November 26, 2014 • www.theobserver.com • Vol CXXVII, No. 27
COVERING: BELLEVILLE • BLOOMFIELD
• EAST NEWARK • HARRISON • KEARNY • LYNDHURST • NORTH ARLINGTON • NUTLEY
Heck of a way to get home By Ron Leir Observer Correspondent HARRISON – The mercury had dropped to near-freezing last Friday night, Nov. 14, as Christopher Russell was walking through Hudson County’s West Hudson Park in the Harrison portion of the park. According to police, he was inebriated and he was cold, but, most of all, he wanted to get to his home in Newark’s Ironbound section. So, police said, the 30-yearold Russell made his way through some temporary orange plastic mesh fencing surrounding a construction site in West Hudson Park off Davis Ave. and climbed into the cab of an idle excavator. Finding no key in the ignition but making use of prior experience as a mechanic, Russell grabbed one of his own keys, jammed it into the ignition and managed to get the motor started, said Harrison Police Capt. Michael Green. As the heavy-duty vehicle lurched forward, trampling the fencing, county spokesman Jim Kennelly said, “The driver of the vehicle circulated through the park to the east of the Davis Ave. bridge project and caused damage to various park furniture, including a drinking fountain, a protective see PARK ROMP page
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State champs again! see full story page
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Photo by Jim Hague
The Harrison High School boys’ soccer team shows off the NJSIAA Group 1 state championship trophy it won after defeating Haddon Township, 4-0, Sunday at Kean University in Union. It marked the 25th NJSIAA state championship in the school’s rich and storied history., adding to their state and national records. It was the first time since 2008 that the Blue Tide4 earned a state title. Senior Ali Lahrif increased his single season school scoring record to 37 goals in the process, as the Blue Tide avenged defeats in the overall state title game in 2012 and the state semifinals last year. For more about the Blue Tide’s latest state title, read Jim Hague’s reports from the state title game in The Observer sports section.
90 displaced by 3-alarm blaze By Karen Zautyk Observer Correspondent
reported. Fire Chief Steve Dyl said the blaze broke out in a third-floor apartment at 425 Beech at 3:58 KEARNY – p.m. and was under control by A three-alarm fire in an 4:57 p.m. Along with the KFD, apartment building on Beech firefighters from North ArSt. at the Belleville Pike on lington, Harrison, Jersey City Sunday afternoon displaced 90 residents, but everyone was and North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue were at the evacuated safely, authorities
scene. One woman was rescued from a fire escape by KFD Capt. Gary Dye and FF Bill Crockett. Other occupants of the 41-unit, five-story brick building were evacuated, many with the help of the Kearny Police Officers Frank West and Chris Levchak, Dyl
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noted. No injuries were reported, and firefighters noted that “multiple cats” were also rescued. One of the factors aiding the evacuation was the existence of fire doors in the building’s see FIRE page
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