e-Newspaper for June 14, 2023

See Page 4

YOU CAN CALL ME JUDGE AL

Santos, Kearny’s mayor for historic 23+ years, finally gets nomination by Murphy to join the bench sometime this year

(See Page 2)

In Memoriam: James F. Hague - 1961-2023

Longtime Observer sports journalist Jim Hague dies aged 62

The Kearny resident was always a Jersey City boy at heart and leaves behind his beloved wife, Mary among scores of others

Hague is seen here at left at a Rams-Giants game at Metlife Stadium in 2021. Jim will be remembered for so many things, but there are few who could match his love for the Los Angeles Rams.

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

James F. “Jim” Hague, of Kearny, originally and forever a Jersey City boy, who ascended from being a high school stringer in his days at St. Peter’s Preparatory School to become one of New Jersey’s most celebrated sports journalists including his spending 20+ years as a sports reporter at The Observer news-

paper died Sunday, June 11, 2023. He was 62.

And while many of us sit here today thinking, “Damnit, 62, he was too young,” and Jim certainly was too young, boy did he ever pack so much life into those years, whether it was on the basketball courts in Greenville, at courtyard or in a classroom at Grand and Warren, in the halls of Marquette

See HAGUE, Page 14

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

Hudson Prosecutor Esther Suarez establishing ‘Safe Places’ program county wide

SANTOS NOMINATED TO

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

Perhaps the best worstkept secret is finally out of the bag and it appears Kearny may very well soon have a new mayor.

That’s because Gov. Philip D. Murphy has nominated Mayor Alberto G. Santos for a seat on the bench in the Superior Court of New Jersey in Hudson County, where it is expected Santos will replace the retired Judge Lourdes I. Santiago.

Santos has not yet appeared before a state Senate committee so awaits that and afterward, an up or down vote of the entire Senate in Trenton. If that vote comes before mid-September, and it is in Santos’s favor, he would

immediately become judge and would be required, by law, to resign the mayoralty.

Then, through the town’s county committee, one of three possible choices would

go before the Town Council to be chosen and appointed to fill the seat through No-

vember of this year. Then, in November, a special election would take place to determine who would serve as mayor for the next 12 months. That person — and anyone else who wishes to do so — would then have to run, again, in November 2024 to finish out Santos’s term.

If Santos is not appointed until on or around Sept. 13, a person would be appointed to serve until a special election could take place in November 2024. Whomever wins that election in 2024 would then serve as mayor until the end of 2025.

The next time anyone runs for a four-year term for Kearny mayor would be in November 2025.

Continued on the next page

are subject to change. Please speak with our Mortgage Department for additional terms and conditions that may apply. Subject to credit approval. Other rates and programs are available.

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Essex, Union, Hudson and now Bergen County

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Observer file photo

One of Mayor Alberto G. Santos’s hugest accomplishments, among many over the last 23+ years, was his closing of the Keegan Landfill in 2019. Santos could be appointed to the bench as soon as this month.

BENCH IN HUDSON CTY.

Confusing? Likely. But the bottom line is there will be two elections if Santos resigns this summer and only one if Santos doesn’t resign until mid-September.

What it also means is that for the first time this millennium, Kearny will have a new mayor.

Santos was first elected to the Kearny Town Council in the Second Ward in November 1998 when he defeated Kevin Canessa. The next year, Santos was involved in a bitter primary fight against former and late Mayor Peter J. McIntyre and former First Ward Councilman Edward Callaghan.

Santos won that tight, threeway race in June 1999 and then went on to beat former Fourth Ward Republican Councilman John Leadbeater in November 1999.

Santos was then inaugurated as Kearny’s mayor on Jan. 1, 2000, as a very fractured Democratic Party came together to vote for Santos’s appointments. It is a position he has held ever since and has never come close to losing in any election, even if some were extremely contentious.

For scores of residents, there has been no other Kearny mayor. But that will soon change, depending on when the judicial appointment becomes official.

While there have been no indications as to whom Santos’s replacement might be, applying logic, Third Ward Councilwoman Carol Jean Doyle, who is also the Town Council president, would be a likely choice if she is interested. She

last ran for mayor in 1995 when she was defeated by former Republican Mayor Leo R. Vartan. However, the very next year, Doyle ran for and won a seat as a councilwoman, and that is a seat she has held ever since, making her the town’s longest-serving member of the governing body.

If the judicial appointment comes after the aforementioned September date, the new mayor will come from within. But if the appointment comes before September, the person who serves until the special election this November could likely come from within, as well, but then anyone who is a registered Democrat would be able to seek the seat in November for one year.

The same goes for 2024, with the only difference being that election would begin as a party primary and then the primary winners would square off in November.

Regardless of what happens in the future, there are several components of Santos’s legacy that will be remembered for many years to come. First, and most obviously, is the redevelopment that has taken place in Kearny. Just a decade ago, many lots on the Passaic Avenue corridor stood empty or unoccupied. Now that stretch is a bustling hive of economic activity, both residential and commercial.

Then, there is the closure of the Keegan Landfill, which finally occurred in December 2019. Santos vehemently opposed keeping the landfill operational and openly fought the New Jersey Sports & Ex-

position Authority to ensure its closure. Just before Christmas that year, that is precisely what happened.

There is plenty more for which Santos will be remembered, but we will save that for after the time his judicial appointment becomes official and when he can, more freely, look back and reflect on the 23+ years he served.

Until then, we wait — and without question, the coming months will be, to say the very least, quite interesting.

Be sure to visit www.theobserver.com for up-to-the-minute updates on this and all local stories.

Observer file photo Santos, center, is seen here in the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. With him is a possible successor, Carol Jean Doyle, left, and former Councilman Albino Cardoso.

Hudson Prosecutor establishes ‘safe places’ for bias-crime victims Program was piloted by Seattle PD

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

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office has launched a countywide Safe Place program in an effort to increase public awareness about how to report hate and bias crimes. Safe Place, a national law enforcement-led initiative, was developed by the Seattle Police Department in 2015 to provide resources and assistance to victims of hate and bias crimes.

Through the program, businesses, social organizations and schools will receive a decal to place in the front window or common space of their building. Individuals who see the Safe Place logo will know that location will provide a safe place for someone to call 911 if they feel unsafe or are

the victim of a crime.

The program is free to participate in and only has two requirements: individuals must call 911 immediately if a victim of any crime enters the premises and allow the victim to remain at the establishment until police arrive.

Safe Place is for all hate crimes, including race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, mental, physical, or sensory disabilities, homelessness, marital status, political ideology, age or parental status.

“The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is proud to facilitate the Safe Place initiative and serve as a bridge that connects law enforcement to their communities in a joint effort to address hate and

Pet Direct ry

bias crimes,” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. “Hudson County is often celebrated for its diversity and it is my hope this program will continue to define our community as a safe place for everyone, regardless of religion, race, or background.”

With the support of the Hoboken Police Department, the Hudson County Safe Place program officially launched on Monday, June 5, 2023, at three local businesses:

 The Hive, a coffee and lifestyle shop located at 1000 Park Avenue

 Uncle Milton Cafe, an

LGBTQ+ owned cafe located at 1119 Jefferson Street

 Bean Vault Coffee, a law enforcement owned coffee shop located at 1 Newark Street

“

The Hoboken Police Department does not tolerate any type of bias or hate crime in our diverse and accepting City,” Hoboken Police Chief Steven Aguiar said. “We are honored to be supporting the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in this nationwide effort to even better protect all residents and visitors. We encourage all of our businesses and organizations to consider

participating in this voluntary program, which will help us continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment, for all.”

Hudson County businesses or organizations interested in participating are encouraged to signup online by visiting hcpo.org/hudson-countysafe-place.

Once the form is complete, Community Outreach Coordinator D’Liz Polanco, who serves as the Hudson County Safe Place Administrator, will be in contact to provide you with a Safe Place window sticker and welcome packet.

HCPO image

The program has its roots at the Seattle Police Department but through the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hoboken PD is kicking things off locally. The program will eventually take effect in all of the county’s municipalities.

Grilo likely wins second term with no GOP opposition

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

Dina Grilo has likely won a second term as East Newark’s mayor.

At the end of Election Night, Tuesday, June 6, the unofficial vote tally in the that race had her beating Jessica Diaz by a 186 votes to 40.

Her running mates, Jeanne Zincavage and Ken Sheehan, ran unopposed.

While there were no Republicans who filed in the primary, there were seven GOP votes cast for mayor as writeins and five for the borough council.

In theory, the person who received the most votes for mayor could accept the GOP nomination and the top two vote getters could accept the nomination for the two council seats.

There were, however, no reports of anyone waging a write-in campaign to get on the November ballot.

Regardless, it appears Grilo is well on her way to a second term as the mayor of the county’s smallest municipality.

Four years ago, as an upstart candidate, she beat the former Mayor Joseph R. Smith in a primary, a seat he had held

since 1985.

The turnout for the primary in East Newark was abysmal as it was county-wide, where only 11% of the eligible voters cast ballots.

Meanwhile, in the race for 9th District Hudson County

Commissioner, the Democratic incumbent Albert Cifelli, of Kearny, defeated newcomer Alex Valdez, also of Kearny, by a 1,528 to 908 margin.

Valdez garnered 37% of the vote, so it was rather impressive for a first-time candidate

who did not have the party’s endorsement anywhere

in Hudson County and for someone running against such a well-known and respected incumbent.

Kearny businessman Jorge D. Santos, meanwhile, who owns several laundromats with his brother, and who is an ardent supporter of local causes and organizations, especially the Kearny PBA and FMBA, will challenge Cifelli in November after running unopposed in the Republican primary.

Cifelli has held the seat since Jan. 1, 1998, and seeks another three-year term.

In Harrison, all four council incumbents who were up for re-election ran unopposed.

Since 1965, service has

CLOSING COSTS

Saving for a down payment isn’t the only financial worry you will have after applying for a mortgage. Closing costs must be factored in, as well. Closing costs include the services and expenses associated with finalizing a mortgage, including mortgage broker, application, and attorney’s fees. Appraisal fees and home inspection costs are also included. Most closing costs fall on the buyer, but the seller typically covers a few, such as the real estate agent’s commission. Average closing costs for the buyer run between two and five percent of the loan amount. It’s possible to shop around and negotiate some fees

to lower the closing costs. Also, remember that property taxes and insurance premiums will need to be paid upfront.

There are many, many details that need to be considered and be dealt with during every successful real estate transaction. All begin with a simple phone call to our office. We’d love to add you to our ever-growing list of successful house buyers and sellers. Whether you are buying or selling, we are the professionals you’ll want for the job. We invite you to stop by our office; we’d like to show you what we can do for you. “Our success has been built one satisfied customer at a time.”

with a new photo of Jarlynn Hyde:

Contributed photo

From left, ZIncavage, Grilo and Sheehan. Zincavage and Grilo are incumbents. Sheehan has previously served on the council but is not an incumbent currently.

OPINION & VIEWPOINTS

Writer: Politicians must remember real patient

impacts as they approach blanket solutions

Governor, state must restore energy-tax receipts to lower local tax burden

GUEST VIEW

By Michael A. Melham Mayor of Belleville

As the state Legislature and governor move to adopt a new state budget by the end of the month, there have been record surpluses in recent years.

And we have seen the benefit in Belleville — with ANCHOR tax rebates and state aid that has allowed us to continually improve municipal and school facilities.

You would think this is finally the year state leaders would restore more than $330 million that is owed to municipalities across the state, including Belleville, in the form of energy-tax receipts.

Yet — to the frustration of mayors statewide — the fiscal ’24 budget does not include the money designed solely to reduce municipal property taxes.

Taxes on gas and electric utilities were originally collected by Belleville and towns statewide, compensating us for the use of public land. Yet, more than a decade ago, the state decided to take over the collection of the funds and — to no one’s great surprise — the money went to the state Treasury, despite promises the money would be directed back to municipalities.

Last year, I joined mayors throughout New Jersey to urge the state to pay us what is due. A bill to partially restore $75 million of our taxpayers’ money for property tax relief passed the state Legislature. Yet this line item is nowhere to be seen in the proposed fiscal ’24 budget.

In May, I was one of more than 400 mayors from across New Jersey to sign a joint letter between the League of Municipalities, the Conference of Mayors and the Urban Mayors Association that was sent to the Governor’s staff and all 120 members of the State Legislature seeking to restore the energy tax receipts.

The state must stop balancing its budget on the backs of local taxpayers. This pot of money is solely meant for direct tax relief, and it’s time the state finally pays up.

To the Editor:

Like most healthcare news I see, my concerns with our healthcare system are with the high costs people like me experience at local pharmacy counters.

However, that fear was sidelined for a larger issue when I went down to my regular pharmacy recently, and they flat-out did not have what I needed. It was a shock to me at first, to realize that I do not have access to the medications I need to live my most healthy life. That shock was blended with a bit of frustration when I was forced to travel to an alternate pharmacy to pay more for the same medication.

Unfortunately, I know I am not alone in this issue.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Since 2020, we have learned healthcare supply chain issues are not exclusive to the pandemic as prescription drug shortages continue in 2023. The healthcare supply chain is an intricate system, and that is why I fear the unintended outcomes that could result from S-1615, a bill currently being debated in the legislature, and the undue regulatory burdens the law would add to healthcare distributors.

Healthcare distributors are the supply-chain specialists who work to strategize the most efficient pathways to

get prescriptions from the manufacturers to the doctor, and eventually to individuals like me. S-1615 would complicate that process, causing supply chain disruptions that only lead to added healthcare costs and thinner pharmacy inventories.

I urge our state lawmakers to remain mindful of how vastly different each component of the healthcare supply chain is. There are clearly well-measured changes needed, but a forced one-sizefits-all solution could see the whole supply chain shutter, creating harmful impacts on patients and their access to care.

Nuno Poitevin Kearny

Lisa M. Feorenzo lisa@theobserver.com

Co-owner/Advertising Dir.

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com Editor/Broadcaster

Tina Feorenzo

Co-owner/Advertising

Michelle Rybeck advertising@theobserver.com Graphic Artist/Real Estate

n Classifieds: 3 p.m., Monday

n Obituaries: 10 a.m., Monday

n Display/Real Estate: noon, Thursday

n Help Wanted: noon, Monday — all ads must be sent to classified@theobserver.com.

Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

Sports Writer

Robert P. Pezzolla

gm@theobserver.com

General Manager

Kimberley Pezzolla

kimpezzolla@theobserver.com

Sales/Classifieds

Not-so-bright shoplifter was out on parole: Lyndhurst PD

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

Three supposed shoplifters from Queens including one on parole for gun violations were apprehended June 5 thanks to the actions of the Lyndhurst Police Department and an Assistant Special Agent in Charge from the Department of Homeland Security, Det. Lt. Vincent Auteri, of the Lyndhurst PD, tells The Observer.

That day, at around 7:30 p.m., Officers Anthony Giaquinto and Anthony Morreale and Sgt. Phil Reina were sent to the 400 block of Valley Brook Avenue on a reported shoplifting. When they arrived, they quickly hauled in two men matching the description Chantz Bonilla, 22, and Jakyle Hall, also 22. But still at-large was Bright Pierre, 21. (We could have a field day with Pierre’s first name and the irony in this incident, but we’ll leave that to you.)

Later, Det. Nick Abruscato and Tom

McSweeney later got involved in a chase on a residential street after they noticed a man who appeared to match Bright’s description. Bright reportedly hopped fences and was able to escape capture at that point.

That was, according to Auteri, until Lt. Anthony Ricigliano later spotted the bright one (seen above in mugshot) running into Town Hall Park. Officers Matthew Dudek and Morreale, upon learning Bright was in the park, ultimately took him into custody without further incident.

In total, the three outstanding Queens citizens had about $350 in merchandise on them.

Bright was charged with four offenses shoplifting, resisting arrest by flight (fled on foot), obstruction (failure to stop for police) and hindering apprehension (he gave a fake name, presumably because he knew he was a convicted felon on parole.) While his two friends got to go home that night (meaning Bonilla and Hall, who were only charged with shoplifting before being sprung) Bright was remanded to the Bergen County Jail, Hackensack, on a parole violation.

Though we’re not 100% certain, that likely means he’s on his way back to Rikers Island good luck with that.

“In addition to the great work our guys did apprehending these three, I also want to thank Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Musto for helping us to identify Bright Pierre,” Auteri said.

ECPO: NA woman’s baby ingested opioids

A North Arlington mother whose half-year-old child ingested a suspected opioid has been arrested and charged in connection to the crime, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Alia Elsafy, 23, was charged with child endangerment after the incident, which was investigated by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the North Arlington Police Department. Musella says on Friday, May 19, 2023, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit regarding the alleged overdose of a 6-monthold child. An investigation revealed Elsafy endangered the welfare of the child by failing to supervise and allowing the child access to a suspected opioid that resulted in the child ingesting it.

Police arrest huffer who (and then he) got high off compressed air: KPD

By Capt. Timothy Wagner Kearny Police Department

On June 1 at 8:27 p.m., Officers Luis Cazares, Jose Castillo and Sgt. Sean Kelly investigated a report of a man lying on the ground next to a dumpster on the side of Passaic Avenue’s Old Navy store. They arrived to find Benjamin J. Carson, 49, of Newark, who was reportedly disoriented and surrounded by a scatter of Endust compressed air duster cans, including one can in Carson’s back pocket.

The officers arrested Carson after learning that he had

allegedly “huffed” from the duster cans. Huffing is a practice whereby a person becomes high from inhaling the aerosol propellant from an aerosol can. It is a practice that has been known to cause immediate fatalities in some cases. They charged Carson with inhaling a toxic chemical with the purpose of causing intoxication.

Officers later released Carson with a summons after processing.

On May 26 at 2:27 p.m., Officers John Fearon, Jason Rodrigues, Pedro Pina and Sgt. Jack Grimm were dispatched

to a fight at ShopRite. There, a store manager reported to police he had a dispute with a Mr. Camely C. Costa, 34, of Paterson, after allegedly watching Costa pass through a self-checkout register without scanning all the merchandise he was buying.

After investigating further, officers arrested Costa for shoplifting. He was later released with a summons.

On May 26 at 4:54 p.m., Officers Mariana Figueiredo, Alvaro Goncalves and Jason Rodrigues were sent to Ulta Beauty store for a report of two shoplifters. A store em-

ployee accused two 14-yearold Kearny girls of concealing $550.68 worth of merchandise into two backpacks and attempting to leave the store without paying.

The officers took both girls into custody, charging them with shoplifting and conspiracy. The girls were later released to their parents.

On May 28 at 9:04 a.m., Officers Andre Fernandes, Jonathan Lima and Sgt. Jack Grimm responded to ShopRite where a store manager had accused Mark J. Richmond, 29, of Newark, with concealing $27.49 worth of Tide Pods into a reusable shopping bag and trying to carry them from the store without paying.

Officers arrested the accused pod poacher for shoplifting. Search incident to arrest revealed Richmond possessed a Target card, a Visa debit card and a driver’s license in the names of three other people.

The officers charged Richmond by summons with shoplifting and theft of property lost, mislaid or delivered by mistake. They later released Richmond.

All-Time Grilling Faves

On May 29 at 6:07 p.m., Officers Janitza Aquino, Bismark Karikari and Ryan Wilson responded to the Target store’s report of a shoplifter. A store employee there told police he witnessed a 16-yearold Elizabeth girl conceal at least 35 beauty products into a reusable shopping bag and attempt to leave the store without paying the $799.25 retail value.

The officers took the teen into custody on a shoplifting charge. They later released her to her mother.

On May 30 at 4:47 p.m., Officers Sean King and Harold Azurdia were dispatched to ShopRite to assist Sgt. Tom Pontrella, who was working a store security detail, with

apprehending a shoplifter. A store manager accused Medina Y. Grant, 31, of Newark, of concealing $29.99 worth of groceries, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide in a duffle bag and trying to carry them out of the store without paying.

Officers arrested Grant and learned she was also wanted on a Hoboken arrest warrant charging criminal trespass and carrying a $3,500 bail. The officers charged Grant with shoplifting and later transferred her to the Hudson County Jail.

On May 31 at 11:30 p.m., Officers Luis Cazares and David Vazquez arrested Lurzime Sakir, 41, of Newark, at the Essex County Jail. A bench warrant had been issued for Sakir’s arrest stemming from two, 2022 shoplifting incidents at Kearny ShopRite.

In one incident, Sakir was

See KPD, Page 18

SPORTS & HEALTH

NJSIAA Group Champions recap/ Meet of Champions qualifiers

By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

For the second year in a row, Lyndhurst’s Julia Tozduman is heading to the Meet of Champions.

Lucas joins Vega at NorthSouth gridiron game

By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

In the 42nd Phil Simms NJ North/South All-Star Football Classic, Harrison defensive lineman Jayden Vega was a key

part of a strong defensive effort that led the North team to a 10-6 victory over the South. Among the coaches for the North were current Harrison head coach and Blue Tide legend Ray Lucas.

•••

The North-South Football games were held on Sunday night at Kean University and Observer-area athletes found

See FLAG, Page 10

The Golden Bears star junior showed once again why she is one of the state best jumpers on Saturday at the NJSIAA Group 2 Championship at Delsea High School. Tozduman placed third in the Long Jump with a jump of 17-03.00 and took sixth in the Triple Jump with a distance of 36-01.25. Each of those results were good enough to qualify for the MOC in both events for the second year in a row.

Also qualifying for the MOC is Lyndhurst sophomore Ugurlu, who placed seventh in the Triple Jump at 35-11.00.

Last year, Tozduman took ninth at the MOC in the Long Jump with a leap of 16-08.25. In March, she took fifth at the Indoor Meet of Champions with a 17-04.25 in the Long Jump.

Also on Saturday, in the NJSIAA Group 4 Championship at Franklin High School, Bloomfield’s 4x400 Meter Relay Team took ninth place with a time of 3:21.53. The time was good enough for the Bengals’ quartet of Cristian Armstrong, James Fields, Kalel Deimedici and Nathaniel Brown to qualify for the MOC.

The NJSIAA Meet of Champions will be held on Wednesday at Franklin High School starting at 2 p.m. We will have coverage of the Meet of Champions in next week’s Observer.

Athlete of the Week Queiroz ends his HS career with a flourish

By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

Even though it came in a loss, Guilherme Queiroz showed in his final boys volleyball game at Harrison why he is not just one of the state’s top outside hitters in the state, but also one of the best big-game players to ever put on a Blue Tide uniform.

Queiroz set a career-high with 18 kills to go with 10 digs and two aces in Wednesday’s

heart-breaking 25-17, 18-25, 22-25 defeat to Passaic Charter in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Group 1 final. For Queiroz, it capped off an incredible 10-match stretch which saw the senior outside hitter record 10 or more kills nine times.

Queiroz’s performance makes him the final Observer Athlete of the Week for the 2022-23 high school season.

“When it’s a tough challenge

match, he always rises to the challenge,” head coach Nick Landy said. He just does things out of nowhere sometimes that you’re not expecting, but you’re pleased to see. He grew every week this year and he played so hard in the final.”

“Even though we lost, I couldn’t be more proud (of this team),” Queiroz said about his team, which finished 27-3. “I’m definitely a little bit shaken up

by the loss. We were expecting a good team and a good battle from them, but the outcome wasn’t what we expected, especially with it being at home.”

Between the Hudson County and NJSIAA tournaments, Queiroz had 73 kills in six matches for a 12.2 average. Ten of those kills came in the Hudson County final when the Blue Tide defeated rival Kearny for its first county title since 2016.

“Winning the Hudson County Tournament was one of the biggest accomplishments because it’s been seven years since Harrison got its second title and to be that third team to bring the title home was something special,” said Queiroz. “It showed how we were able to play really well and demonstrate it with a good season.”

See ATHLETE Page 10

Photo by Jason Bernstein

Harrison defensive lineman Jayden Vega and head coach Ray Lucas are all smiles after the North defeated the South, 10-6 in the 42nd Phil Simms NJ North/South All-Star Football Classic at Kean University.

FLAG

Continued from Page 9

themselves in prominent roles.

In the first ever NJ Girls Flag Football North-South AllStar Game, Harrison’s Fatma

C ELEBRATING 25 Y EARS !

EYE CARE

AGE-RELATED EYE CONDITIONS

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle lowers your risk for some eye conditions, while others are part of the normal aging process.

Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and presbyopia are all common eye conditions related to aging. Presbyopia is the inability to see close objects and fine print clearly; it occurs slowly over time, usually affecting people over 40. Glaucoma also forms over a long period by causing increasing pressure inside the eye that eventually affects vision. Cataracts, which form slowly and painlessly due to proteins in the eye breaking down, can cause blurry vision. Age-related macular degeneration causes cell loss in the macula, leading to blurred vision. The best way to catch

ATHLETE

Continued from Page 9

Queiroz saw his kills total jump from 198 as a junior to 253 this season. Both he and Landy credit that in large part to him vastly improved hitting ability from the backline, providing an added dimension to his game.

Mohamed caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Irvington’s Janasia Wilson on the game’s final play from scrimmage to give the North a 20-14 win over the South Blue Tide teammate Rasha Abdeljalil and Nutley’s Marcella Blancato also played for the victorious North team.

We will have more coverage from both games in next week’s Observer.

“That was one of my personal goals,” Queiroz said. “Last season, I honestly felt I could count how many times I actually attempted to hit back row and that cost me a lot. I wasn’t an available hitter so I made it a goal to get better at that. It helped a lot and it made me an available hitter and a better overall player.”

Landy was quick to praise volunteer assistant coach and Harrison volleyball legend Piotr Namiotko in helping Queiroz become a better hitter this season.

“I think the best thing that happened to him this year was having Piotr around and he really listened to Piotr,” said

Landy about Namiotko, who had 1,092 career kills and led Harrison to the Tournament of Champions final in 2016. “Who’s better to tell you how to hit the ball than Piotr? I think he helped him a lot.”

Queiroz’s college plans for next year have yet to be determined, but his goal is to play volleyball in college and eventually professionally.

these conditions is with an annual comprehensive eye exam.

As time passes, bodies change. Hair colors change. Skin textures change. Voices change. And, inevitably vision changes. However, changes in your vision don’t have to mean a change in your lifestyle. A program of preventive eye examinations and prompt treatment of problems can keep your eyes at their best throughout your life. To schedule an appointment, please call 201-896-0096. Our office is located at 20 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst. To reach our optical shop, call 201-896-0007.

We accept most insurance.

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Presented by Joseph A. DeLuca, M.D., F.A.C.S.

DeLuca Vision Consultants

Photo by Jason Bernstein Guilherme Queiroz

Photo by Jason Bernstein

Left to right Fatma Mohamed of Harrison, Nutley’s Marcella Blancato and Rasha Abdeljalil pose for a photo after the North team defeated the South 20-14 in the first ever NJ Girls Flag Football NorthSouth All-Star Game at Kean University.

As Father’s Day nears, we remember Jim Hague’s epic column about his dad

Editor’s note: Jim Hague first wrote this column in 1989 and posted it to his blog in 2020. With Father’s Day coming this week, and upon the tragic loss of Jim on June 11, 2023. 

This column was first printed in the pages of the now-defunct Hudson Dispatch on June 29, 1989. It ended up winning several different awards from the New Jersey Press Association, the North Jersey Press Club and the Garden State Society of Journalists. It was also reprinted in Reader’s Digest later that year (although I never got credit, the paper did).

For several years, the clipping sat in an old Avon box in my basement. We had a major flood four (now seven) years ago that ruined a lot of my old clippings, including several of the old Dispatch articles. But somehow, this one survived. It’s very weather beaten and faded, but it survived.

I’m posting it today, because after all, it’s Fathers’ Day. Jim Hague, Father’s Day, June 21, 2020.



I ventured to the movie theater the other day. No, not to see “Batman” or even “Ghostbusters II.” I’m not a trendy type of guy. In fact, I’m a little behind the times. I saw “Field of Dreams.”

OK, so the rest of the western world has already plunked down the cash to see “Field of Dreams.” We’re in the midst of a blockbuster movie season. “Field of Dreams” is old news to movie freaks. After all, it was only released nine weeks ago.

But “Field of Dreams” is about baseball sort of. And besides, “Batman” is not about Don Mattingly. I am a sportswriter at last check. And I’m a movie fan. Just a tardy movie fan, that’s all. I had to go see it. Who cares if I’m late?

I heard so many things about the movie. It was supposed to be the best thing ever to happen to baseball movies which wouldn’t be a hard feat, considering that most baseball flicks flounder.

I went with an open mind,

waiting to be disappointed. I left feeling wonderful, feeling alive, feeling good. “Field of Dreams” touched me more than any other movie. It was clearly the best picture I’ve ever witnessed.

And my strong feelings about “Field of Dreams” had nothing to do with baseball. It had to do with life. Or, for that matter, afterlife.

For those who have not had the chance to see “Field of Dreams” like all seven of you you can stop reading here. Take my word for it, the movie is excellent. It’s the best thing you’ll see all year. Now, for you other fortunate folk.

Let’s face it. “Field of Dreams” has its flaws. I mean, Shoeless Joe Jackson batted left-handed in real life and threw right. In this movie, the exact opposite. He batted right and threw left.

Brings up a good question. Do your extremities become mirror images after death? Only Elvis can answer that one. Remind me to ask him the next time the King is spot-

ted at a 7-11 in Michigan. Elvis probably shoots at TVs with his left these days.

Gil Hodges is mentioned to be on the “Field of Dreams.” But there were no Brooklyn Dodgers uniforms to be found.

Still, this movie was absolute perfection to me, because it was able to touch me in a way that some people can relate to but hopefully not many.

Because of one movie, I got in touch with the huge vacancy that has been dominating my life for the last 18 years namely the absence of my father.

I was 10 when cancer snuffed Jack Hague away from me. He was sick, dead

and gone within one month’s time in 1971. He was my everything. He was my inspiration, my motivation, my life. He was my Little League manager, my friend. He taught me so much about life in 10 short years and then he was gone.

It left me with a brother who was 60 miles away with his own family, a sister who was maturing rapidly and a loving mother, who had to be both parents from that point on. It was not easy. Especially because of my obsession with sports something I shared with my Dad. We would watch ball games together, talk baseball

Continued on the next page

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constantly, play catch in my backyard.

With no father, those times came to an abrupt halt. I longed for the days of playing catch in the yard. They were long gone.

“Stop throwing like a girl, James,” I could hear him saying. “Step and throw.”

There were so many times in 1972, the first year after my father’s death, that I would stand in the yard, hoping he would come back. I just kept standing there, smacking the ball into my empty glove.

Little League was no longer fun without my Dad. It was a struggle to play for some

other manager. That summer, my mother bought me a “Pitch-Back,” the net that snapped the ball back to you after you tossed it. However, the damn thing never offered advice. It never told me what I was doing wrong. It just stood there.

And the “Pitch-Back” could never tell me what I was doing wrong in life. Of course, my mother did and worked hard at it. But living with two women and no man’s view of life certainly was no breeze for a moody kid who found his only release through sports.

As time went on, I tended to forget about my Dad. Not entirely, but enough that he wasn’t a major part of my

life anymore. I lost his set of values, his standards. I forgot what Jack Hague stood for. I wanted to be independent, my own person. I couldn’t fill the shoes of a memory.

Sure, sports remained my one constant and still is today. Without it, I would be lost. But most of all the other values I thought I had disappeared.

People think I’ve lived a good life, an exciting life. But it’s been fairly shallow. I never realized that until recently and never more so until I saw “Field of Dreams.” It was a total awakening for me. I knew how important my father was and still is. Sure, my father was gone, but I

should never let him stop being my parent. I should have left his values live on in my life instead of being pigheaded and stubborn and wanting to be something and someone else.

“Field of Dreams” touched me so much that I wanted to build a field in my backyard, albeit a small patch of brown grass nestled in Jersey City. And all the greats of yesteryear who are now departed could come back. They wouldn’t even need an invitation.

Gil Hodges would wear a Met uniform and run the show. Thurman Munson would be behind the plate. Satchel Paige on the mound, Lou Gehrig at first and Jackie Robinson stealing bases all night.

And the players would leave a little spot where right field would be, just enough for a grey-haired man with a three-finger glove could throw some high hard ones to his son.

“Field of Dreams” did what it was supposed to do make us all dream. It made me dream of the days when my father taught me about baseball and life.

I almost took those days for granted. I look back now and cherish. I never realized how much I truly missed my father.

So this is somewhat of an open call to all our readers. Stop, take time out and realize how important your father is.

Sure, there may be some differences and there may be some strife, but the day may come when your father is suddenly not there and that vacant feeling of his loss almost gets a stranglehold of you.

I know what that feeling is like. I knew it 18 years ago and I rediscovered that huge gap 11 days ago. Yes, Fathers’ Day, the day I saw “Field of Dreams.” I had totally forgotten it was Fathers’ Day. It was so totally ironic I saw the movie on that day.

I’ll never forget Fathers’ Day again. That’s why I love the movies so much and why “Field of Dreams” is the best movie I’ve ever seen. I found my Dad. I’m grateful for Hollywood for that.

That’s why I’m asking all of you to find your fathers, too. While he’s still around.

That column was written amazingly almost 31 (now 34) years ago, but it still has its meaning. I still miss my Dad, Field of Dreams is still a great movie and yes, today is Father’s Day. So Happy Father’s Day. And as the immortal Ralph Kiner once said during a Met broadcast, “And to all you fathers out there, Happy Birthday.”

The Observer’s correction policy

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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.

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Sarah G. Kennedy

Sarah G. Kennedy, 92, formerly of Oakdale and a resident of North Arlington, died Tuesday June 6 at St. Mary’s General Hospital, Passaic.

Born in Oakdale, she was the daughter of the late Patrick and Anna (McNelis) Carr.

Sarah enjoyed spending time with her family, sitting on her porch, and her daily

OBITUARIES

prayers and Mass. She was strong in her Catholic faith and a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Lyndhurst. Sarah also enjoyed for many years being involved in the North Arlington Senior Activity Center.

Preceding her in death in addition to her parents was her husband William and her

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siblings Edward, Mary, Rose, Catherine, Bernard, Anna, Agnes, Joseph, Francis and Patrick.

Surviving are her sons William Kennedy and his wife Maria, John Kennedy and his wife Linda, and her daughter Laurie Orlinski and her husband Tom all from New Jersey and her grandchildren Marlena, Joseph, Gerard, Shannon

know

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

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populations: here’s what you need to

HAGUE

Continued from Page 1

in Milwaukee, in the upper deck at Mets games at Shea Stadium, in the Blue Seats at Madison Square Garden as he screamed for his beloved New

York Rangers or anywhere the Rams went, (he never knew the Rams in Cleveland but his fandom spanned) from Los Angeles-Anaheim, to St. Louis, and now back to Los Angeles and wherever they played on the road any given NFL Sunday.

Jim grew up on the streets

of the Greenville neighborhood of Jersey City and went to school at St. Paul’s, also of Greenville. From September of 1975 until June 1979, he found his footing after the loss of his beloved dad while he was a student at St. Peter’s Prep. And it was the beginning of his becoming what so many

of you have learned over the years he was true example of the Jesuits’ Men for Others mantra.

Then he went to Marquette and when he came back to Jersey, he began his full-time career as a sports journalist. He worked for so many well-known news agencies that it would almost take an entire story to list them all, but he truly made his name as a scribe at the now-defunct Hudson Dispatch. Among some of the other noted newspapers and agencies: The Morristown Daily Record, the Associated Press, the now-closed Hudson Reporter chain of newspapers, the Dorf syndicates and others.

And in 2002, it was The Observer’s Lisa Feorenzo who hired Hague to be this newspaper’s sports reporter, a position he held for 20+ years, until he retired in 2022. Feorenzo says she is devastated by Hague’s death.

“Jim brought a whole new light to The Observer newspaper with his unmatched coverage of local sports,” Feorenzo said upon learning Jim had died. “He helped these kids build their future, whether it was in the simple, yet amazing stories he wrote, or with the Athletes of the Week and Athletes of the Year, he did so much for these teenagers.

“His knowledge of sports wow. It went so far beyond the local area. In all the years he was with us, he never missed a week of coverage, even in the summer when so little, other than sports camps, were ongoing. We never could have dreamed of what we were getting when he joined us.

“Our sympathies and love go out to his wife, Mary. We all loved him so much and this is a sad day in our lives. May Jim rest in peace in God’s eternal embrace.”

For his dedication and

Continued on the next page

File photo Hague, right, is seen here at The Observer’s 2012 Christmas celebration with the newspaper’s owner Lisa Feorenzo.

Continued

passion to this area, Feorenzo also announced moving forward, the Athlete of the Year awards and the recipients will be known as The Jim Hague Observer Athletes of the Year.

His cohorts loved him

We begin this portion with words from James C. “Jim” Horan, who in 1970 graduated from St. Peter’s Prep, then went to Marquette to study journalism (notice a pattern there?) and then returned to Prep in 1974. Horan has remained at Prep to this very day and now serves as vice president of planning and principal giving. As he did for decades, Horan became many Prep men’s first journalism teacher as was the case for Hague in the 1978-79 school year.

Horan said Hague was a rare kind of alumnus of St. Peter’s Prep because his impact was felt for decades, far beyond his days at Grand and Warren.

“Very few graduates of Saint Peter’s have been as passionately proud of their Prep diploma as Jim was, and through both his infectious personality and his prolific sports writing career, he was both well-known and admired by fellow alumni of many generations,” Horan said. “As we all know, Jim ‘lived’ in the world of sports, and he was as enthusiastic about a local freshman team’s winning season as he was about a stunning state championship game at MetLife Stadium. That said, especially in Hudson County, he was both a pundit and an everyman, seemingly always on the scene and quickly churning out compelling copy. His passing is not only a loss for Saint Peter’s Prep, but also for Hudson County’s many athletes who have lost their most reliable chronicler.”

One of Jim’s many col-

leagues and friends in the sports-journalism world is award-winning scribe Michael Vaccaro, currently a world-renowned columnist at The New York Post. Vaccaro took time to reflect on the life that was Jim Hague’s.

“I’ve been a sportswriter for 35 years and I have never met another person who felt as deeply about a place Jersey City, and Hudson County and a vocation lending a powerful voice to its athletics and athletes as Jim,” Vaccaro said. “Not an exaggeration. Not hyperbole. Jim cared meticulously about his beloved home’s history and was every bit as vigilant in recording its contemporary triumphs and tragedies. And he did so with a voice that was powerful and absolutely unique. Jim’s imprint and impact will be felt forever. And anyone who ever spent even five minutes in his company was instantly impacted by that larger-thanlife personality.

“For me, when I was new to New Jersey he was amazingly gracious and generous in educating me in every way possible. A good day was always when I’d arrive to cover a high school football or basketball game and he was there also. That was always

ter once called him ‘a human eclipse’ and his personality was even bigger. If you knew Hague, he undoubtedly made you laugh many times. I worked with him when I started in New Jersey many years ago and our paths crossed many times after that. Condolences to his family and many friends.”

Jason Bernstein. When Hague decided he was ready to call it a career last year, we didn’t even have a chance to ask him who we could call to take over. Hague got the ball rolling immediately, and without prompt, to bring Bernstein in for an interview.

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going to be a tremendous couple of hours. I’m going to miss my friend but I’m also going to miss his commitment and tireless passion for the things that truly mattered to him his family, his Mets, his Rams, Jersey City and the Marquette basketball team.”

Vaccaro was hardly the only sports personality to chime in. He was the first of many, in fact.

Brian Costello, also of the New York Post, is the Jets’ beat writer. In addition to sharing their love for sports, Brian also shares a last name with Jim’s beloved wife, Mary, though they are not kin.

“This phrase gets overused, but Jim Hague was truly one of a kind,” Costello wrote of his friend. “A true Jersey original. I’ll always remember his kindness to me when I was a young reporter. RIP Jim.”

Now, here are the words of Tom Gulitti, who for many years covered the New Jersey Devils for The Bergen Record and who now covers the National Hockey League and the Washington Capitals at nhl.com.

“RIP to a larger than life NJ media legend Jim Hague,” Gulitti wrote. “Buck Showal-

Jack Curry, of the YES Network, is an alumnus of Hudson Catholic High School, also of Jersey City. Though Jim’s Prep and Hudson are bitter rivals in the sports and academic world, it mattered now one bit when Curry recalled his friend’s death.

“Jim Hague was a giant, literally and figuratively, as a NJ sportswriter,” Curry said. “If you wanted to know anything about Hudson County sports, especially in Jersey City, @ ogsmar (Jim’s Twitter handle) was the source. Hope he & Ed (Faa) Ford are arguing sports right now. RIP, my friend.”

Last, but certainly not least, was the man who would end up becoming The Observer’s current sports journalist,

Bernstein, like Hague, is a workhorse, covering countless schools and athletes in the area magnificently. We had no idea what we were getting in Bernstein and yet somehow, Jim knew we had no choice but to hire Jason a decision we were fortunate to have made.

Hague is seen here at Citi Field in Queens near the display case of one of Jacob deGrom’s Cy Young awards. Jim was a vocal, die hard Mets fan.

See JIM, Page 19

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accused by a store manager of eating food offered for sale all around the store without paying for it. In the other incident, store personnel accused Sakir of having tried to push a shopping cart containing $514.95 worth of merchandise out the store exit without paying.

During her original 2022 arrest, officers allegedly found a crack pipe on Sakir and charged her with an additional count of possessing drug paraphernalia.

Officers booked Sakir on the warrant and then transferred her to the county jail in South Kearny.

On June 1 at 1:08 p.m., Officers Jonathan Lima, Ellesse Ogando and Sgt. Jack Grimm responded to a domestic dispute at a private home. Upon arrival, a man answered the door and told officers a woman inside the home had fought his wife and was being restrained in the kitchen by her husband.

As soon as the police entered the kitchen, the husband let go of his wife. Officers observed the man had minor lacerations to his hand. As best the cops could discern, there had been an argument between the two wives. One woman tried to leave and the woman who had been restrained had tried to follow her out the door to continue the fight. The restrained woman then turned on her husband and began hitting him, causing the cuts to his hand.

Officers arrested the woman who allegedly caused the lacerations for simple assault. She was later released with a summons.

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opinion known and his passion for the subject, made his articles and columns an absolute must-read.

“As a fellow sportswriter who covered primarily Hudson County, I always made sure to check The Observer and Hudson Reporter websites on the days his articles were posted to see what he had to say and what stories I may have missed out on.

“Whether it was books, newspaper articles, columns, public address announcing and later, podcasting, there might not have been a harder working sports writer in the area than Jim Hague. His presence will be sorely missed and the void he leaves is surely impossible to fully replace.”

The athletes and coaches loved him, too

Though Jim’s colleagues have already felt the loss of a legend, so, too, have the athletes.

Take, for instance, one of Kearny’s greatest-ever soccer legends, Tab Ramos.

“Thank you Jim Hague,” Ramos wrote in Twitter. “I’m sure Tony Meola and John Harkes would agree you and The Observer kept our connection to Kearny, Harrison and all of North Jersey. Big loss RIP.”

Rich Tuero is the head football coach at Lyndhurst High School. Hague often spoke of Tuero, especially after the coach and his wife, Koriann, personally fund-

raised for, purchased and delivered each and every one of his a players championship rings the team earned but couldn’t get otherwise because they were in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after winning a state championship in the prior fall (2019-2020).

Tuero fondly recalled Jim in a social media post today.

“North Jersey sports lost an absolute legend. Jim Hague was truly a great man that dedicated his life to helping young athletes get their due diligence,” Tuero said. “He truly enjoyed covering these kids and promoting all of their successes. God bless you, Jimmy. May you rest in peace.”

Last but hardly least, we close with words from Richard Hansen, who for many years was the head football coach at St. Peter’s Prep he retired from that a few years ago and who continues to serve as the school’s athletic director as he has since the late 80s.

“Jim was an icon in New Jersey and Hudson County. He was a talented man who cared about high school sports, kids and the people he called friends,” Hansen said. “He was a longtime friend, someone I admired and trusted. I have so many Hague stories I’ve played them over and over in mind and I will hold onto those memories. I’ll miss him dearly. All of us at Prep will miss him. Hudson county lost a great one.”

Hague’s arrangements are still pending. We will let you know as soon as we know more.

Hague and his beloved wife and best friend, Mary Costello.

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