfaro | 07/14/15 1:35pm
In the upcoming November 2015 election, Bergen County Republicans will have the chance to usurp three seats on the Board of Chosen Freeholders currently occupied by Freeholder Vice Chairman Steve Tanelli, Freeholder Tracy Silna Zur and Freeholder Thomas Sullivan Jr.
The incumbent Democrats are opposed by Republicans John Mitchell, Ken Tyburczy and Daisy Ortiz-Berger.
For Bergen County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin, the main determining factor of the upcoming November freeholder election is going to be property taxes.
“There was a four percent increase in the total budget this year under the Democratic majority,” Yudin said. “That increase led to increased property taxes.”
According to Yudin, since Democrats currently have the majority on the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders—only two of the seven members are Republican—the issue of increasing the budget became a partisan one.
“To call it non-partisan is a joke,” Yudin told PolitickerNJ. “We need a serious reduction in the budget. The Republican Party in Bergen County is overwhelmingly in favor of a reduction in property taxes.
Eschewing Yudin’s argument, Democrats note that the chairman of the budget process was Freeholder John Felice, a Republican; and that the budget passed 7-0 with GOP support.
Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-37), also believes that property taxes are an issue in New Jersey. However, she thinks that the issue stems from a reduction in state funding to schools and counties, not a function of there being a democratic majority on the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
“I think property taxes are a problem in New Jersey, a big problem,” Weinberg said. “But I don’t think that anybody believes that one party or the other owns it or that one group of freeholders is going to find a unilateral solution.”
Read more https://politickernj.com/2015/07/weinberg-v-yudin-and-the-bergen-county-property-tax-question/
Mahwah — It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon in June and a dozen people — wearing matching shirts — have gathered at Society Hill, a local condominium complex. (Nobile/The Bergen Record)
https://www.northjersey.com/
JUNE 23, 2015, 3:57 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2015, 10:19 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Bergen County’s recent bid to be the first county in New Jersey to add drones to its toolbox for handling emergencies comes amid a growing national debate over the use of unmanned flying machines by government agencies.
Leaders of the county’s emergency management operation are seeking freeholder approval to acquire two drones, which would be used for purposes ranging from finding a lost child to getting a bird’s-eye view of a fire or disaster.
Civil liberties advocates say that’s fine. But they worry that what they termed “mission creep” could open the door to other uses for the new technology and lead to questions of who is watching whom and for what purpose.
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.
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June 3, 2015
First visual of the proposed Hard Rock Casino at the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey.
ORLANDO, Fla., Hard Rock International, owner of one of the world’s most iconic and recognized brands, announced today its plan to build a casino at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. The proposed entertainment destination would be ideally situated in northern New Jersey and is projected to generate $400 Million of new tax revenues a year.
“With its close proximity to an international airport, the new casino would be designed to attract visitors from not only the 14 million adults in northern New Jersey and New York City, but also international travelers, making it a premier entertainment destination,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International. “The significant tax revenue brought into New Jersey could go directly to aid in the development and reconstruction of Atlantic City’s casino and hotel industry.”
Reports show a casino in northern New Jersey would help draw visitors from other states, creating competition with New York andPennsylvania, who have taken more than $13 billion in revenue from New Jersey in the past eight years since they’ve expanded their gaming options.
“We’re thrilled to bring this great offering to the New Meadowlands Racetrack,” said Jeff Gural, Chairman of New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC. “With its expertise in gaming, hotels, restaurants, live events, entertainment, and retail offerings, Hard Rock International is the ideal partner for New Meadowlands Racetrack, bringing the globally recognized brand to the racetrack elevates excitement surrounding the project.”
The Hard Rock Casino will feature 5,000 slot machines and 200 gaming tables. The project will also feature ten restaurants and four bars; a multi-purpose Hard Rock Live showroom; New Jersey Music Hall of Fame; and “The Vault,” a music memorabilia museum expertly curated by Hard Rock – owners of the world’s largest music memorabilia collection. The entertainment destination will also offer retail shops and a six-story parking garage conveniently located just steps away from the casino grounds. Due to the $120 millioninvestment that owner Jeff Gural made in the Meadowlands in 2012, Phase One could be open as soon as Summer of 2016.
Hard Rock International is awaiting approval from the New Jersey Legislature to move forward with this project. For more information or to book a stay at any of the Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, please visit www.hardrockhotels.com.
JUNE 3, 2015, 11:16 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015, 11:28 PM
BY SCOTT FALLON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A small bridge over the Oradell Reservoir used by trains hauling millions of gallons of crude oil has deteriorated to the point that the rail company will soon replace the 86-year-old span’s entire deck, according to a federal government inspection report.
While federal officials have said the bridge is structurally sound, the report by the Federal Railroad Administration indicates the bridge is in worse condition than its owner, CSX Corp., acknowledged shortly after it was inspected in March.
The 25-foot bridge crosses the northeast corner of the reservoir, which supplies drinking water to 800,000 people. As many as 30 trains — each carrying up to 3 million gallons of volatile Bakken crude — cross the bridge each week along the CSX River Line on the way to refineries on the East Coast, prompting concerns from local officials, firefighters and water company executives.
The bridge was inspected by the Federal Railroad Administration on March 31, just a few days after The Record reported that government officials had no current reports on the bridge’s condition.
At that time, government officials said the bridge passed inspection and CSX executives said some railroad ties would be replaced “as a matter of routine maintenance.”
But the one-page inspection report — released to the newspaper this week, almost two months after it was requested under the federal Freedom of Information Act – reveals the bridge required serious attention. It states that the bridge deck showed enough deterioration that CSX had already determined to replace it. CSX also ordered trains to reduce speed from 40 mph to 25 mph on the span to “protect the railroad as well as the public for safe passage of trains,” according to the inspection report.
The Federal Railroad Administration employee who inspected the bridge declined to comment.
JUNE 3, 2015, 7:50 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015, 9:25 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Bergen County Justice Center project under construction in Hackensack will cost an additional $1.3 million to build and take about 14 months more to finish, county officials revealed Wednesday.
The freeholders approved a change order Wednesday that calls for paying $1,329,797 more to Gilbane Building Co., the New Brunswick-based construction manager overseeing the project.
The vote to approve was 4-0 with three freeholders absent.
The added payment will keep the firm on site for an additional 14 months beyond its original contract, which was to have expired on July 1, said Ray Dressler, the county’s public works director.
At $147 million, the multifaceted project was already the largest in the county’s history, even before Wednesday’s vote.
Besides a new six-story Justice Center on Court Street, the project includes a new Public Works garage in Hackensack, a Public Works facility in Paramus, a parking deck and renovation of the 102-year-old courthouse.
MAY 22, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015, 2:46 PM
BY TOM NOBILE
STAFF WRITER |
MAHWAH SUBURBAN NEWS
Mahwah — Permission to post signs in an effort to recall Mayor William Laforet was granted by the Township Council on Thursday, May 21, despite allegations by one member that the mayor had pressured him to deny the request.
Prior to the governing body’s vote, Councilman Steve Sbarra read a statement on record claiming the mayor had approached him late Tuesday, May 19, after an Affordable Housing Commission meeting in an effort to sway the council’s judgment.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/mahwah-council-oks-signage-for-recall-of-mayor-1.1341150
MAY 20, 2015, 4:56 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015, 12:36 AM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office will join a growing number of police agencies around the country whose officers wear body cameras to record their interactions with the public, officials announced Wednesday.
Forty-seven of the county’s approximately 500 officers will use the cameras as part of a $70,000 pilot project to be financed with forfeiture funds, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino said at a news conference. No date has been set to begin using the cameras, he said.
Saudino said he will first ask for guidance from a panel of law enforcement officials and community leaders selected by the Bergen County freeholders. The panel will address civil liberties and privacy concerns raised by the relatively new technology.
Saudino, who was accompanied at the news conference by County Executive James Tedesco, said they decided to start as a pilot program “because there are many valid issues raised regarding the proper operation of these devices.”
“My objective is to strike the right balance to implement this program on a permanent basis,” Saudino said. |“It’ll take as long as it takes to do |it the right way. We’re not in a rush.”
MAY 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
TEANECK — Bergen County isn’t exactly horse country. Few here seem to closely follow horse racing, preferring baseball and football to the sight of thoroughbreds tearing up a dirt track at 40 miles per hour.
But this year may be different — in Teaneck, anyway.
That’s because American Pharoah, the horse that won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes this month, is in a position to become the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. And the horse’s owner, Ahmed Zayat, an Egyptian-born businessman, has lived in the township for 30 years.
“It’s definitely a lot of buzz locally,” Mayor Lizette Parker said, adding that she has received messages from friends both near and far who have been watching the races, wondering if American Pharoah will be the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed, in 1978.
Around the township on Monday afternoon, many acknowledged that they don’t regularly follow horseracing. But those who know Zayat, who lives with his wife and four children on Warwick Avenue — a wide, quiet street in a section of the township with a large Orthodox Jewish population — said they have been tuning in to the races specifically to root for American Pharoah.
The Zayats’ neighbors described them as social and friendly people who are active in community and school affairs.
