e-Newspaper for Jan. 5, 2022

Wednesday, 5 January 2022

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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 35

ON THE INSIDE Welcome to 2022! There are several local elections this year. What’s in store?

BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY

SEE PAGE 6

COVID CRISIS?

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. photo Kearny saw its highest seven-day average of new COVID cases this past week than it has throughout the entire pandemic at 118.6. Seen here on Dec. 28 is a line of folks waiting to get tested and vaccinated at the Kearny Board of Health. The line wrapped nearly a block west, down Washington Avenue, almost to Hillcrest Road.

Schools in Kearny, Harrison & East Newark go with remote option

By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com

KCatch

earny, Harrison and East Newark schools went remote when students “returned” to class Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, while Nutley, Belleville and North Arlington schools will remain in-per-

son, as usual.

Kearny Superintendent of Schools Patricia Blood announced her decision Dec. 30 in a letter sent to all parents and guardians.

“After reviewing the number of COVID infections and quarantines affecting our district’s ability to adequately staff our seven schools,

and in consultation with the Hudson County Department of Education, the local Health Department and the Kearny Board of Education, we find it necessary to provide virtual instruction to our students for the week of Jan. 3 though Jan. 7,” Blood wrote. “We will follow the schedule of our regular school day, and all

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students will be provided the link(s) for the Google Classroom and Google Meet. It is our hope that this move is temporary and we can return to in-person instruction the week of Jan. 10. We will assess more closely on Thursday of next week.

See SCHOOLS, Page 19

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

What were the 10 most-read stories in 2021 on TheObserver.com? before Santiago loaded the victim into the Honda and removed him from the scene. Santiago then took the body to his home in Bloomfield where he, his mother and Guzman allegedly discussed what to do with the body.

Eventually, Santiago went back to the scene.

Santiago’s father is said to have called 911 to report his son was in an accident. When the New Jersey State Police arrived, the victim was dead in the back seat of the car.

All three who were arrested were released with conditions, reports said.

By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com

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f there were anything relatively certain about the year 2021, it’s that TheObserver.com saw its best year since its inception in 1996. Many stories that weren’t published in print could be published online where space, unlike in a newspaper, is unlimited.

As we’ve done for the last few years, we once again take a look back at the 10 stories that had the most eyeballs in 2021. Interestingly enough, almost all of the top stories fit into one category — public safety (eight police-related, one firerelated.)

A good chunk of these stories are seeing print for the very first time, as well.

(10) Newark cop, son of a Lt., charged with reckless vehicular homicide: ECPO his was one of the more intriguing stories of 2021 — it saw a Newark police officer, whose father is a lieutenant in the same department, allegedly involved in a crash on the Garden State Parkway that took the life of a pedestrian who was walking on the side of the roadway.

Officer Louis Santiago, 25, of Bloomfield, was charged with

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LOUIS SANTIAGO

reckless vehicular homicide, desecrating human remains and related charges for hitting a pedestrian on the Garden State Parkway, leaving the scene, then coming back and putting the victim in his car and then later returning to the scene with the victim’s dead body.

Albert Guzman, 25, of Newark, a passenger in the car, was also arrested arrested and he faces charges of conspiracy to desecrate human remains, hindering apprehension and conspiracy to hinder apprehension and tamper with physical evidence.

Annette Santiago, 53, of

Bloomfield, the mother of Louis Santiago, was charged with the same offenses as Guzman.

A preliminary investigation indicated on Nov. 1, 2021, around 3 a.m., a 2005 Honda Accord driven

by Santiago, who was off duty, was traveling northbound on the Garden State Parkway, near exit 151.

Santiago failed to maintain his lane and traveled on the right shoulder of the Parkway, striking Damian Z. Dymka, a 29-year-old nurse from Garfield.

It is alleged that after striking the victim, neither Santiago nor Guzman called 911 or rendered aid, but returned to the scene multiple times

(9) Two firefighters injured in pesky blaze on Kearny’s Elm Street; three pets die his was a sad one that saw many residents displaced and three animals perish in an early morning blaze on Elm Street in Kearny. The blaze, which affected at least three homes, went to five alarms.

“The Kearny Fire Department received a 911 call at approximately 9 a.m., reporting a fire at 350 Elm St. The Kearny Police Department arrived first on scene and was instrumental in getting an occupant

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Continued on the next page

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by just 3.2% of the vote statewide. Ciattarelli says he plans on staying involved in state politics and may run again in the gubernatorial race in 2025.

Continued from previous page to EMS and removing the occupants of both 348 and 352 Elm St.,” Fire Chief Joseph Mastandrea said.

“Kearny EMS transported a patient to the Burn Center at Saint Barnabas in Livingston and is currently being treated.”

Mastandrea said the first engine company arrived on scene to find a welladvanced fire in the front portion of 350 Elm St. and it had already spread to the other structures. The Kearny FD made an aggressive attack on the fire to keep it from spreading any further than the buildings already involved.

Since fire would ultimately reached a fifth alarm, it required a recall of off-duty members, Mastandrea said.

The Harrison, Jersey City, North Hudson Regional, Bayonne, Hoboken, North Arlington and Belleville fire departments all operated at the fire, which was ultimately placed under control approximately 12:16 p.m.

“The Bayonne, Secaucus, Newark and East Newark fire departments provided coverage in our fire stations,” Mastandrea said. “A member of the Kearny Fire Department and from the Jersey City Fire Department were transported to area hospitals. The Kearny firefighter was released. The status of the Jersey City member is unknown at this time. Unfortunately, three pets did not survive the fire.”

Crowd sourced fundraisers were set up for the victims of the fires. Most lost everything.

(8) Ciattarelli wins 12 Kearny districts, including most of Third Ward, one in First Ward f there is one thing Kearny can be certain of since the late 1990s, it’s that its elections always favor the Democratic Party.

Kearny hasn’t had a mayor

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(7) U.S. Att’y: Lyndhurst woman faces 2 decades behind bars Lyndhurst woman faces 20 years behind bars after she admitted to her role in a multi-year embezzlement scheme and to submitting a false personal income tax return, then Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said in October.

Ruby Baroni, 54, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals to a two-count information

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Observer file photo

A look at the aftermath of a summertime fire at 352 Elm St., and two surrounding homes, in Kearny. Three pets died in the fire and numerous residents were displaced.

Continued on the next page

from the GOP since Leo Vartan left office Dec. 31, 1998 and hasn’t had a GOP member of the council since John Leadbeater last served in 1999.

So that begs the question — was it a surprise when the man the GOP pinned its hopes on to unseat Gov. Philip D. Murphy, Jack Ciattarelli, won 12 of Kearny’s election districts, including a good portion of the Third Ward?

Well, that all depends.

This newspaper took a stance that because of the way Murphy treated Kearny during the Keegan Landfill ordeal — by and large ignoring our health concerns — that that was enough to mean he didn’t deserve Kearny voters’ support. We know we weren’t alone with this belief. So it is entirely possible the town’s largest ward decided on its own Murphy wasn’t worthy.

Perhaps there were other factors as well. After all, since Gov. Brendan T. Byrne, no Democrat had been reelected Jersey governor.

Regardless, the election went down to the wire and Murphy won a razor-sharp second term over Ciattarelli,

IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION Opinion.................................................................................................Page 6 Sports..................................................................................................Page 9 Health & Wellness Directory...............................................................Page 10

Business Dir...................................................................................Page 12 Obituaries..........................................................................................Page 13 Classifieds ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������Pages 16-17

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The Observer | www.theobserver.com Continued from previous page

charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return, Honig said.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Between October 2010 and August 2016, Baroni held an accounting position at a New Jersey guided-tour company. In that capacity, Baroni had authority to cut company checks.

During that timeframe, Baroni and Estela Laluf, another company employee (manager), devised a scheme to embezzle funds from their employer.

Laluf would direct Baroni to cut checks to actual employees and contractors, which did not reflect any actual work or services performed.

Baroni would then cash the checks, and Laluf and Baroni would then split the proceeds for personal use.

Laluf and Baroni embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company, Honig said.

Baroni then fraudulently omitted the proceeds from the embezzlement scheme from her tax year 2016 tax return.

Laluf pleaded guilty before Judge Neals to a separate information

related to the scheme Sept. 20, 2021.

The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of subscribing to a false tax return carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing is set the end of this month.

(6) Kearny PD: Wife replaces husband at Hudson County Jail … but likely in a different cell f there’s another certain in The Observer’s world, it’s that Capt.

Timothy Wagner, the publicinformation officer of the Kearny Police Department, provides us, each week, with some of the more entertaining police blotter items imaginable. This, of course, does not take away from the seriousness of many of the crimes committed here.

This blotter entry fits that category and comes in as the sixth most read Web story of 2021. It involves a husband and wife pair, or, as they used to say over the scanner radio when it wasn’t encrypted, “a jack and jill going at it.”

And they were, indeed, going at it.

Wagner says on Nov. 25 at 9 a.m., Officers Alan Stickno, Kevin Carvalho

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

and Sgt. Joe Vulcano were dispatched to a private residence on an allegation of a domestic violence restrainingorder violation. They arrived to find a 29-year-old Kearny man who was restrained from the residence by a judge’s order, except to exchange custody of his child with his wife.

However, it was alleged the defendant showed up hours earlier than the scheduled exchange, without the child, and attempted to view the wife’s phone to see if she’d been talking to other men. Officers arrested the man without incident on a charge of contempt. He was remanded to the county jail — but not for very long, it seems (bail reform, you say?)

And that’s all because on Nov. 26 at 6:28 p.m., the same jack, whose name is not Jack, now released from the county, appeared at police headquarters. He reported he, too, had a domestic violence restraining order against his wife. (Wonder why he didn’t say so when he was being hauled away a day earlier?)

He alleged on Nov. 23, his jill, whose name isn’t Jill, violated that order by calling and texting him several times and friend-requesting him on Instagram. Officers contacted the wife, who came to police

DAVIDSON

headquarters with their child so she could turn custody over to her husband — and then take his place in the county jail. She too was charged with contempt, and we can only presume she didn’t get the same cell.

(5) Kearny man, 20, arrested on numerous child porn-related charges: KPD his was the only front-page print story to also appear in the most-read Observer stories of 2021. It involved a Kearny man, 20, who police reportedly investigated for some time for his

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Continued on the next page

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

having the women engage in commercial sex acts. Each victim would be forced to work for 12 or more hours per day, meeting with 20 to 40 men during their shift.

Continued from previous page alleged involvement with child pornography, according to Kearny Police Chief George King.

The arrest of Justin T. Davidson, 20, of Kearny, came as the culmination of a nearly year-long enquiry by the Kearny PD’s Detective Bureau that was opened in early June 2020, based on numerous public social media posts alleging several local residents had been subjected to harassing or sexually objectionable behavior by “a certain Kearny man,” the police said.

The investigation, King said, reportedly uncovered many instances where Davidson was alleged to have contacted victims via social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat and arranged to receive sexually explicit images of them.

Following the investigation, on May 12, 2021, warrants were issued charging Davidson with numerous counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and one count of criminal-sexual contact against a 19-year-old woman.

Detectives arrested Davidson May 12 without incident at his job in Glen Rock, where he is believed to be an auto mechanic, police said. He was remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Center, South Kearny, pending his first court appearance. It’s not immediately known whether he made bail.

“Det. John Fabula and other detectives in the Detective Bureau did an outstanding job with this case,” King said. “It was very extensive what they had to do — very complicated.

Their work was extensive and professional and it required a lot of patience.

I am very proud of their work.”

Police say they believe it is possible there are more victims who have not yet come forward, Therefore, anyone wishing to report information pertaining to this case should contact Det. Fabula of the Kearny Police Department at (201) 9981313, ext. 2833, or by email at jfabula@kearnynjpd.org.

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On average, the members of this organization charged $35 to $40 per 10 to 15 minute session for commercial sex acts, which generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit proceeds each month.

This money was collected by various members of the organization.

TORRES

(4) BCPO: East Newark man among 22 arrested in human trafficking ring n East Newark man was one of 22 people who reportedly orchestrated a human trafficking and prostitution organization in and around Bergen County, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark A. Musella said in February. The arrests were the result of a four-month investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Chief Robert Anzilotti.

Gabriel Torres, 30, a resident East Newark, was charged along with 21 other defendants from various towns throughout New Jersey.

In November 2020, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad initiated an investigation called “Operation Hope in Darkness,” over a reported human trafficking, prostitution and moneylaundering organization operating in Bergen County, other parts of North Jersey and New York.

The investigation, Musella said at the time, revealed the lot of 22 arrestees were allegedly trafficking women throughout Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex and Passaic counties in Jersey and in Rockland and Queens counties in New York, for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts.

As a result of the investigation, the primary leaders of a criminal enterprise were found to have engaged in moneylaundering and prostitution offenses since at least 2015.

The criminal enterprise employed drivers to facilitate the money laundering and prostitution

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offenses.

The identified leaders of the enterprise allegedly secured multiple female victims to work for them each day. They would field calls for up to 12 or more hours a day from men soliciting women for sex acts.

Multiple drivers were employed by the organization to transport the female victims to various locations throughout the day for the purpose of

The money was then broken down and deposited into bank accounts in an attempt to avoid currency-transaction reporting requirements.

Once deposited, the illicit proceeds paid mortgages and other maintenance expenses on multiple properties in New Jersey and Florida.

In the early morning

201.991.4165

hours of Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, more than 100 detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office executed 19 search warrants in Bergen and Hudson counties and arrested 21 individuals.

More than 50 women have been identified as victims.

Torres, meanwhile, was charged with the financial facilitation of criminal activity, a third-degree crime, and promoting prostitution, a third-degree crime.

Other defendants not residing in The Observer’s readership area were charged with crimes ranging from racketeering, human trafficking, promotion of organized street crimes and possession of CDS marijuana with the intent to distribute.

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Opinion & Viewpoints EDITORIAL

Predictions for 2022 — who will be the biggest winners and losers?

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

ast week, we offered some outlooks for 2022 — this week, it’s prediction time. So let’s have some fun. In 2022: n Dan Pronti gets re-elected mayor in North Arlington by a 3-1 margin or possibly with 99% of the vote. It still remains unclear whether there will be candidates from the Democratic Party. n Jim Fife deliberates and decides not to seek another term as Harrison’s mayor. In his place, Third Ward Councilman Larry Bennett becomes the party’s nominee for the position. Bennett goes on to become Harrison’s new mayor and faces massive responsibilities in deciding how to expand public safety in a town whose population continues to balloon. n Kearny Councilmembers Albino Cardoso, Peter Santana, Eileen Eckel and Susan McCurrie face primaries from a team put together by former mayoral hopeful Sydney J. Ferreira. Ferreira runs for Fourth Ward council seat — and puts up a much better showing in 2022 against McCurrie. However, Team Santos sweeps yet again in a second-consecutive and highly negative contested primary. And, again, Ferreira vows to continue to be involved in local politics. n Belleville Mayor Michael Melham cruises to a second term in Belleville, with a far wider win margin than he had four years ago, but the campaign is one of the nastiest in recent memory. He carries his running mates Naomy DePena and Thomas Graziano to victory. n Aries hosts its introductory meeting in Kearny — but it ultimately pulls its plans to build a plant in the industrial portion of the town. When residents attend the meeting, it gets so contentious the Aries people decide to call the meeting before all get to speak and ask questions. n East Newark Mayor Dina Grilo speaks to the media for the first time in her mayoralty in 2022. n Bergen County Commission President and North Arlington resident Steve Tanelli successfully initiates a crusade to bring more attention to the failures of bail reform. This is not to suggest Tanelli believes all facets of bail reform have failed, but he will use his position as an elected official to demonstrate areas where it has significantly backfired. It will take time, well beyond 2022, but this will become a Tanelli legacy item. n The year 2022 will be a relatively quiet one in Lyndhurst, the first full year in recent times where gadfly David Sivella’s voice is irrelevant.

What do you think? Were we on or off? Did we miss anything significant? Your feedback is encouraged and welcome. Send a reaction to editorial@theobserver.com.

Rose: Hey, ‘Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Police Officers’ To the Editor: Officer Kim Potter was tried by a jury of her peers, who weighed the evidence, and found her guilty of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright. She was not tried for premeditated murder, but for making a horrible mistake, in a stressful situation — a mistake that caused a death.

Two things stand out about this tragedy. If officer Potter’s actions had taken the life of a white male, the media would have showed little, or no interest. If the case had gone to trial, there would have been no protesters outside the courthouse demanding that the jury find Potter guilty.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR Whatever the verdict, if it made the print media at all, would have been reported deep inside the paper.

The second thing, is that the Biden Administration can make a mistake, and order a drone attack that kills innocent Afghanistan children.

The governors of New York and New Jersey can send COVID-infected seniors into nursing homes, a mistake that caused the horrible death of thousands, who had to die alone.

The mayor of Chicago whose constituents are being

murdered on a daily basis can refuse the offer of federal law enforcement help from one president, but realize her mistake, and demand it from another president.

These politicians will never be held accountable for their mistakes, by the media or the justice system.

However, if it is a police officer, right or wrong, the media, and the justice system, will demand their pound of flesh.

There once was a popular song, “Mama, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.”

Replacing “cowboys” with “police officers” would be great advice.

Armand Rose North Arlington

The Observer’s correction policy

he Observer strives to bring our readers the best and the most accurate news. However, from time to time, there may be mistakes in what we report. As such, we take our obligation to report errors seriously. If you believe we’ve made an error, please send an e-mail to editorial@theobserver.com, indicating what is to be corrected. We will ensure a correction is noted (if necessary) in a future print edition — and online.

In Memoriam Mary A. Tortoreti 1942-2016

Lisa M. Feorenzo lisa@theobserver.com Co-owner/Advertising Dir.

39 Seeley Avenue n Kearny, N.J. 07032 n (201) 991-1600 Fax: (201) 991-8941 n www.theobserver.com

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Continued from Page 5 (3) Quick detective work leads Kearny PD to arrest Walmart stabbing suspect: King almart seems to find its way onto the pages of this newspaper often, but it’s usually in the form of the police blotter with shoplifting incidents. But this one made headlines not just here, but around the Tri-State Area, when a fight broke out in September at the checkout of the store’s electronics section.

The two men involved were engaged in fisticuffs when one of the men drew a large knife, a machete, stabbing the victim numerous times in the neck area.

Within 12 hours of the incident, the man responsible for the stabbing, who fled before police could catch him, was behind bars, thanks to the work of the Kearny Police Department, most especially the Detective Bureau.

According to Kearny PD Chief George King and Public Information Officer Capt. Timothy Wagner, it all began at around 10:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 24, as the two were waiting in line, socially distanced and not in the same party, in the rear of the store.

It was not immediately clear why the two began to fight.

As it was all happening, the suspect, later identified as Roberto Delgado-Gonzalez, 29, of Newark, reportedly pulled, from his pants, what appeared to be at least a 2-foot long machete.

“Our detectives did a great job and identified the actor responsible for the machete attack,” King said after the incident. “Last night at around 10:30 p.m., they went to Newark, located his vehicle and made an arrest without further incident. We arrested Roberto DelgadoGonzalez, a 29-year-old male from South Orange Avenue in Newark.

“He was processed for aggravated assault and weapons offenses and was remanded to the Hudson County Jail. DelgadoGonzalez is also wanted for

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Freedom, achieving the rank of Corporal (E-4).

Word of Liz’s death spread immediately. Universally, the reaction was of shock and utter sadness. It began with a simple notice on social media from the Harrison Police Department.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Police Officer Elizabeth Delacruz, No. 980,” the post read. “Officer Delacruz served in the United States Marine Corp, (was) a Harrison Police Officer and a devoted mother.

She served her country and her community with pride and passion. Her bright smile The victim of a stabbing in the Kearny Walmart and contagious laugh will is seen here with blood pouring from his head. be deeply missed. Rest in Fortunately, the man’s injuries were not lifethe sweetest peace Officer Michelle advertising@theobserver.com 201-991-1600 threatening, as horrifying as the situation was.

Delacruz and watch over us Newspaper: Client: all.”

Harrison Councilman aggravated assault from the it should be reassuring to Elizabeth was born in Larry Bennett said Officer Camden County Prosecutor’s the residents that when Santo Domingo, Dominican Delacruz was one-of-a-kind.

Office and has open warrants a crime does occur, we Republic, and moved to the “She was just beautiful on from multiple other quickly and professionally U.S. as a child. She eventually the outside and the inside,” jurisdictions. respond, follow-up and bring settled in Jersey City prior Bennett said of the veteran “From the initial the responsible parties to to briefly living in New York.

Advertising: thecountry updated with a new photo of Jarlynn Hyd police officer.

“No matter responding officers to the justice.”

Liz Here servedisher in template where I saw her, no matter follow-up investigation the U.S. military, serving in what she was doing, she from the Detective Bureau, (2) Harrison Police Officer the United States Marine all of our officers did an Elizabeth Delacruz, mom Corps during campaign Story concludes on next page exceptional job with this and Marine, dies aged 30 Operation Enduring incident. We were dealing n what was one of the with an unstable and violent saddest stories of 2021, individual who was most Harrison Police Officer likely armed, and our officers Elizabeth Y. Delacruz, of were able to take him into Jersey City, a beloved figure custody without incident or in the small West Hudson injury to anyone. town, died suddenly at 30, “While we always want leaving behind a young Presented by Jarlynn Hyde to deter and prevent crime, daughter.

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Continued from previous page would always take the time to say ‘hello’ and to chat.

The thing is, she always went beyond the call of duty — and she was always helping someone, always doing something good for the people of Harrison.

“I’m in shock. Shock. I’m going to miss her … we all are.”

Marisol Perez, a 16-year Harrison resident, recalled how Officer Delacruz helped her during a particularly bad patch in her life.

“I was going through so much personally,” Perez said. “But I got to know Liz just from the neighborhood.

There were times she would stop by just to make sure I was doing OK. She didn’t need to do that — it was way above and beyond the call of duty. But she seriously cared how I was doing. Some of

my oldest friends didn’t even check in with me during those tough times, but she did. She became my friend for life and it just eats away at me to the core that she is gone and was so young. I am going to miss her so much. I am better today because of her.”

Liz will continue to live on in others as she bequeathed organ and tissue donations to the New Jersey Sharing Network.

Donations to Liz’s GoFundMe page may still be made at www.gofund. me/4d6b2d21. To date, it has raised almost $70,000.

(1) 4 local men face life behind bars after fed drug bust, US Attorney says he most-read story on theobserver.com was one that involved the feds and several locals involved in nefarious

T

2021 ON THE WEB activities. The Five men — four of whom live locally — face up to life in prison having been arrested and charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl in connection with a scheme to move those drugs through the United States mail, authorities announced in early March.

Following the unsealing of an indictment, Hugo Richard Villanueva Torres, 29, of Belleville; Daniel Ortiz, 41, of Harrison; Jose Luis Martinez Rosario, 44, of Harrison; Jayson Colon, 42, of Kearny and Luis Gamez, of Riverside, California, were charged with participating in the conspiracy. (Gamez’s

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hometown was unknown.)

Villanueva, Ortiz, Martinez and Colon were arrested early in March in Jersey and were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses that same day. Gamez was arrested March 7 in California.

As alleged in the indictment: From at least in or about May 2020 up to and including in or about February 2021, the five men charged reportedly participated in a conspiracy to distribute kilograms of fentanyl and heroin. The conspirators transported kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin, as well as narcotics proceeds, in packages shipped through the United States Postal Service with the assistance of Ortiz, an employee of the USPS.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022 All five men are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one kilogram or more of heroin. That charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

METHODOLOGY: The Observer used Google Analytics data to determine the 10 most-read stories of 2021.

In the process of collecting the data, one story that appeared in 2018 wound up being the 10th most-read story of 2021.

However, for this countdown & review, we only used stories that were newly published in the year 2021.

The data used began with unique pageviews starting from Jan. 1, 2021 and ended with unique views through Dec. 31, 2021.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

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Sports & Recreation

9

SPORTSVIEW with Jim Hague Observer Sports Writer OGSMAR@AOL.COM

I

NA girls’ hoops: Making strides toward respectability

t’s a shame that the new Omricron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus forced the cancellation of the Bill Ferguson Memorial Basketball Tournament at North Arlington High School last week. Both the boys’ and girls’ tourneys were cancelled in the first tourney since the passing of the legendary former coach and administrator, who died last summer.

The North Arlington girls’ basketball team played three games before the shutdown of the season, winning one.

It’s actually a huge improvement for the Vikings, coached by second-year head coach Brendan Queenan.

“We were actually able to practice the two days we were supposed to have games,” Queenan said. “But even with the practices, having the tournament canceled wrecks the momentum we had. We could have played if we had to. We were healthy. I give the girls credit for keeping themselves safe and able to practice. I thought if we played, we would have been competitive. We can’t afford not to play games where we felt like we could have won.”

The Vikings were slated to face St. Mary’s of Rutherford this Wednesday if the Vikings can pass the COVID protocol.

“We have gone over the stuff we learned those two practices,” Queenan said. “We hope we didn’t forget anything over the big layoff. It’s been two full weeks since played.”

Queenan said that the Vikings had to endure a similar situation last year with the initial COVID-19 shutdown.

“But the big thing was that when we started back, we didn’t have a practice together,” Queenan said. “All we had was meetings on Zoom and that’s not the same.

Hopefully, we come back healthy. I don’t know what could happen if we can’t play.”

Leading the way is 5-foot-7 senior forward Angelina Torres.

“She’s a lot like what Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason did for the Knicks (in the 1990s),” Queenan said.

“She gets a lot of her stuff on second hand points. She rebounds well and fills up the stat sheet with a little bit See VIEW, Page 10

Jim Hague photo

The Belleville boys’ basketball team has been battling the Omincron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus, forcing the team to the sidelines for the last two weeks. Front row, from left, are Richmond Casino, Ethan Laquindanum and Andrey Laquindanum. Back row, from left, are Michael Bowen, Nasir Bey, Terence Folkes and Shanne Laquindanum.

Belleville boys: Questions abound after COVID shutdown

By Jim Hague

I

ogsmar@aol.com

t’s safe to say that it’s the most disruptive season already in the long and storied coaching career of Jim Catalano. The Belleville native, who has spent more than 40 years of his life as a head basketball coach at both the high school and collegiate level, first had to endure the challenges of not having a home court to play on. The horrors of Hurricane Ida caused serious flooding that ruined the floor at Belleville High School, forcing Catalano’s team to both play nothing but road games this season and practice at the tiny middle school, sharing time there with the girls’ basketball team and the junior varsity and freshman teams.

Then, just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Buccaneers were slammed with an outbreak of the Omricron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus, forcing the Bucs to miss their holiday tournament in North Arlington. It means that the Bucs have only two games to show for the 2021-2022 season heading into this uncertain week that was supposed to begin with a showdown with Caldwell on Tuesday.

“I have no idea,” Catalano said. “It’s anyone’s guess. We haven’t been able to practice in three weeks. When we return, I have no idea who is going to be there. It’s definitely a challenge, not knowing who is going to suit up. It’s really getting old now,

doing what we’ve had to do. The first time we were on a big floor was against Bloomfield (a loss) and we were terrible. We couldn’t shoot a three (point shot).”

Catalano doesn’t know what his team is going to look like this week.

“One day we have nine kids and the next day we have three,” Catalano said. “I give our kids a lot of credit. They bust their tails every time out.”

But what has this been like?

“It’s unbelievable,” Catalano said. “I’ve never been through anything like it. Not even close. When I get a phone call now, I’m expecting bad news. Some of the kids I haven’t seen for two full weeks.”

The Bucs put together a lineup to face Livingston and came away with a 58-44 win, keyed by Richmond Casino’s 24 points.

Casino has been the Bucs’ best player thus far.

The 6-foot-1 senior guard had 17 in the loss to Bloomfield and 24 in the win over Livingston.

“He’s a very good scorer,” Catalano said.

“He has excellent shooting range. He can be a 20-point per game scorer for us.”

Nasir Bey is a 6-foot-1 forward who has had moments of brilliance in the past, earning Observer Athlete of the Week honors last season.

“He plays bigger than what he is,” Catalano said. “He can jump, rebound, dunk. He’s a good player for us.”

See BUCS, Page 11

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

VIEW

Continued from Page 9 of everything. She competes and plays hard.”

Sophomore Sofia Veloso is a 5-foot-7 point guard.

“We use her all over the place,” Queenan said. “She’ll run the point most of the time, but there are times that she slides over to the wing.

She’s also our best defensive player. Depending on what we do, she can match up with the opponent’s top player. We can match her up with the best offensive player.”

Lia Cruz, the 5-foot-3 sophomore, had a brilliant soccer season. Basketball is clearly her second sport, but it doesn’t mean Cruz can’t play on the hardwood.

“She’s a tenacious defensive player,” Queenan said. “She’s also our primary outside threat. She’s a streaky outside shooter.”

Skyla Acosta is a 5-foot-10 sophomore center.

“She’s a physical player,” Queenan said. “She’s a true back-to-the-basket post player. She scores a lot of points off missed shots. She’s probably our best rebounder.”

Pegi Bracaj is a 5-foot-10 senior forward.

“She’s versatile,” Queenan said. “I play here a little bit at the post and a little on the wing. She has a nice little shot. She’s also our emotional leader, our best rah-rah

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Kyra Garcia is a 5-foot-2 freshman point guard.

“She comes off the bench and takes over as our point,” Queenan said. “She’s still learning the position. But she’s very athletic. Her decision making is a work in progress. But she’s a decent defensive player who understands the game as a freshman.”

Nicole Garcia (no relation to Kyra) is a 5-foot-8 junior

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“She’s a swing player with a nice shot,” Queenan said.

Kat Raferty is a 6-foot junior center who also comes in off the bench.

“She makes up for defensive matchups in the post,” Queenan said. “She’s going to be a big part of what we do moving forward. She has to play big minutes for us.”

If things improve, then the Vikings return to action Friday at home against Weehawken at 4 p.m. and have a showdown with local foe Harrison Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m.

“I think we can be much improved,” Queenan said. “If everything goes right, I think we can be a .500 team. We had a full offseason together.

Our schedule is friendlier this year. I think we should be alright.”

In the photo above, taken

by Jim Hague, the North Arlington girls’ basketball team should be much improved this year. From left are Skyla Acosta, Sophia Veloso, head coach Brendan Queenan, Angelina Torres and Pegi Bracaj.

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BUCS

Continued from Page 9 The third key contributor is 5-foot-7 senior point guard Ethan Laquindanum.

“He makes the whole thing go,” Catalano said. “He gets where he wants to be on the floor. He’s the fastest kid we have on the floor. He can strip you of the ball when you don’t know where he is. He can do everything. We have three of the best players in the county.”

Senior Terrence Folkes is a 6-foot-2

inside player.

“He plays in the middle for us and gets rebounds,” Catalano said of Folkes, the football standout.

Shanne Laquindanum is a 5-foot-11 guard and cousin of Ethan.

“He’s a good pure shooter,” Catalano said of Shanne. “He can make shots.”

There’s another Laquindanum on the Belleville roster, namely 5-foot-9 sophomore Andrey.

“He can play the point a little,” Catalano said. “He’s very mature for a sophomore. He can make shots as well.”

But who knows what the future holds for the Bucs?

“If we have three kids out, we have to get players from the JV,” Catalano said. “It’s almost like we have to play a JV team and that’s just not fair. It’s really a shame. We’ve had kids out who were tested and we didn’t get the results back for over a week. I still don’t know what the proper protocol is. Any kid that doesn’t feel good has to get tested. Who knows when they can come back? I feel bad for the kids.

How are we going to make up games?

Marcellino (Marra, the school’s athletic director) has done a good job

trying to pick up some games for us.

It’s really been a nightmare. I have no idea when they’re coming back. They are all not getting tested at the same time.”

In the meantime, Catalano just wants to hear some good news.

“I just want to get a phone call from a kid who said he can come back,” Catalano said. “There’s nothing right now that I can do about it. I really think we had a chance to win the (Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division) title. I really do.”

Let’s see what transpires in the next week.

Golden Bear girls waiting for season to restart

By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com

A

lthough the Lyndhurst High School girls’ basketball team lost most of its offensive scoring power from last season, veteran head coach Perrin Mosca was hopeful that the Golden Bears would be a competitive bunch this year.

For five games, that’s where the Golden Bears were. They won two and lost three.

And then the omicron variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus reared its ugly head in these parts, bringing the new season to an abrupt halt.

With the team’s leading scorer from a year ago, 2020-2021 Observer Female Athlete of the Year Carley Martin, now playing at Misericordia University in Pennsylvania, taking her 1,000-plus points with her, the Golden Bears will need to get scoring from other players.

“We were a little spoiled having Carley,” Mosca said.

“We knew that if we needed scoring, Carley would just go and get the points. We knew we were going to have a tough time scoring. We have a lot of new girls, so we’re hoping to play more defensively. Every game is going to be close.”

Leading the way is 5-foot9 senior center Meghan Docherty, who does a lot of the team’s dirty work not found in the scorebooks.

“She plays good defense and gets her share of rebounds,” Mosca said. “We are trying to get her more open looks. When she was a freshman, we didn’t need her

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Continued from previous page 5-foot-6 senior guard.

“She knew that we needed to have a leader,” Mosca said. “I think the seniors all saw it and did it on their own. I think Francesca was a leader on the soccer team, so I thought she could carry that over to basketball.”

Another senior is 5-foot-4 Melony McCormick.

“She can hit a shot for us and help us in certain spots,” Mosca said. “It’s all relatively new to her, so it might take some time.”

Senior Aylin Alburez is a 5-foot-6 forward.

“She can help us defensively,” Mosca said.

Softball star Ella Todzuman has joined the basketball team. The 5-foot4 senior guard is energetic and adds speed to the rotation.

The team’s leading scorer could very well be junior guard Lexi Augustyniak.

The 5-foot-1 guard, also the leading scorer for the soccer team in the fall, has proven to be a solid scorer on the hardwood as well.

“She plays hard,” Mosca said of Augustyniak. “She’s very fast. She’s great on defense and scores points on her defense.”

Freshman Sam Mayer is the team’s point guard.

“She’s been doing a great job for us,” Mosca said. “She’s looking to Lexi to be the scorer like Carley and running

the point. I like what I see so far. She was an All-Star in the (Bill Masopust, Jr. Memorial) Lodi Tournament.”

Freshman Aysa Akar is a 5-foot-9 forward.

“She has untapped potential,” Mosca said. “She could be like (former Observer Female Athlete of the Year) Camila Alonso. She can jump and rebound well. She also has a pretty good shot.”

Keira Docherty is a 5-foot-4 sophomore guard and younger sister of Meghan.

“She’s one of our better shooters,” Mosca said. “She has been hitting big shots.”

Jada Amador is a 5-foot-8 junior forward.

“I call her our Dennis Rodman,” Mosca said, referring to the former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls All-Star. “She gets all the rebounds in practice. She’s getting a lot better.

I think there’s something there with her.”

Mosca cannot complain about the effort he has been getting from his girls prior to the break due to COVID. “Effort-wise, they’re doing a great job,” Mosca said. “In honesty, we could be 5-0 instead of 2-3. The problem we have right now is turnovers. We’re turning the ball over too much and that’s leading to easy baskets. We have to take better care of the ball. It’s as simple as that.”

Looking to find a sports story that previous appeared in The Observer? Visit www.theobserver.com/categories/sports.

Our archives go as far back as 2011.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Obituaries Victoria ‘Tory’ Nowicki Victoria “Tory” Nowicki, 73, of Kearny died Dec. 24, 2021.

Beloved wife of Leonard Nowicki, she was preceded in death by her parents Anthony D’Alessio and Joyce (Jackson) D’Alessio.

Tory is survived by her devoted sisters Mary Ann (D’Alessio) Reinhardt and Mary “Sissy” (Moore) Fredo, as well as, nephews Anthony and Samuel Giordano and niece Joy (Giordano) Bearden. Tory has also been blessed with the love of many additional nephews, nieces and cousins.

Tory was a Holy Cross Church parishioner and before retiring she was a waitress for Tops Diner, East Newark.

Professional arrangements were handled by the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny.

Jorge DaSilva Ribeiro Jorge DaSilva Ribeiro, 94, died Dec. 29, 2021.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation for Jorge at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, from 4 to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny, on Wednesday, Jan. 5, at 10 a.m. Entombment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.

MIRACLE PRAYER Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the past, I have asked for many favors. This time, I ask you this special one favor. Take it, Dear Heart of Jesus, and place in on your own broken heart where our Father sees it then in His merciful eyes, it will be your favor, not mine. AMEN. Say this prayer for 3 days and promise to publish it and favor will be granted no matter how impossible. Never known to fail.

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Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as the youngest of 21 brothers and sisters, Jorge moved to Newark in 1963, and finally settled in Kearny in 1972. He was a longshoreman for Maher Terminals for 25 years until his retirement 30 years ago.

Jorge enjoyed taking trips to the beach and found any excuse to be out of the house and getting something accomplished. He most loved spending time with, and providing for, his loving family.

Jorge was the beloved husband of Maria Ceu (nee Pereira) Ribeiro for 58 years; cherished father of David Ribeiro and his wife Lisa, George Ribeiro, Nancy Miller and her husband Joel and Michelle Cooker; and dear grandfather of Ben, Nicole, Joshua, Courtney, Justin and Matthew. He was predeceased by 20 brothers and sisters.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Autism Speaks, or to the American Cancer Society.

Mary K. Parker Mary K. Parker, 89, loving sister, aunt and friend, died Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in Brick.

Funeral services are under the direction of the Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave., Harrison. A memorial gathering will take place Jan. 8, 2022, from 1 to 3 p.m. Her interment will be private.

Mary resided in East Newark and Harrison most of her life. She was a crossing guard for the Harrison Police Department for many years.

Mary was an avid reader and loved working on her

crossword puzzles.

Mary was born to the late Robert and Helen (nee Ward) on Sept. 11, 1932. She was predeceased by her siblings Veronica Marrazzo, Robert Parker, Joseph Parker and Margaret Konior. She is survived by her brothers Bernard Parker and his wife Patricia and Richard Parker.

Mary was a loving aunt to many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

To send a condolence message to her family, please visit www.mulliganfh.com.

In Lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Harrison PBA 22, 318 Harrison Ave., Harrison, N.J. 07029 in loving memory of Mary.

Patrick J. Tully Patrick J. Tully, 86, died Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark.

The funeral was from the ThieleReid Family Funeral Home, Kearny. A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.

Condolences and memories may be shared at www. thiele-reid.com.

Mr. Tully was born and raised in Newark. He had lived in Kearny for over 50 years.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1954 until 1956.

Mr. Tully started his career as a bus driver for NJ Transit in Newark,

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becoming a shop steward representing his fellow drivers before being elected as the Secretary-Treasurer for Local 819 of the Amalgamated Transit Union in 1972. He later served as the business manager of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) for 23 years. Mr. Tully was also an International Vice President for OPEIU for 11 years and a long-time executive board member of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. Mr. Tully also worked for the Kearny Board of Education as a school bus driver for 10 years before retiring in 2017.

Patrick is survived by his wife, Roseann (nee Walsh) Tully, five children, Patrick Tully (Dawn), Elizabeth Perry, Catherine McGovern

All obituaries must be submitted by email by 10 a.m., Mondays, to obituaries@ theobserver.com. Payment is due at submission.

(Kevin), Christopher Tully (Susan) and Steven Tully.

He was the brother of Michael Leonard “Lenny” Tully, Frances Rainey, and was predeceased by his brother, John Tully, and his parents Edith and Patrick. He was the beloved grandfather of Caitlin Samper, Lea Perry, Kelsey Tully, Morgan Tully, Molly McGovern, Aidan McGovern, Ryan Tully, Aaron Tully, Nicole McAdoo and Jacqueline D’Agostino. He was the great-grandfather of Oliver Samper and was the uncle to many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to a charity of your choice in Patrick’s memory.

Find previous obituaries @ www.theobserver. com/category/obituaries/

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WILFRED ARMITAGE & WIGGINS FUNERAL HOME Mark G. Wiggins, Manager N.J. Lic. #3916

You will feel as if friends of family have taken over when you entrust funeral arrangements to the Wilfred Armitage Funeral Home. The family-owned firm has been in business for 100 years, serving generations in West Hudson and South Bergen. Its beautiful facilities, in a setting reminiscent of a colonial mansion, reflect the graciousness and tact of its understanding personnel.

Wilfred Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home

596 Belgrove Dr. • Kearny, NJ 07032 (201) 991-0657

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

MID-REALTY, INC.

EAST NEWARK

KEARNY

NEW LISTING!

Newly Remodeled 2 Family Home, Hardwood Floors throughout & Freshly Painted

Asking $449,000

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BELLEVILLE

UNDER T C CONTRA

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Historical Freeman Building Mixed Use Income Producing Property

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4 Bedrooms 2.5 Bath Colonial 2 Car Garage

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Asking $2,200,000

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Cape Cod style Home with 3 Bed Rms 2.5 Bath part Finished Basement 1 car garage

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5 Bedrooms 3.5 Bath Colonial 1 Car Garage, Renovated in 2017

Asking $575,000

UNDER T C CONTRA

CLIFTON

Asking $439,900

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CIAL MER COM

Kearny - $674,683 1 Fam. – Large Colonial Tudor style home - 5 Bdrms - 5

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758 Kearny Ave., Kearny, NJ 07032 • 201-991-0032

Wishing you a healthy,

Happy New Year! from all of us at

ARLINGTON REAL ESTATE & INSURANCE AGENCY James J. Capobianco, President

130 Midland Avenue, Kearny

201-991-0905

E SAL

NEW LISTING! Kearny - $938,680 Mediterranean restaurant - fully equipped kitchen - Dining room with capacity for 60 patrons - bar with liquor licenses - 3 car garage and driveway for 10 plus cars - 4 Bdrms modern updated apartment on the 2nd floor. Center of town.

Full baths - Central AC and heat - Hdwd floor - Deck / Patio - Large driveway parking

4 Bed 2 Bath Renovated Colonial on Over 1/4 Acre Of Land

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Pequannock - $330,000 1 Fam. – 4 Bdrms, LR, EIK, Fam. Rm, 2 Full Baths, Full Unfin Bsmt.

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Rutherford -$649,900 1 Fam. – Lr-Formal Dr-Kitchen-

Kearny - $559,000 2 Fam. – 5 Br’s-4 Bath’s-Lr’s Dr’s-Kitchen’sYard-Balcony-Full Part

Kearny -$557,137 2 Fam. – 5 brm’s - 3 Full baths – LR’s – DR’s – Kitchen’s - Full unfin Bsmnt.

Kearny - $650,000 3 Fam. – 9 Bdrms (3 Per Unit), LR’s, DR’s, EIK, 3 Full Baths, Sep Utilities, Unfin Bsmt.

Kearny - $549,000 3 Fam. - 5 Bdrms LR’s – DR’s – EIK’s – Unfin. Bsmt - Sep. Utilities

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Browns Mills - $205,303 Condo - Lr-Dr-Mod Kitchen-1 Full bath-Laundry Rm-Dr way Prking for 6 cars-Yard.

Clifton - $389,000 2 Fam. - 4 Brdms-Lr’sEIK’s-Yard-Dr way ParkingShort Sale-Subject to 3rd party approval.

Den-Fm Rm-1st Fl Master Br2 Additional Br’s3 Full baths-Fin walk up atticFenced in yard w above ground pool- parking for 4 cars.

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Pompton Lake $219,000 Condo – Spacious-One br-Lr-dr-Kitchen-Full Bath-Parking.

Kearny - $425,000 1 Fam. – Lrg home with 5 Bdrms-2 Full baths and 1 half bath-Lr-Dr-KitchenYard-Dr Way Prking.

Kearny - $530,000 2 Fam. – 4 Bdrms, LR’s, DR’s, EIK’s, Extra Rms in Each Unit, Full Bath, Part Fin. Bsmt, Sep Utilities, Dr. Way with 1 Car Garage

T RAC ONT ER C UND

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Kearny - $464,600 2 Fam. – 6 Bdrms, LR’s. DR’s, Kitchen’s, 3.5 Baths, Fin. Attic, Fin Bsmt, Sep Utilities

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Kearny - $2,600

Kearny - $950 Great location! 650 Sq Ft. office space located on the 2nd floor of a professional building in the middle of town.

Great Location and convenient public transportation! 400 sq ft, modern office. Will be availiable on 03/30/22

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Observer Classifieds

17

The Obsever is not responsible for typographical errors. Error credits will not be granted. Minimal changes for multiple-week ads are $10 per instance. Refunds are not granted under any circumstances. Help-wanted ad deadline is 2 p.m., Monday, and all ads must be sent by email to classified@theobserver.com. All other classifieds are due by 3 p.m. Monday. All classifieds are pre-paid — no billing.

Call 201-991-1600 to place an ad. The Observer cannot accept legal advertising.

EMPLOYMENT/ HELP WANTED

EMPLOYMENT/ HELP WANTED

IMMEDIATE OPENINGS Stable and SAFE work environment and a chance to grow with a solid company •SKILLED CLIMBER & EXPERIENCED GROUND GUY •DRIVER West Milford or North Jersey area Experience & Transportation and a valid driver’s license a must Call 973-728-0842 31W12

FT Mechanic position available.

Salary range $42,254 – 65,762.

Three years exp. in maintenance and repair of various vehicles including trucks & equipment.

Welding experience a plus.

Valid NJ drivers license with CDL, class B, air brake required. https://info.csc.state.nj.us/ jobspec/02434.htm For application go to Town of Kearny Website at https://www.kearnynj.org/job-opportunities/ application Deadline 1/11/2022 32W04

Part Time Bookkeeper Small Property Management Company looking for Part Time bookkeeper for a Nutley office. Duties include but are not limited to collection of A/R, data entry of incoming rents and fees for multiple properties, preparing correspondence to homeowners and tenants, printing of A/P, production of budgets and financial reports. Must have knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel, Quickbooks and/or TOPS One. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Call Julie – 973-284-0900 34W03

The Risotto House Restaurant located at: Hasbrouck Heights, NJ Needs kitchen helper, waiters and Host Please call Luis (917)482-5747 From 9AM - 3PM or after 9PM 33W03

Preschool teacher/ caregiver positions Enthusiastic, creative, responsible person needed for a private preschool program in Harrison. Full time/part time positions available.

Salary discussed during interviews. Please email resumes to: Childrensstudio102@ gmail.com 34W03

SERVICES OFFERED BENMAR PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTING Full PAYROLL Service • Tax Preparation & Compliance • Full Bookkeeping and Collections • Business Formation and Sales Tax • PAYROLL for Construction • Workers Comp Audit –State Audits Email: mmartes@benmarservices.com call 973-979-7957- Free Consultation Certified Public Accountant Firm 35W06

EMPLOYMENT/ HELP WANTED Help wanted for Busy Deli Full Time- Part Time Days and Evenings Apply in Person D&F Deli 396 Davis Ave, Kearny 33W06

Hiring Full Time Pastry Chef, Pastry Assistant, Manager, Manager assistant, Front customer servicewaiters Contact / Information (973)816-0328

Belleville schools’ bond rating jumps from ‘A-’ to ‘A’

Belleville School District’s New ‘A’ Bond Rating Reflects Solid Financial Progress The Belleville School District’s path of financial progress — achieved while making the education of vicentesbread@gmail.com 34W03 its students the highest priority — has resulted in an upgrade in its bond rating, the district says.

S&P Global, an international rating agency for LOOKING FOR A corporate and municipal debt, has raised the longSALES EXECUTIVE term rating on the district’s outstanding bonds from TO JOIN OUR TEAM A- to A. Responsibilities The upgrade could result in the savings of taxinclude servicing payer dollars, considering that the S&P credit rating existing accounts, calling inactive acrepresents the credit worthiness of corporate and counts, government bonds and should reduce the school generating new district’s borrowing costs. business and growing A higher bond rating typically allows the borterritories rower to enjoy lower interest rates. & building The enhanced rating could benefit Belleville’s new leads. Backtaxpayers when the school district issues new ground check. bonds.

The higher bond rating could also be leverSend resumes with a cover letter of aged to allow the district to refinance its outstanding debt for greater savings. introduction to In raising the bond rating, the S&P report exjobs@theobserver. com plains the decision.

“The upgrade reflects our view of the district’s maintenance of solid operating results, increasing fund balance and improving economic metrics,” the report said. “The upgrade further reflects our THE OBSERVER opinion of the district’s track record of several years of positive operating results and incremental and is not responsible for steady improvement in total fund balance, though typographical we note that available reserves remain negative errors. Credit for given the historical period of significant weakness. errors will not be The district’s economy has also shown modest granted after the improvement during the past few years, further next week’s supporting the higher rating.” publication.

The district’s says its fiscal stability has come a $10 for minimal changes. long way since Superintendent of Schools Richard No refunds once Tomko arrived in February 2015.

Previously, the district faced a $4.5 million defiad is taken

and C.C charged.

ALL A CLASSIFIED ADS MUST BE PRE-PAID Deadline for Classifieds Employment /Business Monday 12:00 PM All others Monday by 3:00 PM. E-mail Ads to classified@theobserver.com

cit, borrowing money from the state to balance its spending. This deficit triggered the assignment of a state monitor to help address the district’s spiraling finances.

To balance the budget, Tomko overhauled the district’s financial operations with the support of the Board of Education and the state monitor, Thomas Egan.

“The mismanagement of funds by previous administrations negatively impacted the programs for students, facilities and the overall quality of academics,” Tomko said. “When the board supported the action plan that Mr. Egan and I presented when I first arrived, we knew we had a long road ahead to ensure the students in Belleville received an education that was second to no other in the state.”

That plan included a capital improvement project to repair district infrastructure, a student-centered strategic plan, restructuring of the business office and the transition to a new business administrator, Matthew Paladino.

Under the current administration, all Belleville schools have been aesthetically improved and are now in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Moreover, more than $5 million in preschool expansion aid has been added to the budget and several new sites have extended the district’s physical footprint across Belleville.

This has all been accomplished while the district has steadily amassed a healthy budget surplus, while also addressing the lingering pandemic, the district says.

The upgrade in the bond rating was exciting news to Paladino and his staff in the business office.

“We are fully committed to doing what’s best for the students, the property taxpayers and the entire Belleville community,” Paladino said. “It’s just about doing the right thing and working together to ensure our students are well-served.”

— CANESSA

Read something in The Observer you agree with?

Disagree with? We want to hear from you. Send a letter to editorial@theobserver.com. Keep it to a max of 250 words. Be sure to include a phone number for verification purposes. No anonymous letters, please.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

18

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Observer Classifieds

The Obsever is not responsible for typographical errors. Error credits will not be granted. Minimal changes for multiple-week ads are $10 per instance. Refunds are not granted under any circumstances. Help-wanted ad deadline is 2 p.m., Monday, and all ads must be sent by email to classified@theobserver.com. All other classifieds are due by 3 p.m. Monday. All classifieds are pre-paid — no billing.

Call 201-991-1600 to place an ad. The Observer cannot accept legal advertising.

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

N.NEWARK

KEARNY

N.ARLINGTON

ROOM FOR RENT

N.NEWARK Forest Hills area. 4 Bedrooms 2 floors. Newly Renovated.

No Pets/Smoking. Available Jan 1st. Section 8 OK. (973)752-6877 33W03

KEARNY 1 BR apt. HT/ HW included also Hardwood floors , $1,200+ 1 month security. No pets/ smoking. Available now.

For more Info Call 201306-2994 34W03

HARRISON

KEARNY Modern 1 Bedroom apartment, EIK, LR & Bath in great location.

Off street parking. $1400 + 1 months security.

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Single or couple preferred.

No Pets/Smoking.

Available Now. Call between 10am & 7pm (201)997-2341

HARRISON 2 BR, Kitchen, LR, $1,500 + 1 month security. Utilities separate. No pets/smoking Avl. Feb 1st. (201) 6186984 after 11am. 33W03

HARRISON 2nd floor, 2 BR, LR, DR, Modern Kitchen. $1,800 + 1 month security. 1 off street parking space included Walking distance to PATH. No pets. No smoking. Avl. Now (973) 420-0139 35W03

HARRISON Beautiful 2 BR @ 125 Sussex St., Harrison, NJ. LR, Kitch, Full bath. Laundry on Premise. 2nd Floor. 10 min Walk to PATH, Major highways & Stores. No Pets. 1 month Security.

Call (917)992-2293 or (973)485-6746 35W03

N.ARLINGTON 2nd fl. in 2 family house 3 BR, 1 Bathroom. with deck Laundry hook-up in apartment. Close to schools & Transportation. 1 parking space $2,400 + 1 1/2 months security. Utilities not included. No pets. NO Smoking. Available Now. Call or text (973) 4543281 or email sammy.bella66@gmail.com 33W03

NORTH ARLINGTON Luxury apartment.

1 BR with Den/Office options. $1,950 + 34W03 1 Months security.

Utilities Seperate All New Stainless steel appliances Modern Kitchen. Parking for 1 car per unit.

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No pets/Smoking Close to transportation. Credit KEARNY 5 modern Check. Call for further rooms in the manor sec- details! (201)997-2341 tion. $1,800/mth plus 1.5 Call between 10am-7pm mth security. (201)28031W06 6665 35W03 KEARNY Brand new 4 NUTLEY BR’s. $1950 + 1.5 months security. Utilities separate. Access to Yard. No NUTLEY 3 BR duplex Smoking/Pets.

Avail- apartment available Jan. able Now (201)772-9965 1, $1,950/mo + 1 month 35W03 security. Has balcony & 1 bathroom. Tenant pays own utilities. Background/criminal check required. Call Sammy at 201-341-2620 33W03

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 once ad is taken and C.C charged.

ALL A CLASSIFIED ADS MUST BE PRE-PAID Deadline for Classifieds Employment /Business Monday 12:00 PM All others Monday by 3:00 PM. E-mail Ads to classified@theobserver.com

NUTLEY 1 bedroom – 640 Franklin Avenue – Walking distance to shopping, public transportation to NYC, heat and hot water included - $1,500.00 per month and 1 ½ month security – No Pets – If interested, please call 973-699-3146 33W03

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35W03

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PAINTING & DECORATING

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18

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Ken Davie “Your Family’s Lawyer” • Family and Municipal Courts • Home and Business Sales & Buys • Wills and Estates • Criminal and Civil Courts

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201-991-1600

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

As winter sets in, Harrison schools turn to ... air-conditioning

By Ron Leir For The Observer

Even as the cold of winter sets in, the Harrison Board of Education is focused on cooling its aging elementary schools for the first time, starting this year, with Lincoln School, and with Hamilton and Washington schools waiting in the wings.

Although the school district is getting financial assistance from the federal government to help with anti-coronavirus strategies, such as improved HVAC, district administrators are uncertain whether they’ll meet their goal because of pricing, supply chain gridlock and logistical considerations.

Daniel Choffo, school business administrator, said a single bid for installing A/C and upgrading the boiler units – (cooling and heating systems run on the same system) – the BOE received in late November exceeded the $5.8 million estimate provided by its consultant.

So the BOE called for another round of bids last month, but prices were still high: AMCO (American Moistening Co.) bid $6.9 million and Preferred Mechanical bid $6.6 million, Choffo said, and so the BOE took no action.

So far, the BOE has been awarded about $3.8 million in Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds by the U.S. Department of Education, leaving a gap in funding what Choffo described as the first of a multi-phase project.

But there are two other hurdles Choffo said the district must overcome before it can tackle the Lincoln School job.

First, he said, PSE&G wants to relocate an electrical transformer that would power the school’s revamped HVAC system – a move that would likely compromise the school playground space so, to avoid that, the district may ask the utility to “go underground” with its power wire connections.

Additionally, Choffo said, with so many school districts pressing to do similar work in response to the pandemic, the district has been advised by prospective contractors that they’re looking at a “six-month lead time” with suppliers on back orders for parts.

Meanwhile, Choffo said, the district has applied for an additional $6.5 million in ESSER funding to help implement the HVAC improvement project for its elementary schools. The newly-built Kennedy School is already

equipped with a state-of-the-art cooling and heating system.

The BOE has projected it will need at least $5 million for Hamilton School and between $3 million and $4 million for Washington School, according to James Doran, district director of personnel/compliance and crisis management officer. Washington is cheaper, he said, because its boilers were already upgraded.

Doran said the district previously acquired ChloroxPro 360 ionizer air purifiers – which, he added, are widely used by area school districts – to spray classrooms, eating areas, offices and bathrooms to kill any bacteria adhering to surfaces.

Doran said he’s convinced the daily spraying (twice a day for bathrooms) since in-person instruction resumed in September contributed to “stop the spread” of the virus and the flu – at least until the arrival of the Omicron strain which has resulted in what he characterized as “plenty” of COVID-19 positive results among students and staff.

“I can’t give you an exact number,” Doran said, “but I can say with some confidence that we’ve had no in-school transmissions. There may be one exception among staff where we had one case where two or three teachers had lunch together but we’re not entirely sure.”

Nor could Doran say – except for student athletes who are required to get the jab – how many pupils have been vaccinated against COVID-19 because “there is nothing in state law saying we can require proof of vaccination from our students. And the state Department of Health can’t tell us.”

“Maybe 50%” of students at Harrison High School are vaccinated and, among the elementary schools, the best guess is 37%, Doran said. So, based on those numbers, he said, “parents, generally, are not getting their kids vaccinated.”

Delay in moving ahead with HVAC upgrades threatens to complicate already protracted negotiations with teachers on a new labor agreement.

The old one expired June 30, 2021.

Karen Greene Pace, president of the Harrison Education Association, said: “We’ve asked for a heat protocol – when the classroom temperature reaches 85, we want a half-day or a move to another space. It’s impossible for students to learn in extreme heat,” particularly when students take standardized testing at the end of the year.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

SCHOOLS

Continued from Page 1 “Please check the district website and email/ blackboard correspondence for additional information that will be sent out by your school’s administration regarding schedules, materials and hours during which student devices and/ or texts may be picked up at your school. Stay safe and well, and best wishes for a happier, healthier New Year for all!”

In East Newark, meanwhile, Superintendent Richard Corbett told The Observer East Newark would go remote, for this week at least, because numerous staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 on their own (not district-administered tests.)

A decision on whether to go beyond this week will be made sometime this week, pending the number of cases, Corbett said.

Harrison’s decision to go remote came Dec. 27, earlier than elsewhere, and it was based on the number of positive cases in recent

19

The Observer | www.theobserver.com weeks among students and staff.

“The decision to move to virtual instruction is being made today to help parents prepare,” Superintendent of Schools Maureen Kroog and Director of Personnel James P. Doran said in a joint letter to parents. The pair said grab and go breakfasts and lunches would be distributed this week from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Washington Middle School.

Harrison plans to return to in-person learning Jan. 10, for now at least.

Stephen Yurchak, superintendent of North Arlington Schools, said North Arlington would stay in-person for now, too.

“At the moment, we plan on resuming in-person instruction on Monday and we’re continuing to work closely with the North Arlington Department of Health (NJDOH),” Yurchak said.

Nutley school officials said they’d also be in person come Jan. 3.

It is not immediately clear whether Lyndhurst schools plan to go remote. We’ll let you know once we know.

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Remembering Nutley’s WWI Capt. John Pearson

One of the most fascinating veteran grave sites the Belleville Historical Society visited on Wreaths Across America Day Dec. 18 was that of Capt. John Pearson, of Nutley. Pearson was one of a handful of World War I Ace pilots in 1918, when flying was primitive. He shot down 12 German planes in his time at war. He died in 1993, as the last surviving WWI pilot in America. BHS President Michael Perrone said the society set 300 wreaths in 2021 at nearly a dozen North Jersey cemeteries.

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