Jan. 2, 2019 edition of The Observer

JANUARY 2, 2019 • WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM • VOL CXXXI, NO. 34

COVERING: BELLEVILLE • BLOOMFIELD • EAST NEWARK • HARRISON • KEARNY • LYNDHURST • NORTH ARLINGTON • NUTLEYJANUARY

The top 10 stories in 2018 on theobserver.com

By Kevin Canessa kc@theobserver.com WHILE THE OBSERVER CONTINUES TO BE one of the most read printed weekly newspapers in New Jersey, its partner website, www.theobserver.com, also continues to bring in readership from the area, the state, the nation and overseas. Each week, thousands of people catch up with what’s happening in West Hudson and surrounding communities either through our posted stories or via the e-Edition, which continues to grow since its 2013 inception.

As such, here is a look at the Top 10 stories read on www.theobserver. com in 2018.

• No 10 — ‘Kearny, New Jersey: a place where stigmas are history.’ — July 4.

In the summer of 2018, The Observer dedicated several weeks to covering the opioid and mental health crises that have swept the

See Graphic by Michelle Rybeck

It’s a new year and with it comes a new look to The Observer, a 131-year tradition in the community.

By Kevin Canessa kc@theobserver.com

WELCOME TO 2019 AND A BRAND NEW look for the print edition of The Observer.

Our co-owner and Advertising Director Lisa Feorenzo decided over the summer she wanted to see a fresh overhaul of the pages of the newspaper — the first of its kind in

many years — and what you’ll see today is the beginning of the net results.

Graphic Designer Michelle Rybeck spent countless hours preparing the new look — fresh with new fonts, section headers and more — so that when you read the newspaper, it’s much easier on the eyes ... and extremely crisp.

We hope you like what you see.

In the coming weeks, there may be a few more changes as well.

We’ve also eliminated AroundTown, but press releases that would normally be there will be sprinkled throughout the newspaper — so be sure to look for them ... you never know where you might find them.

From all of us at The Observer, here’s wishing all of our readers and advertisers the best in 2019!

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WEST HUDSON MOURNS THE LOSS

By Kevin Canessa kc@theobserver.com

THE REV. MSGR. FRANCIS R. Seymour, in residence at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny, for the last 30 years — and the only archivist in the history

of the Archdiocese of Newark — died Thursday, Dec. 27.

Five years ago, when Msgr.

Seymour was celebrating the 50th anniversary of his 1963 ordination to the priesthood, this newspaper offered a look back at his life and priestly

ministry in a feature story written by Karen Zautyk.

The following is excerpted from that story along with new additions.

Msgr. Seymour spent 5+ decades as a priest, a career that saw him serve as

File photo

The Rev. Msgr. Francis R. Seymour in an undated file photo.

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Church in Newark, where he served concurrently as Catholic chaplain at Beth Israel Hospital.

In 1969, he was named as the first archdiocesan archivist and also an assistant to the Matrimonial Tribunal. At that time, he took up residence at Holy Cross rectory in Harrison.

He was named a monsignor in 1979 by the-late Pope John Paul II. Eleven years later, he was appointed secretary to Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety, a position the monsignor held until Gerety’s death in 2016.

At the time, the archbishop

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INSIDE THIS EDITION Opinion .................................................................... 6 Food & Dining Directory ...................................... 10 Sports & Recreation............................................. 11 Health & Wellness Directory................................15 Real Estate ............................................................ 16 Real Estate Diretory .............................................17

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pastor or administrator of 31 parishes in the Archdiocese of Newark and in various other archdiocesan posts, working alongside countless members of the clergy, religious sisters and laity.

The monsignor was born in Bayonne, the son of George and Mary Boyle Seymour.

Following graduation from Seton Hall University, he studied for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary, then in Mahwah, and was ordained by Archbishop Thomas Boland on May 25, 1963, at Sacred Heart Cathedral (now Basilica), Newark.

His first parish assignment was at St. Charles Borromeo

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OF MSGR. FRANCIS R. SEYMOUR Continued from previous page emeritus was the oldest living bishop in the world — at 104.

Seymour served as a commentator on Channel 9 during Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to New Jersey in 1995. He wrote articles for The Advocate, the newspaper of the archdiocese, and was also the chaplain to the Harrison Police and Fire departments.

On weekdays, the monsignor could be found at Walsh Library at Seton Hall University, South Orange, where he was “the first and only” archdiocesan archivist.

“You have to like what you’re doing,” Msgr. Seymour said in 2013 of his role as archivist. “I never had any formal training for this. The staff is trained. My knowledge is what I have lived through.”

That and he was blessed with an extraordinary memory. While many can’t recall what day it is, the monsignor could cite names from long ago and accurate significant dates.

Just as Msgr. Seymour apparently was born to lead a priestly life (“I never gave much thought to anything else,” he said), he appeared destined to be an archivist. In 1961, he started the archives for the Darlington Seminary.

But long before, as a child in Bayonne, he already was culling and collecting information.

“When the other kids were out playing ball,” he said, “I was home, cutting out newspaper articles about churches and priests and putting them in a scrapbook.”

In 2001, Msgr. Seymour said, he confided to then newly appointed Newark Archbishop John J. Myers that “nobody knows what I’m supposed to be doing” as archivist. “He told me to just keep doing what I’d been doing.”

Though an expert of all things historical, the monsignor was also known to be a current events buff. He said he read seven newspapers a day, plus 50 weekly papers and magazines per week, including this newspaper.

Sean R. McDonald, of Kearny, was the monsignor’s

colleague at Saints from 20042009.

“Msgr. Seymour was a friend of mine for many years.

There is a lot I can say about him but what stands out the most for me is that he was always present, he always seemed to be right where he was needed. Whether at an important Mass, a wake or funeral, a wedding or birthday party, a celebration or solemn remembrance — Msgr.

Seymour was there.

“He was a gifted homilist, a priest’s priest, a legend in the Archdiocese of Newark where he faithfully served for more than 50 years. I will miss his wit and his wisdom. He has fought the good fight, he has finished the race, he has kept the faith. May he rest in peace.”

Linda Dalzell Guziejewski, a long-time parishioner at Saints, recalled that Msgr.

Seymour also had a great sense of humor. Her family, including sister Lori Dalzell Grant, had him over for a holiday gathering not too long ago.

“A few years ago, Msgr.

Seymour stopped by with Fr. Mike (Ward) for a burger on the 4th of July,” she recalled.

“We were sitting in the backyard when monsignor asked if I had a bathroom. I said ‘yes,’ and brought him into the house. His response was ‘Good! Every Catholic house should have one!’”

Like the Dalzell sisters, Omar Oscar Fernandez has also been a long-time parishioner at Saints.

Fernandez, who will experience the sacrament of marriage at the Kearny Avenue church this week, took time to reflect on monsignor’s life and impact on his own life.

“He was always the ‘tall priest’ at St. Cecilia, but what I will always remember about him is his awesome sense of humor. Once you got to know him, he had jokes and great one-liners. Also, for the past couple of years, we had a tradition of going to dinner every Good Friday. We always had great conversations about life, faith and the Church. I will miss him tremendously.”

Harrison’s James P. Doran

recalled Msgr. Seymour as a “true Harrisonian.”

“Msgr. Seymour … became a member of everyone’s family as he baptized, married and cared for many,” the Harrison councilman said. “He was a people’s priest who will be

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missed by many.”

Similarly, Laura Comppen, of Lyndhurst, a Harrison teacher, said she always looked forward to seeing the monsignor marching in March.

“I can remember Fr.

Seymour from when I was a little kid,” she said. “And I always looked forward to seeing him mawwwrching in the St Patrick’s Day parade.”

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Kearny settles affordable-housing litigation

By Ron Leir Special to The Observer

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income residents.

A settlement agreement approved Dec. 4 by the municipal governing body calls for a combination of rehabilitation of substandard housing units and creation of new residential units for poorer residents.

The town has until 2025 to complete the rehab portion and faces a 2020 deadline to create the appropriate zoning – but not the actual construction – for the new units. Whether those new apartments get built depends entirely on whether a developer feels it can be done.

The deal stems from the New Jersey Supreme Court’s so-called Mt. Laurel decision and Fair Housing Act of 1985 which set guidelines for municipalities to accommodate the need for housing for moderate- and low-income residents.

New Jersey established the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to enforce those rules but under Gov. Chris Christie, COAH became inactive and many municipalities didn’t enact fair housing plans.

Some, like Kearny, required developers to provide monetary contributions to a locallyadministered Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) which was to be tapped for development of new residential units for lowerincome residents.

But in many instances, communities applied those funds to other towns to satisfy their affordable obligation or retained the money pending further direction from the state or courts on how to use the funds.

Amid all this uncertainty and lack of clarity, the Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC) – which the state tribunal recognized as having legal standing – initiated a series of lawsuits around the state, looking to challenge what they felt were “unfair” interpretations by municipalities.

Kearny, however, looked to be proactive and, according to Town Attorney James

Bruno, filed a motion in Hudson County Superior Court in July 2015 “seeking a declaration of its compliance with the Mt. Laurel Doctrine and Fair Housing Act” to avoid going to trial.

After lengthy negotiations, Kearny and the FSHC arrived at a settlement agreement stipulating first, that Kearny will upgrade to code 168 existing substandard apartments, and find occupants for those units, starting July 1, 2019, and continuing through June 30, 2025.

Actually, the town has already gotten credit for three of those units by virtue of Habitat for Humanity’s Hudson County chapter having previously developed a 3-family condominium at 41 Kearny Ave. Its occupants purchased the units with nointerest loans from a local bank.

In a public briefing to the mayor and council, Bruno said the town had “relied on the county” to cover the rehab obligation, but he claimed the county government failed to come through.

Kearny has agreed to use funds from its Affordable Housing Trust Fund to underwrite the renovations project which figures to run in the $2 million range – based on spending “at least $12,500 (inclusive of 20% administrative cost) per unit … with roughly 28 units rehabilitated” each year, the settlement says.

Bruno said the town “has well in excess of the $2 million” needed in its Affordable Housing Trust Fund, to which several developers have all made monetary contributions, according to Mayor Alberto Santos.

To administer the rehab project, Santos said Kearny in 2019 will hire a housing consultant “who will provide an application process for use of our rehabilitation funds and who will ensure compliance with the state’s eligibility requirements for applicants.”

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Centre Street Bridge in Nutley finally reopens

By Kevin Canessa kc@theobserver.com NUTLEY’S LONG LOCAL TRAFFIC nightmare is finally over.

Fortunately, no presidential pardons will be needed thereafter — though some motorists might think otherwise.

That’s because Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., Mayor Joe Scarpelli and a host of other dignitaries were on hand Christmas Eve to reopen the Centre Street Bridge to vehicles and pedestrians, following several months of reconstruction, detours and traffic headaches.

Opening the roadway before the end of the year was a promise the county executive made when construction started in June because the bridge provides vital access to Downtown Nutley.

“The Centre Street Bridge is located in the heart of Nutley and provides critical access to the Downtown District. We are pleased that we were able to work with our contractor to reopen the bridge before the end of the year and keep our promise to the residents of Nutley,” DiVincenzo said.

“We knew people would be inconvenienced by the construction, and we appreciate their patience and understanding. The old 122-year-old infrastructure needed to be replaced and we are happy that we were able to minimize the disruption and expedite the reopening of the bridge.”

Scarpelli also chimed in.

“I thank the county executive for delivering on his promise and getting this done before the end of the year. Centre Street is a main thoroughfare in town and reopening the street will make access to our downtown a lot easier,” the

mayor said.

The Centre Street Bridge was classified as “structurally deficient” and a weight limit of 15 tons had been posted because of its deteriorating condition. The original single-span brick arch with ashlar spandrel walls and abutments was built about 1896. Reinforced concrete wingwalls were added to the structure in 1929 and a concrete parapet and gabion wall were installed in 1965 after the north spandrel wall and parapet failed.

The new bridge is constructed of a precast concrete arch with precast concrete wingwalls that are supported by cast-inplace concrete footings and pedestals. There are two travel lanes — one in either direction — for vehicles and sidewalks for pedestrians.

The dimensions are virtually identical to the original structure: a clear span length of 42 feet, a roadway width of approximately 46 feet and a total bridge width of 66 feet.

In the spring, the roadway will be milled and a permanent pavement will be installed.

To maintain the historic character and existing setting in Essex County Yanticaw Park and Nutley Booth Park, the concrete color for the new bridge was set by the NJ Historic Preservation Office. The masonry work will be stained in the spring.

A stone formliner was used to construct the arch spandrel walls and the parapet walls, the existing ornamental fence was reset and an interpretive sign will be installed to inform residents and visitors of the history of the crossing and the Yanticaw-Booth Historic District.

In addition, 48 new trees will be planted in the adjacent parkland in the spring of 2019.

Essex County photo

Nutley Mayor Joseph Scarpelli, in red shirt, was on hand for ribbon cutting to reopen the Centre Street Bridge. Essex County Exec Joe DiVincenzo Jr., with scissors, and other dignitaries, were also on hand for the Dec. 24 ceremony.

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THOUGHTS & VIEWS

Submit your letters to:

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The contents of letters do not reflect the opinion of The Observer staff. Letters must be kept to a maximum of 250 words. Any letters that exceed the maximum will be edited, at the discretion of the publisher, who reserves the right at any time to reject or edit the letters for space. Letters must include the writer’s name, address, and telephone number for verification purposes. The deadline for letters is Thursday at 4 p.m. Any letters that arrive after deadline will not be considered for the upcoming publication. Letters can be sent by e-mail to editorial@theobserver.com or mailed to 39 Seeley Ave., Kearny, N.J. 07032. Anonymous letters will not be published under any circumstances.

Lyndhurst sets the tone with new OEM app THIS WEEK, WE RECEIVED WORD

the Township of Lyndhurst was scrapping Nixle alerts in favor of a personalized, township-centric app. It’s been released on both Android and iPhone platforms — you should download it even if you’re not a resident of Lyndhurst — and it’s already clearly a tremendous success.

Here’s a brief look at what it offers: • A location for families to create an emergency plan.

• A list of local emergency shelters and maps demonstrating how to get to them.

• A spot for any Lyndhurst resident to find assistance for opioid dependency.

• The ability to pay summonses for parking and non-

EDITORIAL moving violations.

• A registry for the specialneeds community.

• Information about local traffic.

• A place to learn about power outages.

• Evacuation routes in case of an emergency.

• The ability to learn more about the township’s Community Emergency Response (CERT) Team.

• Local township news briefs.

• A spot to report streetlight outages.

• The ability to deliver anonymous crime tips to the Lyndhurst PD. • A place to review all re-

cently-issued alerts.

• Weather, including a 7-day forecast.

The app — which is 100% free — is extremely comprehensive and came about because of forward thinking

by Mayor Robert Giangeruso and the township’s Office of Emergency Management.

Residents now have a onestop location to go on mobile phones and tablets for important services. But most importantly, when, like just last week, the nighttime skies turned a bizarre shade of blue on account of a Queens Con Edison transformer fire, there is a need to disseminate information in rapid succession, so long as residents have the app, the information

will be readily available.

While the Nixle format is, indeed, beneficial, the new format Lyndhurst has adopted makes sense and is most economical. (The North Arlington school district also has something similar — and that app is also very well formatted and beneficial.)

It is our hope leaders in other Observer towns take time to review the Lyndhurst app because residents of other towns would benefit from such technology.

And in the new year, we hope other towns ultimately follow Lyndhurst’s suit.

Well done, Mayor Giangeruso and the Lyndhurst OEM. Well done, indeed.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Freeholder is grateful for bone marrow donor from California

To the Editor: Some 2½ years ago, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. To date, I have been able to survive this insidious disease. My survival is because of the help of many. I want to thank the wonderful doctors and nurses at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer

Center, my friends and colleagues who supported me through this ordeal with their prayers and encouragement.

Last, but certainly not least, I wish to express eternal gratitude to my sister, my children and my wife for without her care, I would not be here today.

There is, however, one additional person I need to thank — my bone marrow donor.

Each year, approximately 17,500 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with some form of leukemia requiring a bone-marrow transplant for their survival. Of these, about 12,000 will be unable to find a

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However, these other 12,000 souls wait for such a miracle.

I ask that you give the gift of life to a stranger. I urge you to sign up to be a bone-marrow donor. You can find out more by visiting www.bethematch. org.

Freeholder Al Cifelli Kearny

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I was fortunate to find my match. It was only due to the selfless charity of a young California woman that I am alive today.

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Lyndhurst OEM launches new mobile app

By Kevin Canessa kc@theobserver.com

THERE’S NOW AN APP FOR that in Lyndhurst.

Mayor/Public Safety Commissioner Robert Giangeruso and the Lyndhurst Office of Emergency Management have released a new iPhone and Android mobile program to send out emergency alert and preparedness notification.

This new app makes it easier for the public to stay connected and informed by public safety and public works officials during day to day incidents, happenings and disasters.

As such, SMS text messages for community and advisory alerts from Nixle are no longer available, and ceased operation Dec. 17. Officials are urging residents to download the new app by searching “Township of Lyndhurst OEM mobile” at the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Nearly 80% of the U.S. population has smartphones, and it’s estimated that more than 17,000 Lyndhurst residents use smartphones as their main form of communication.

Emergency alerts (push notifications) are one of the most important aspects of the new smartphone app.

With the app, residents who sign up will automatically receive township-related alerts, as well as alerts from the National Weather Service on the moderate to severe levels.

One alert was issued on Dec. 27, letting residents know that if they saw something “blue in the sky,” it was caused by an incident at

a New York City Con-Edison substation.

The app also displays local weather, a 7-day forecast and radar outlooks.

The Emergency Plan is a feature that will help users create their own plan. This includes four sections: “My Info” is a shareable list to keep important family, medical and insurance contacts at your fingertips; “Checklist” helps you determine what supplies you will need for an emergency; the “Preparedness” section is where you will find information on preparing for various kinds of emergencies. Lastly, under “During a Disaster,” you will find the “I’m OK” contact form, “Where am I,” a personal locator, a Damage Report form, and Tips to Stay Safe during emergencies.

Also included is an anonymous crime-tip reporting section, which goes directly to the Lyndhurst PD Criminal Investigations Division, 511 traffic information, power outages, a special-needs registry and social media integration from police, fire, EMS and OEM. In case of an emergency, directions to nearby shelters are available. Residents may also report street-light outages in seconds. One may link into the municipal court to pay summonses.

“The Lyndhurst Office of Emergency Management app is an innovative solution for our community to stay informed while becoming interactive in a progressive way,” Giangeruso said.

“Please take a moment to download the app and set up your own personal emergency plan.”

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NEWS Following crash, Kearny buys new jitney bus Submit local stories to:

editorial@ theobserver.com

A NEW SENIOR CITIZEN mini-bus has been ordered and should be arriving in Kearny within three to four months, as reckoned by the vendor.

The municipal governing body voted Dec. 4 to award a contract for the purchase of

the vehicle from Alliance Bus Group Inc. of Carlstadt for $61,950.

Alliance was the lowest of three bids submitted Nov. 30, according to town CFO Shuaib Firozvi. Alliance edged Rohrer Enterprises Inc. of Clifton, which bid

$62,890 and Wolfington Body Company Inc. of Hainesport, which bid $65,670.

The new bus will replace a vehicle involved in a crash that happened earlier this year at Chestnut Street and Laurel Avenue, resulting in that bus being “totaled,”

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Kearny’s new jitney bus will look much like this one already on the road.

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Ken Pincus, the town health officer whose department conducts the senior bus runs, said the town was using a combination of money collected from an insurance settlement stemming from the crash and cash from a state grant to underwrite the acquisition of the new vehicle.

As per the purchase specifications, that new bus will be a 2019 Elkhart Coach, with a Ford E450 chassis.

The climate-controlled, 25-foot-long vehicle will have a white exterior and can seat up to 18 passengers. It will be equipped with a wheelchair lift in the rear and can accommodate two wheelchair positions.

It has a gas engine and has a capacity of 55 gallons.

Aside from the standard remote exterior mirrors, the bus will be outfitted with a camera that the driver can check while backing up and is programmed to emit beeping sounds as the bus moves back.

The vehicle is being assembled at the manufacturer’s plant in Elkhart, Indiana, and, when completed, it will be shipped to the vendor in Carlstadt for final prep work, including painting and lettering.

Alliance will take the vehicle for inspection by the state Motor Vehicle Commission, where it will be issued plates, registration and title papers.

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Students from Washington Middle School’s dance team joined Councilman Larry Bennett and Santa at a special gathering for Harrison’s senior citizens. They all sang traditional carols.

WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

09

School board outsources payroll processing Move comes a year after former clerk nabbed for stealing thou$ands

By Ron Leir Special to The Observer

A YEAR AFTER A BOOKKEEPER was charged with siphoning about $190,000 from the Kearny school district over several years, the Board of Education is outsourcing its payroll services.

Acting on the recommendation of its business administrator Edward Izbicki Sr., the KBOE voted Dec. 17 to contract with Action Data Services of Fairfield advertising@theobserver.com 201-991-1600 to provide “payroll and er: accounting services.”

The contract runs from Observer

Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2019, and will cost the district $36,000.

In December 2017, North Arlington resident Gina Neri was charged with second-degree theft by deception for having stolen the money by issuing checks to herself, drawn from the KBOE account, between 2011 and 2017.

In July 2018, Neri — as a first-time offender — pleaded guilty to an amended third-degree theft charge and failing to file a tax return. In September 2018, she was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay more than $300,000 in Client: restitution and file an updated tax return.

SCHOOL NEWS of Action Data Services, Izbicki said: “This was an administrative decision because of the number of people in-house we employ.”

That number is currently listed as 889, according to a calculation made last week by the district’s business office. The district pays its employees every two weeks — with the exception of custodial/maintenance staff who were paid weekly until recently.

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She was initially suspended, and then fired, from her job with the district.

The district’s bi-weekly payroll is estimated to be “in excess of $2.5 million.”

Izbicki told The Observer Izbicki said Action Data the move is part of a series A district audit and Services Advertising: Here the updated with a new photo of Jarlynn Hyde: will “maintain the of steps theisdistrict has template an investigation by the district’s payroll records” taken since the discovery business office helped and handle all relevant of the missing money to school officials to uncover safeguard the integrity of its the scheme. cash-flow system.

Asked about the hiring

employee-related payroll work, “including pension and tax reports, employee W2s, all calculations of amended salaries resulting from legal settlements [and new labor contracts] with employees and the like.”

Retaining the outside firm won’t trigger “elimination of any district positions,” Izbicki said. It just means, he said, the district will now have “a second set of eyes” on payments going to its employees.

In the wake of the theft’s discovery, the district put new money processing procedures in place and appointed Susan Wolenski as payroll clerk.

Izbicki said Wolenski has served in her current position for about a year and maintained that the hiring of the

outside firm “is not in any way a reflection on her performance. It’s just another in a series of safeguards we’ve taken.”

The KBOE also recently terminated its contract with Stewart/a Xerox Company and, in its stead, authorized a 5-year lease with option to purchase agreement with Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office of Moorestown, for office copiers around the district.

Izbicki said he recommended going with the new vendor on the strength of the “quality of their materials and fee structure.”

He said the district had received “numerous complaints” from employees about breakdowns of equipment supplied and serviced by the previous vendor.

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10 Oval work could finally kick off this month, engineer says WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

By Ron Leir Special to The Observer

At long last, Kearny appears to be at the brink of starting work on its most ambitious — and certainly most expensive — recreational infrastructure project early in the new year.

Yes, it’s the long-awaited re-mapping of the Gunnell Oval Athletic Complex for which bids were received

Dec. 14 and for which — barring any last-minute snafus — a contract could be authorized at the Jan. 8 meeting of the municipal governing body.

“We’re looking at a January award,” said David DiSilva, design engineer with Neglia Engineering, the consulting engineers for Kearny, “and we’re aiming at a January start.”

Based on a preliminary

review of the prices submitted by six companies, the apparent low bidder is Tomco Construction Inc., of Mt. Arlington, with a base bid listed as $23,666,666 — very close to what Neglia had projected as the cost of the work.

Other bids submitted came from: • Applied Landscape Technologies, of Montville, $25,674,777.

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• Grave Construction, of Paterson, $27,387,673.

• Flanagan’s Contracting Group, of Hillsborough, $27,923,988.35.

• Creamer-Sanzari, a joint venture out of Hackensack, $30,444,170.

• Carbro Constructors Corp., of Hillsborough, $35,762,418.

Because the job is multifaceted — it calls for raising the sloped site out of a flood zone, installing a storm-water drainage system and converting natural grass playing surfaces to turf plus incorporating new play equipment — the project specifications detailed 174 individual work items spread over 122 pages of bid documents, Silva said.

As of last week, Silva said he knew of no reasons why a contract couldn’t be awarded unless one or more of the bidders filed objections or the town found engineering and/ or legal flaws contained in any of the bid proposals.

A final step, he said, will be receipt of a letter from the N.J. Environmental Infrastructure Trust Fund signing off on the town awarding the contract.

If Tomco does become the successful general contractor, Silva said it would handle the job of importing clean fill to elevate a portion of the Oval and of providing the elaborate drainage system.

Silva said Tomco would hire several subcontractors for such items as mechanical, plumbing and electrical work, turfing the fields, acquiring new sports equipment and lights.

Silva said Neglia Engineering — which will receive close to $1 million to manage the Oval job — has done construction management on another Tomco project involving improvements to the Athenia Park recreation complex in Clifton.

Tomco’s resume shows additional experience dealing with similar type work, having done site development associated with athletic

field improvements at Foley Field in Bloomfield; renovations at Clifton Stadium in Clifton; site development for the Nat Turner Development Park in Newark; site development for the Howe All-Purpose Fields at Colonial Park in Franklin Township; site development for Smith Field Park’s new multipurpose field and general park improvements in Parsippany; and installation of synthetic turf athletic facility in Maple Grange Park in Vernon.

Tomco has also completed a host of infrastructure projects for corporate clients such as Mack-Cali Realty Corp., Hartz Mountain Realty and Vornado Realty Trust.

The company’s sole work experience in Kearny was for complete building site development for the Perrier Distribution Center on the Belleville Turnpike.

Once all the paperwork is cleared, Silva said the contractor will begin clearing the site of existing buildings and play structures such as backstops, goal posts, dugouts, field houses and some trees along the East Midland Avenue border of the property.

That work should take two to four weeks, he said.

At that point, Silva said, the contractor will begin bringing in clean fill to help raise the site. It’s estimated it will take 99,000 tons of earth to elevate the east side of the Oval by “five to six feet,” he said.

Additionally, a retaining wall is to be built on the east side of the site.

Silva said it should take several months to import all the fill and grade the site.

Next to come, he said, will be installation of “thousands of linear feet” of storm sewer and sanitary sewer pipes and a pump station, followed by the turfing and other recreational improvements.

Completion of work is expected by spring 2020.

WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

11

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N

Belleville girls get off to solid early start

SPORTS VIEW Nutley’s Higgins reaches 1,000-point plateau NUTLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Photo by Jim Hague

The Belleville girls’ basketball team will look to its senior leaders for inspiration this season. Front row, from left, are Jennifer Garrido and Jehann Dabon. Back row, from left, are Christina Gibson, Janelle Ramirez and head coach Chris Cantarella.

By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com

THE BELLEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL girls’ basketball team won 12 games last season in Chris Cantarella’s first season as the head girls’ basketball coach and the veteran Belleville softball coach is hopeful that his dedication to his alma mater will carry over to the hardwood this winter.

“I’m a Belleville guy,” Cantarella said. “I’m a Belleville High School graduate and I’ve been there teaching and coaching for 22 years. I think the girls all know how important Belleville is to me. They understand what I want and

what they’re supposed to do.”

The Buccaneers lost Imani Hill and Sydney Gomez to graduation, two major cogs to their attack, especially power forward Hill, who averaged 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds per game last season.

“Hill got us a double-double every game and Gomez did all the little things,” Cantarella said. “I think the advantage I have of being back for another year of basketball is that they know what expectations I have of them and they have of me. I don’t have to explain myself and I don’t have to explain every little thing. They know where to go and what to do. I don’t have to worry

about that and it’s made things easier.”

The Lady Bucs have started the new season strong, posting a 3-1 record in the early going.

Senior Jehann Dabon returns for her final season as the Bucs’ point guard. The 5-foot-2 Dabon is an electric performer.

“She’s definitely a high energy girl,” Cantarella said.

“We’re going to rely on her to score a little more this year.”

Dabon has been a solid scorer thus far, leading the Lady Bucs to three wins in the first four games.

See

BELLEVILLE, 12

by Jim Hague

senior Marty Higgins has gained his reputation as a phenomenal baseball player. After all, Higgins has already signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on a scholarship at St. John’s University. The Maroon Raider baseball team is expected to enjoy a highly successful campaign this spring.

But Higgins comes from basketball royalty. His father, Marty, Sr. is the all-time leading scorer at Nutley, having tallied 1,855 points during his career in the late 1980s before heading off to the University of Maine.

So the younger Higgins is a basketball player as well, in part because of his father’s influence.

Last week, Marty Higgins played at the Kearny Christmas Tournament, needing 12 points to reach the prestigious 1,000-point plateau.

The Maroon Raiders faced off against Memorial of West New York in the Kearny tourney.

Needless to say, Higgins was a little anxious, thinking and worrying about becoming the sixth Nutley player to ever reach 1,000 points.

“My nerves got to me,” the younger Higgins said.

“I was anxious about it all day.”

So at halftime of the Memorial game, Higgins had all of two points.

“My coach (Bob Harbison) told me to calm down and relax,” Higgins said.

“He said that I was thinking about it way too much.”

The younger Higgins said that he always dreamed of reaching the 1,000-point club from when he was a little boy and walked into the Nutley gym for the first time, realizing his own name was already on the walls.

“I looked up to the rafters and I actually saw my name,” Higgins said, alluding to the fact that it was his father’s name on the wall. “I realized it was my Dad’s name and thought it was so cool. I wanted to be up there as well.”

So here it was, 12 points away and Marty Higgins was anticipating the moment too much.

“I honestly thought that I was always going to do it,” Higgins said. “I started varsity since my freshman year. I thought that I was going to score a lot of points. I always talked to Dad about it. I always thought I had a chance.”

As the second half began

See

VIEW, 13

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S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N BELLEVILLE from 11

Junior Jazailis Gaul is a 5-foot-3 guard.

“She came off the bench Dabon scored 11 points in last year,” Cantarella said. a solid win over Paterson Charter and had 10 in a win “She’s offensive minded and a very tough kid. She over Science Park.

“She can shoot the 3-point- doesn’t back down to anyone. She also works hard on er and drive to the basket,” the defensive end.”

Cantarella said of Dabon.

Junior forward Nathalie “She’s going to have more Marin is another key conon her shoulders this year.

But we need her to be a little tributor. The 5-foot-9 Marin scored six points in the win more offensive this year.” over Montclair Kimberley Dabon averaged 11 points Academy to start the seaand seven assists per game son. last year.

“She’s going to play more Junior Fiorella Samaniego is also back from last this year,” Cantarella said.

“She was a JV (junior year. The 5-foot Samaniego varsity) player last year, averaged six points per but she’s really improved. game last season.

She has a nice mid-range “She’s more of a distribujump shot. She’s also a good tor,” Cantarella said. “She defender. We need her to get gets the ball in other peorebounds for us.” ple’s hands, but we need Janelle Ramirez is the key her to shoot a little more inside player. The 6-foot-1 this year. I think we need her and Jehann to be on the senior will fill the void left

by Hill’s graduation. floor at the same time and “She’s always around the they will share who hanbasketball,” Cantarella said. dles the ball. She’s a feisty “She has a nice jump shot. player. ”

She needs to have more confidence.”

Ramirez is coming off a solid soccer season, where she served as the Buccaneers’ goalkeeper.

“She’s the one who keeps everyone in check,” Cantarella said. “She is such a nice girl. She doesn’t have a nasty bone in her body.”

Jennifer Garrido is a 5-foot-7 senior forward.

“She’s a good defender in the paint,” Cantarella said.

“She’s a hard-nosed kid who would run through a wall for you.”

Christina Gibson is a 5-foot-7 senior forward.

“She’s the smartest player we have,” Cantarella said.

“She knows every single position on the floor and what that player is supposed to do. She’s also battled through some illnesses to get back on the floor. She’s just a phenomenal kid.”

Elly Barbosa is a 5-foot-7 senior who plays more of a guard role for the Bucs.

“She’s more of a perimeter player,” Cantarella said.

“She can come off the bench and play anywhere. She can go down low if needed. She has a nice mid-range shot.”

Jaylynn Pinto is a 4-foot-9 whirlwind backup to Dabon at point guard. Pinto is a junior who had 10 points in the win over Paterson Charter.

“She’s a good ball handler who can shoot the ball,” Cantarella said. “If I want to go small and super fast, then Jaylynn plays a bigger role.”

Jaylyanna Bratcher is a 5-foot-7 junior who is very athletic and plays good defense. Angela Diaz is 6-foot-1 inside presence who will spell Ramirez from time to time. Melony McCormick is a 5-foot-5 freshman who has a ton of promise. April Lopez is a 5-foot-5 sophomore guard who gives the Bucs some quality depth and can score off the bench.

Taina Carrasquillo is

another dependable bench player.

Needless to say, Cantarella feels good about his team’s chances.

“I’m optimistic,” Cantarella said. “We’re very similar to a lot of teams in our league. But I like our group.

We may take some time to develop into a cohesive unit.

But we can do as well as we did last year. In fact, I’m optimistic that we can do better than last year.”

Cantarella wants to make sure that his players relish the idea that they’re from Belleville.

“A lot of them have a belief of what Belleville is all about,” Cantarella said.

“The kids want to know that Belleville is always a place to call home. It’s a place that they should always be proud of.”

Cantarella makes sure that’s true during the softball season and he’s doing the same in basketball season as well.

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13

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N VIEW from 11

The elder Higgins, who is involved in Nutley youth basketball as well as serving against Memorial last week, Higgins started to feel the ten- as an assistant on the Nutley sion about reaching the mile- varsity, was moved by his son’s performance. stone suddenly slip away.

“It’s such a nice mileHe nailed a 3-point shot, like stone,” the elder Higgins he always does, then added said. “He’s such a great kid another soon after. And then who works hard at everyanother. thing he does. I couldn’t be “I hit the three 3’s in a prouder. He’s worked hard row,” Higgins said. “I knew his whole life and deserves it was going to come.” to have a moment like this.

Higgins needed 12 points As a father, to see him reach and he scored exactly 12 this milestone is so imprespoints to reach the impressive. He always talked about sive milestone. Unfortuit. He said, ‘You think I can nately, the Maroon Raiders get my name up there with lost, 56-42, but still, Higgins yours?’ He’s a polite kid, a became the first Nutley athPhoto courtesy of Marty Higgins, Sr. lete to ever score 1,000 points well-liked kid. He’s every The Higgins family celebrates Marty reaching the 1,000-point teacher’s favorite student and have 100 hits in basemilestone, joining his father, Marty, Sr. in the prestigious club. ball. And the Higgins family, and every coach’s favorite From left are Jenna Higgins, Marty Higgins, Sr., Marty Higgins, player.”

Marty, Sr. and son, became mother Jodi and sister Mia. Harbison, his head coach the first father-son combinain both basketball and tion in the school’s history job done. He’s a good athlete want to coach and you talk baseball, echoed those senti- who always wants to win. to both score 1,000 points. about every kid becoming.” ments.

“It means a lot to me,” the He’s the kind of kid that you Higgins becomes the sec“He’s just a good boy,” younger Higgins said. “Especially since Dad scored all Harbison said. “He’s the first one to get 1,000 points and his points. Basketball is ob100 hits and I was the one viously not my main sport, to coach him to both. He’s but I’m proud to be able to reach the same milestone as just a tough, hard-nosed old school guard who gets the my Dad.”

ond Nutley basketball player in the last two years to reach the 1,000-point mark, joining Matt Schettino.

There has been only one down side to the Maroon Raiders’ season thus far. At press time, they have yet to win, dropping all four games.

But Higgins has joined the list of 1,000-point scorers, a list that includes his father.

“I wouldn’t want to be stuck in the 900s and not get it,” the younger Higgins said. “Now that it’s over, it’s very relieving. There aren’t many more milestones to get, so I can focus more now on winning.”

And then, of course, comes the anticipated baseball season.

“I can’t wait to see what we can do,” Higgins said.

“Without a doubt, we’ll have a little pressure on us.”

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S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N

Lyndhurst’s Downey enjoys early season explosion

By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com

program that is run by the Lyndhurst father-son coaching duo of Chris and Nicole ANGELA DOWNEY ALWAYS Skelly. Downey worked on dreamed of the day when her shooting range, hoistshe would become the main ing up shot after shot on her scoring cog on the Lyndhurst own.

High School girls’ basketball “I love basketball,” team.

Downey said. “It’s a passion “Because I am a senior, I of mine. I really had to step knew I was going to have to it up this year. I really felt pick up my game a little bit,” confident coming into this Downey said. season.”

Downey averaged almost Perrin Mosca returned to 11 points per game last take over the head coachseason as a junior. As she ap- ing duties at Lyndhurst this proached her final go-round season, after coaching for a with the Golden Bears, few years at Hackensack. He Downey knew she had to do remembered Downey as a more. young player, someone who So last summer, Downey attended his summer camp concentrated on playing a lot as a youngster. of basketball. She was part But Mosca had no idea how of the North Jersey Celtics good of a player Downey had

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Photo by Jim Hague

Lyndhurst senior guard Angela Downey.

become.

“I did watch some film of last year’s games,” Mosca said. “I knew that she was a good shooter. I had a pretty good idea of what she could do. She also played for us in the summer and fall leagues and did pretty well, so I could see that she could shoot.”

However, no one in their wildest dreams could have ever imagined what Downey had developed into. Almost overnight, Downey had become a premier sharpshooter, one of the best in the entire state.

In fact, five games into the new season, Downey leads the entire state of New

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15

S P O R T S & R E C R E AT I O N Jersey in 3-pointers made.

She calmly drained nine 3-pointers, setting a new school record, en route to 36 points in a win over New Milford. Downey began the season by connecting on seven 3-pointers and 27 points in a win over Ridgefield. She had five 3-pointers and 20 points in a loss to Tottenville of New York.

After five games, Downey is averaging 21.6 points, a full 10 point per game improvement over last season.

For her efforts, Downey has been selected as The Observer Athlete of the Week for the past week. Downey is the first honoree of the winter scholastic sports season.

Downey is tallying all those points, even though she’s currently playing out of position. With starting point guard Carley Martin on the sidelines, nursing a serious ankle sprain, Downey has been moved to point guard in place of

Martin.

“She’s had to bring the ball up,” Mosca said. “She will shoot it when she’s open. She has no problem at all shooting the ball. If she has a look that’s open, then it’s a good shot and it’s going down.”

Downey doesn’t mind playing point guard for the time being.

“I knew I was a good 3-point shooter,” Downey said. “I really felt like I was going to break the record (3-pointers in a game). I actually set out to break the record. I had seven in the first game and the record was eight, so I was really close. It was a little different being the point guard, but now, I’m really into it and I’m fine with it.”

But Downey would love to have her teammate Martin back.

“I’m better off the ball,” Downey said. “It’s going to be so much easier with Carley. Not just for me, but the

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whole team. We’ll have a better flow. Having a real point guard will really help us.”

“When Carley comes back, we’ll be even better,” Mosca said. “Playing the new position has been a little bit of a change for Angela, but she’s handled it well. She’s just waiting for Carley to come back, but she’s doing things she’s never done before.”

Yes, like setting new school records and leading the state in 3-pointers made.

“It’s all been pretty crazy,” Downey said. “I never would have thought this could happen. It’s literally insane.”

Downey said that she had a lofty goal in mind.

“My goal was to average 20 points per game,” Downey said. “I know that sounds crazy, but I had to set my goals higher to be able to reach them.”

Downey said that she has been contacted by practically all of the New Jersey Athletic Conference schools,

such as Montclair State, New Jersey City University, Rutgers-Newark and Ramapo, but Downey hopes to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University in Florham Park.

“That’s my main choice,” Downey said.

Of course, if another school offers a full scholarship, then Downey will certainly listen.

For now, Downey will continue to light up Lyndhurst’s scoreboards with her long distance prowess.

“It’s totally been a lot of

fun,” Downey said. “It’s good to see my hard work pay off.”

“She’s doing things like she’s totally done this all before,” Mosca said. “She’s pretty outgoing. I’ve had her before as a student and when the job as head coach opened up, I talked to her about basketball. It always felt like a good fit. She goes 100 percent all the time and works hard all the time. She gives up her body for the game of basketball. It’s amazing to watch.

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WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

TOP TEN from 01 country and the globe. In this particular piece, Kevin Canessa challenged the governing bodies of all of the newspaper’s readership area to follow Lyndhurst’s lead to adopt a “No Stigma Zone” in their municipalities.

The idea is that no one who suffers from addiction or mental-health illnesses should ever have to face the stigmas involved with such afflictions. In Lyndhurst, there are numerous areas for help for addicts and those with mental-health diseases.

Since the challenge was issued, North Arlington adopted a stigmafree zone policy. However, there has been no response in Kearny, Harrison, East Newark, Belleville, Bloomfield or Nutley.

• No. 9 — ‘After only 2 years being open, BJs shopping center sold.’ — July 17.

There was great fanfare when the BJs shopping center opened. The anchor tenants hosted a massive, days-long grand opening of its club, including a visit from the company’s CEO. Since then, many other stores have open — and they all appear to be enjoying great success. However, while none of the stores are going anywhere, the developers of the site decided after just a few years to sell.

Though the value of the property was listed at around $29 million, it reportedly sold for more than $10 million more than that valued price.

The original owners of the property were quoted as saying they are in the redevelopment business to create new projects — and eventually sell them off to move on to new development elsewhere.

• No. 8 — ‘Hudson County Corrections Officer, resident of Kearny, arrested after allegedly smuggling contraband into jail.’ — June 18.

A Hudson County Corrections Officer, who is also a resident of Kearny, was arrested and charged with smuggling contraband into the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

On Friday, June 15, shortly after 1:45 p.m., Alex Almeida, 40, of Kearny, was arrested by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Public Integrity/Internal Affairs Unit, for his involvement in the smuggling and distribution of contraband into the jail. A source, who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak about the case, said the contraband reportedly included “alcohol and cigarettes.”

• No. 7 — ‘Social-media threat to NAHS ended quickly by NAPD, superintendent says.’ — Dec. 3.

Stephen Yurchak, superintendent of schools, announced via the district’s social-media app that North Arlington High School

was the subject of a threat. That day, Yurchak said: “Earlier this afternoon, at approximately 1:45 p.m., school officials were made aware of a social-media threat directed toward North Arlington High School. The North Arlington Police Department was notified and within minutes, located the two suspects believed to have made the threat. They are now in custody.”

• No. 6 — ‘Lengthy Kearny PD investigation leads to take down of massive cargo-theft network: Chief.’ — Dec. 14.

A 1½-year investigation, commenced by the Kearny Police Department’s Detective Bureau under lead Det. John Fabula, led to the arrest of numerous Hudson, Bergen and Union county men reportedly responsible for a major $4 million-plus cargo-theft network.

“These arrests are the culmination of an intensive investigation spanning multiple law enforcement agencies. I am extremely proud of the work done by members of the Kearny Police Department Detective Bureau and their collaboration with county, state and federal agencies to bring this to a successful conclusion,” Chief George King said.

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• No. 5 — ‘Apologize to the Kearny cop you shoved, Santos says to JC Mayor Fulop.’ — June 13.

This one was a real doozy — and to this day, it’s hard to fathom that Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop didn’t wind up with handcuffs on in the back of a KPD cruiser — though Kearny’s mayor says an apology would have sufficed.

This all stemmed from an incident Alberto Santos says occurred Tuesday night, June 12, at Kearny High School, at a contentious meeting of the Democratic County Committee to pick the party’s chairperson for the next term.

Santos says Fulop, an ally of Union City Mayor Brian Stack who was running for the top seat — Stack lost to County Executive Tom DeGise’s daughter, Amy DeGise — was trying to make his way into a room that had a voting machine in it for committee members to vote for either DeGise or Stack. Thing is, only poll workers and those voting are allowed in that room, according to the bylaws of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

When the Kearny police officer assigned to a door to that room wouldn’t let the Jersey City CEO in, that’s when Fulop reportedly shoved the cop to try to gain access. While it was possible Fulop could have been charged with assault, Santos, at the time, said he would have preferred to see Fulop issue an apology instead.

Shockingly, Fulop never issued an apology — and charges were never

Continued on the next page

17

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Continued from previous page brought against him.

• No. 4 — ‘Newark man charged in Nov. 30 hit-andrun in Kearny: KPD.’ — Dec. 4.

The man who turned himself in to the Kearny Police Department Dec. 3 as the driver responsible for a Nov. 30 hit-and-run involving a Franklin School student on Bergen Avenue, Kearny, has been identified as David D. Simoes, 38, of Newark.

Simoes was charged with being involved in an accident resulting in serious bodily injury while driving with a suspended license and the traffic charge of driving with a suspended license.

Simoes was released on summonses. Additional charges are pending since the accident is still under investigation.

On Nov. 30, at around 8:05 a.m., it is alleged Simoes struck a juvenile — a student at Franklin School — on Bergen Avenue near Davis Avenue, and did not stop following the incident.

File photo

Ally Gaynor, 24, died earlier in 2018 and her death sparked a much-needed conversation on opioids and addiction.

• No. 3 — ‘2 men shot, one fatally, in Harrison.’ — Sept.

17.

Two men were shot — one fatally — following a shooting in Harrison near Harrison Avenue and Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard.

Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said on Sunday, Sept. 16,

at approximately 4:25 a.m., the Harrison Police Department received a report of a motorvehicle crash with a pedestrian struck in the area of Harrison Avenue and Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard. Responding officers found the lifeless body of a man lying next to a GMC Yukon that had impacted a pole and landed

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on the sidewalk in the area of 402 Harrison Ave., Harrison.

The man, later identified as Shadi Miles, 31, of Newark, was found with an apparent gunshot wound to his torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 4:55 a.m. A preliminary investigation found a second man had also been shot — Joseph Bossie, 19, of East Orange, who was later charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

• No. 2 — ‘How one person’s needless fear led to an unnecessary death.’ — Aug. 1.

This was perhaps the most emotional story of 2018. In it, we learned of the horrifying death of Allison Gaynor, 24, who overdosed on opioids in a fast-food restaurant in Harrison.

Ally died in the bathroom at the restaurant, her mom, Kim Alfieri says, after being in the rest room for 30 minutes. The people who were with her that day, Kim says, neglected to check on her when she was away from them for half an hour. Had they checked on her, perhaps even 10 minutes earlier, she might have survived the overdose.

Ally’s death shook an entire community. But her all-too-soon departure from this earth may very well save lives now and in

the future. New Jersey law protects good Samaritans who report overdoses from prosecution and arrest so long as they’re not in a large quantity of drugs and so long as there is no evidence of a distribution ring.

Kearny Police Chief George King explained the law and how the KPD — and other departments statewide — handle it. And it’s very simple. If you, or someone you’re with, is overdosing — and someone calls for help — no one will be prosecuted or arrested so long as distribution of the drug is not involved.

“If someone is overdosing, call the police,” King stressed.

“The spirit of the law is not to prosecute anyone who is overdosing and who is in possession or under the influence. You will not be arrested. You will not be charged. The attorney general’s guidelines are clear.

• No. 1 — ‘Teen arrested in ‘joke’ KHS threat.’ — March 2.

A 15-year-old Kearny High School student was arrested and charged with third-degree creating a false-public alarm after the boy allegedly used a photo on a social media account with the caption: “Thinking of searching up how to shoot up a school and get away with it,” Kearny police Chief George King told The Observer at the time.

According to King, on Thursday, March 1, someone at the high school was alerted to a Snap Chat post/threat and called the police immediately. The police responded to the boy’s home and the boy, with his mother present, was questioned. King said the boy admitted to creating the social media post, noting, “it was a joke.”

But to the police, it was no joke. And after gaining permission from the boy’s mother, who police say was cooperative, the boy’s home was searched — and police said they found no weapons or evidence of a plot to shoot up Kearny High School.

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WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

OBITUARIES BILL G. COMER

Bill G. Comer, 85, of Kearny, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018, while surrounded by his loving family.

Bill was a veteran of the Korean War. He served the Kearny Police Department for 25 years, and worked his way up through the ranks before becoming Chief of Police in 1980.

He retired in 1983.

Bill will always be remembered as being a devoted family man.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Betty Myers; his loving children Karen Comer and her wife Michelle Malavet; Daniel Comer and his wife Debra; Catherine Comer-Iverson and her husband Michael and Kimberlee Comer-Harris and her husband John; his cherished grandchildren Joshua Comer and his wife Robyn, Shannon Harris, Daniel Harris, Savannah Iverson and Cheyanne Iverson; his cherished great-grandchildren Joshua Jr., Harper and Mia; and his beloved brother Ronald Comer, of Bristol, Tennessee.

Bill was predeceased by his sister Barbara Simcox.

Services for Bill are private at the request of the family.

Donations may be made in Bill’s name to the National Parkinson’s Foundation (www.

Parkinson.org).

The Riotto Funeral Home, Jersey City, was in charge.

ANTHONY F. DE MEDICI

Anthony F. De Medici died Dec. 22, 2018.

He was 81.

Born in Montclair, he lived most of his life in Kearny.

Visiting was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Entombment was in Arlington Cemetery, Kearny.

Anthony was the husband of Dorothy-Ann (nee McCullough). Father of Christine Santiago (Thomas) and Susan Michael (Christopher), he was the brother of Toni Granduke and Felix De Medici. Also surviving are his grandchildren Thomas Jr., Vanilla, Christopher and Nathan and his greatgranddaughter Vienna.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

EDGAR WALTER FERARES

Edgar Walter Ferares died

19

Submit obituaries to:

obituaries@theobserver.com

Dec. 20, 2018.

He was 60.

Born in Brooklyn to parents Edgar and Ruth (nee Brown) Ferares, Edgar graduated from Harrison High School and went on to attend Rets Technical School where he received his associate degree. He worked for many years for Impex Trucking in Kearny, which took him all over.

In his youth, he enjoyed hunting with his uncle Andy, who taught him special survival skills he learned during his service in the Battle of the Bulge. He also enjoyed fishing in Pennsylvania with his family members and spending time at the “shack.” He was an avid NY Mets, NY Giants and NJ Devils fan. He was a music buff, memorizing all the songs and singers of classic music.

Edgar was predeceased by his mother Ruth, and is survived by his wife of 41 years, Linda; daughters Diana, Symantha and Sonny; brother Peter and wife Roseann; sister Patricia and husband George; son-in-law Alfredo Hurtado; granddaughter Angelina Hurtado; nieces and nephews, Emily and Derek Stypolkowski, Michelle Ferares, Christine Gonzales and Peter Ferares.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph Church, Mendham. Interment was in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery, Kulpmont, Pennsylvania. The Bailey Funeral Home, Mendham, was in charge.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Edgar’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1893, Memphis, Tenn. 38101-9950.

ARTURO FERNANDEZ

Arturo Fernandez died Dec. 22, 2018.

He was 94.

Born in Spain, he lived in Newark and Kearny before moving to Livingston in 1986.

Visiting was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Mass was celebrated at

St. Stephen’s Church, Kearny.

Entombment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.

Arturo was the husband of the-late Obdulia (nee Guerrero). Father of Anita Durso (Clayton Seda) and brother of the-late Enrique Fernandez, he is also survived by his sisterin-law Concha Fernandez, his grandson Kyle M. Durso, his great-grandchildren Lucas and Sophia, his niece Aurora Fernandez and his best doggie pal Oliver.

Grace was the beloved daugh- perform a random act of kindter of the-late Harold and Grace ness.

Meehan and dear wife of Guido Salandra. She was predeceased ABELARDO ARAMIS by her former husband WilAbelardo Aramis Torres died liam Carter. She was the loving Dec. 26, 2018. mother of Harry and the-late He was 84 .

William Carter and step-mom Visiting was at the Armitof Guido J. Salandra. The sister age & Wiggins Funeral Home, of Harold Meehan (Cheryl), Kearny. Mass was celebrated Mary Cairns (Stephen) and at Queen of Peace Church and Kathleen Hart (Shawn), she entombment was in Holy Cross is also survived by her fatherMausoleum, North Arlington. in-law William Carter and his Having lived a rich, beauticompanion Dorothy Theile ful and full life, he is survived and her mother-in-law Lidia by his cherished wife Doris JOHN JOSEPH LUCIVJANSKY Cruz. She was the in-law of (nee Pena); loving daughter Anna Ferazzoli, Patty Petrucco Leticia Fabiano; son-in-law John Joseph Lucivjansky and Emilio Salandra along died Dec. 23, 2018.

Carlo; and his adored grandwith many nieces and nephHe was 92. sons Aaron Damian and Ausews.

Born in Czechoslovakia, he tin Aramis.

In lieu of flowers, kindly lived in Jersey City before movAbelardo is also survived by consider a donation to St. Jude numerous dear family meming to Kearny 54 years ago.

Visiting was at the Armitage Children’s Hospital or simply bers and friends. & Wiggins Funeral, Kearny.

Entombment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.

A Progressive, Welcoming Church in the Anglican Tradition John served in the Navy during World War II and was a Sunday Mass self-employed builder.

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11 20

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ALL PRE-PAY -- NO ALL CLASSIFIED CLASSIFIED CUSTOMERS CUSTOMERS MUST MUST PRE-PAY NO BILLING. BILLING. TO TO PLACE PLACE AN AN AD, AD, CALL CALL 201-991-1600 201-991-1600

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Belleville church celebrates 95th anniversary

By Ron Leir Special to The Observer Four decades ago, Belleville Cub Scout Pack 350 buried a time capsule under Fewsmith Presbyterian Church on the Little Street side.

Some years later, as the church was preparing to pour concrete for a disabled-access ramp leading to an entrance, a church congregant realized the vacuum-sealed, 18-inch-by-6inch aluminum tube would be encased once the cement took hold.

At that point, longtime church elder Joseph Pospisil recalled, hope of retrieving that piece of church history was reluctantly jettisoned.

That loss notwithstanding, the Fewsmith flock have not given up on their venerable edifice which has now survived into its 95th year — a milestone the faithful celebrated Nov. 4 with a dinner at the San Carlo in Lyndhurst.

And the Belleville governing body recently issued a proclamation, congratulating the congregation on that achievement.

Plans for the church were launched in December 1924 when 250 charter members signed on to build a new house of worship at Union Avenue and Little Street as a memorial to the beloved Rev. Joseph Fewsmith, who served as pastor of 2nd Presbyterian Church of Newark from 1851 to 1888.

Born in Philadelphia in 1816, Fewsmith was the son of a flower merchant.

He graduated from Yale in 1846 and became a professor of homiletics and pastoral theology. He was ordained after attending Auburn Theological Seminary in New York.

Members of 2nd Presbyterian had previously built a new church in Newark named for Fewsmith in 1889, but after the size of the congregation had dwindled, that property was deeded over to Pilgrim Baptist, an African-American congregation.

The land for the new Fewsmith Church, at Union Avenue and Little Street, was secured through the intercession of 2nd Presbyterian, with construction financing tied to a mortgage on the old church, arranged by the trustees of the old church and the Newark Presbytery.

As construction proceeded in 1925 at the new church’s current site at Union Avenue and Little Street, congregants conducted worship services at the Masonic Temple on Joralemon Street.

The new building, which opened in February 1926, contains two stained-glass windows in the rear of the sanctuary dedicated to the late Fewsmith. It also is the beneficiary of an organ used previously at 2nd Presbyterian, which shut its doors in 1995.

The Rev. O. Bell Close became the first official pastor of the new church.

Over the years, the church has seen 10 pastors, with Kirk Woodward, a member of the Collaborative Ministry Team, designated by the Presbytery as pastoral leader in February 2018. Woodward earned a certificate in pastoral leadership at the University of Dubuque.

Highlights of the church’s progress include full payment of the mortgage on its 25th anniversary in 1949, completion of an addition for use as a church school

Continued on the next page

11

WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

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Submit your Help Wanted ads to:

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The Observer is not responsible for typographical errors. Credit for errors will not be granted after the next week’s publication. $10 for minimal changes. No refunds. Deadline for classifieds is Monday by 3:00 PM.

ALL CLASSIFIED CUSTOMERS MUST PRE-PAY - NO BILLING. TO PLACE AN AD, CALL 201-991-1600

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Continued from the previous page in 1960 (for which that mortgage was paid off by 1971) and the appointment of its first female pastor, the Rev. Heather Finck, in 1996.

By the mid-1950s, church membership peaked with close to 800 congregants plus a Sunday School that enrolled as many as 175 children and a Scout unit estimated to be the largest in the township, Pospisil reckoned.

Since then, as is the case with many religious institutions, the church has aged and has found it difficult to fill the gap of members lost or fallen away.

Current membership, comprising residents from Belleville and surrounding towns, is listed at 54.

But Pospisil, who lives in Nutley; Belleville’s San-

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dra Constantino, an elder whose membership dates from 1986; and Lila Gutches, of Clifton, an elder and moderator of deacons who joined the church in 1972, and Woodward point out that Fewsmith has served — and today continues to serve —the diverse needs of the community.

For the past three decades, for example, the church has hosted gatherings of the nonprofit Narcotics Anonymous; in years past, it provided space for Alcoholics Anonymous and the AARP. It still has Scouting programs for youngsters of all backgrounds and it opens its doors for public voting, serving as the polling place for three local election districts.

And on the religious front, the church is finishing the first year of its Twelve Months of Giving, dedicating each month to fundraising projects for

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various causes, including AIDS children, emergency food pantries, winter clothing for the needy, SMILE Train charity for children with cleft palates, disaster relief, animal aid, etc.

“We are one great home of sharing,” Woodward said.

Then there are the Lenten breakfasts with guest speakers, Advent lunch, the Blessing of the Animals in June, prayer group, Bible Study, book club and Sunday choir accompanied by organist Paul Viscardo.

Woodward is optimistic about Fewsmith’s future.

“I like to say God gives you who you need at this time as we spread God’s word and helping people is part of that mission.”

Visit us online each day for up-to-the-minute news @ www.TheObserver.com

22

WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

Margiotta named Director of Comm. for archdiocese MARIA MARGIOTTA HAS BEEN appointed Director of the Office of Communications and Public Relations of the Archdiocese of Newark, effective Jan.1, 2019, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark, announced last week.

Margiotta succeeds Jim Goodness, who retired Dec. 31.

Margiotta is an accomplished marketing & communications professional who brings more than 25 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit sector to her new role. Most recently, she successfully managed marketing initiatives for the Office of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark.

There, she was responsible for the development and implementation of strategic marketing plans and public relations, as well as activity related to traditional and digital advertising, social media marketing, publications and videos and content development to further the mission of Catholic Cemeteries.

Prior to joining the Archdiocese of Newark, Margiotta was the Director of Marketing and Communications at one of New Jersey’s leading hospitals and healthcare networks for almost a decade.

During her tenure, she developed and executed annual marketing and public relations business plans to spotlight leadership and technology across a spectrum of clinical disciplines to enhance the institution’s local and national reputation.

She also served as the hospital spokeswoman and headed communications efforts on highprofile issues including unioncontract disputes and competitive-

legal challenges. Additionally, Margiotta acted as the Public Information Officer during public health crises, emergencies and natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy.

Previously, Margiotta held senior leadership positions in the healthcare public relations industry with firms including Edelman PR Worldwide and Ruder Finn Healthcare. She represented and promoted therapeutics for global pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough and Roche.

In her roles, she directed communications programs to educate patients about diseases and corresponding drug therapies, promote physician awareness of new medications and enhance corporate reputations.

Margiotta earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from from Fordham University, a Jesuit institution, and went on to earn a master’s degree in public Relations from Iona College.

She and her husband, Dr. Vincent Margiotta, have been married for 24 years and have two children, Vincent and Nicole.

Jim Goodness has served as the Director of the Office of Communications and Public Relations and Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Newark for the past 20 years. He has also served as the liaison for the Memorandum of Understanding and the Coordinator of the Archdiocesan Review Board.

The archdiocesan staff is grateful for his many years of dedicated service to the Archbishops of Newark and the Archdiocese of Newark.

— Kevin Canessa

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WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

A most Devilish visit to Clara Maass

Photo courtesy of Stacie Newton New Jersey Devils players John Quenneville, Marcus Johansson, Steven Santini and Mackenzie Blackwood (who got his first NHL victory on Dec. 27 against the Boston Bruins) visited Clara Maass Medical Center on Dec. 17, to extend well wishes for the holiday season patients. For two hours, players visited with patients in the Pediatrics and Emergency Services departments, and provided holiday greetings to visitors, physicians and hospital employees. The visit also included an official welcome to Clara Maass Medical Center by hospital’s President and Chief Executive Officer Mary Ellen Clyne.

HOUSING from 04 Meanwhile, plans for construction of new affordable units are another matter entirely.

Kearny proposes to designate a 19.5acre portion of the Schuyler Avenue Redevelopment Area at the foot of Quincy Avenue for what is described by the settlement agreement as “inclusionary zoning for family rental” of 106 units based on a density of 27 units per acre.

However, seeing the fruition of this project is dependent on meeting these benchmarks: • The state Department of Environmental Protection must determine whether the site – which has groundwater contamination from former industrial occupants – can be remediated “to residential standards.”

The DEP is expected to issue a report on its findings by March 1, 2019.

• If the DEP concludes that site can’t be made adaptable for new housing, Kearny has six months to find another site within the redevelopment area and adopt an amended redevelopment plan applicable to the alternate site.

• But, if no parcel within the redevelopment area can be made to accommodate the new housing, Kearny must find “an alternative inclusionary redevelopment site for an equivalent number of family rental units and adopt a redevelopment plan for that site no later than Dec. 31, 2020.”

23

Bruno said the proposed zoning change “would be up for consideration” by the town “before any actual developer is chosen” for the project.

Fair Share Housing Center spokesman Anthony Campisi told The Observer the center “is happy the town is committed to a substantial program to rehabilitate existing low- and moderate-income housing and is also moving forward to develop new housing in the Schuyler Avenue Redevelopment Area.

“A town like Kearny, given the growth of development we’ve been seeing in North Jersey and given its proximity to employment centers based in Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City, is an important place to have affordable housing because it expands job opportunities for those residents.”

Of about 350 communities around the state involved in legal talks with the center, “more than 250” have signed settlements, he said. “We’re looking at tens of thousands of new affordable homes being built.”

However, Campisi conceded that, ultimately, whether those homes actually get built “depends on what the local market will bear … the onus is on the private developer. This [litigation] is about making sure there are opportunities when the market says there’s a demand for housing.”

Should there be a disagreement over whether or not a site can be adapted for affordable units, it would be up to the courts to arbitrate that dispute.

The Ke

arny Ur ban En terprise along Zone with Ke arny Ba nk are

Knights honor several for their generous volunteer efforts The Queen of Peace Knights of Columbus Council 3428 hosted its Annual Grand Knight’s Dinner in which they recognized three members for their volunteerism on behalf of the council and others.

The Knights also presented its Community Shield Award to several longtime North Arlington businesses in recognition of their service and commitment to the

borough and its citizens.

The honorees were Joseph Sheedy, H.E.P. Volunteer of the Year; Pat Fogarty, Columbian of the Year; and Gerard M. Ruane, Knight of the Year.

In addition to the Knight’s awards, Acting Mayor Allison Sheedy also presented the honorees with proclamations from the borough recognizing their achievements.

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Friday, You 60 and older. through are reading Community, those runs daily, Monday the Friday, the Center. first editio Monday through to and from the n of the with a.m.

9 with at off filled morning starts Our seniors are North Arlington group coffee, tea, juice Comm A diverse unity freshly brewed life and energy. thelette of toast, muffins, News all over and your choice r. To of people from Meals are also keep our citize t cultures donuts or yogurt. ns world with differen the to big a inform areed abou a week, they delivered, 7 days t and backgrounds, our n Harriso home bound in nity. progr ams and seniors who are part of our commu issue s we have The weekly menu for their our community. salutes our seniorsdecid town ed to center every do a this great is posted at the contributions to newslette r twice a g.

Monday mornin and country. year. from daily free spirits Activities range Our seniors are to bingo, to pride in our town domino games, who take great In this newslette and parties involved. To learnr, many celebrations and are always you’ll find out at s. cultural holiday our website abou of national and t what’s been more, please visit rst edition fi the and is day this happening As nj.com. in On Tuesday, Wednes townofharrisonthe community. I hope Senior Citizen you find the Zumba class of the Harrison information Thursday, our useful. Pleas just like to to capacity! e do not s A. Fife hesit Newsletter, I would Jame ate to with Lisa is filled Mayor. contact me, s of your time son members the year to the of theof take a few minute Harri coun Trips throughout Town cil and our on to our program department you Livingst ce heads throu Shop, to introdu gh our webs Christmas Tree the Town of ite at www their help. ofnorth all for arling and activities that .

Almeda ton.org.

Ashley Avery Zarbetski, and

have creat ed the phrase “the North Arling ton Renaissance” for a reason: Lowe r taxes, an expa nded tax base and new businesses moving into the Borou gh.

Our job is to provide servi ces

market

HVAC Ser vices LLC I Love Per fume Kearny Mattress Outlet n Center Lady Lil Inc Classic Sal on Mi Puebl Dry Cleane ito Mexic rs Cleaner an Restaura America Midtow nt Inc. Dental Co n Pharm mfort Ass acy Mr. G’s oc.

Domingo’ Embroide Mr. Nino’s s Baker ry Edevents y III Family Party Ent Restaura O’ Imper ertainme nt ial Bar & nt LLC Restaura Rosa Re nt Sajonia al Estate D’Light Agency Spa Serene Dreams The Kea rny Gold Store The Pip ers Cove West Hu dson Lum ber & Mil For more lwork Co info, or . would kearny like to participat reward e, visit s.o

rg

Design

by The

Observe

r 2018

Target the right audience for your business with weekly insertions.

A special thank you goes

to Renato Yon Vassallo,

SENIOR CENTER

It is a good way to stay in touch with your governing body

to our resid ents in an effective and efficient mann er the least possi at cost. I think ble we have acco mplished this with our DPW, Police and Fire Departments, Construction Recreation Officials, Department, Library, our Emergenc y Squad and administra the tion staff.

We hope to hear from you soon, we welcome and

your feedb . If you haven’t chec HARRISON ack! Please do not hesit 3 ked in with 8-246 ate to call us lately, I think you’l or email me. l be surprised E • HARRISON, NJ • 973-26 abou and excited 221 HARRISON AVENU M t all the wonderful Mayor Jos things eph Bianchi M • MON-FRI 9AM - 3:30Phappening in North jbianchi@n Arlington. ortharlingt TOWNOFHARRISONNJ.CO We

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24

WWW.THEOBSERVER.COM | THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

00 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 1 Over $ in s e l a s e t a t i n re a l e s 2 m o n t h s the last 1

ITH W E M O H R S E L L YO U R* E K O R B 1 # T H E A R E A’ S ity since 1961

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Ingredients Used • Take a proven listing strategy • Mix in our superior marketing plan • Sprinkle in lots of professionalism • Blend in full service • Add our experienced agents • Expose your home to market • Finish with prime negotiating skills The Result • Our homes SOLD at 98% of asking price* • Over 27% of our sales went for over asking price* • We have less days on market • No one sold more homes in our area than BHGRE Coccia Realty*

u r c o m m u n it S e r v in g y o

LOOK WHO IS SELLING HOMES! BROKER

# OF CLOSED TRANSACTIONS*

BHGRE COCCIA REALTY

153

C.21 SEMIAO & ASSOC. ERA JUSTIN REALTY RE/MAX INFINITY KELLER WILLIAMS PARK VIEW MID-REALTY, INC. NENO-ROSA AGENCY THE BIXLER GROUP REAL LIVING GATEWAY REALTORS C.21 AWARD BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY MERENDINO COLDWELL BANKER FRANKLIN SAVINO AGENCY RE/MAX TRADING PLACES RE/MAX WHITE HOUSE LIBERTY REALTY, LLC KURGAN-BERGEN REALTORS EXIT GOLDEN REALTY GROUP A.W. VANWINKLE ELITE REALTY GROUP MODERN REALTY C.21 GOLD ADVANTAGE LIVING NJ REALTY HARRISON REALTY

146 101 79 63 58 56 45 38 36 32 23 18 17 17 15 15 14 14 11 11 11 10 7

Call for a FREE market evaluation of your home

We sell more because our agents and company do more.

Our marketing & experience allows us to sell your home for more money in less time!

We’d be happy to provide you with a detailed estimate and market analysis of your home with no obligation and discuss our extensive marketing plan to get you top dollar.

To request your FREE analysis, visit cocciarealty.com, email us at info@mycoccia.com or call one of our offices listed below and we’ll connect you with an agent specializing in your community.

We can assist you in RELOCATION anywhere in NJ or the USA! Our Rental Department can find your next qualified Tenant.

EXPECT BETTER When you list your home with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | Coccia Realty

info@mycoccia.com www.cocciarealty.com

Real Estate Sales/Rentals Property Management

Hablamos Espanol • Falamos Portuguese • Mowimy Po Polsku • Parliamo Italiano. We also speak Arabic, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu & English

RUTHERFORD 11 Park Ave 201-939-0001

LYNDHURST 424 Valley Brook 201-939-8900

KEARNY 636 Kearny Ave 201-997-7000

SECAUCUS 5 Harmon Cove Tower 201-867-2100

info@mycoccia.com • www.cocciarealty.com *Based on NJMLS Stats from 1-1-18 to 10-16-18 for closing in Rutherford, Lyndhurst, North Arlington, Hasbrouck Heights, Wood-Ridge, Wallington, Kearny, Harrison, Secaucus, Nutley. Subject to errors and omissions. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All data from New Jersey MLS. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated.