e-Newspaper for Sept. 13, 2023

Residents of and visitors to Kearny may soon have reason to rejoice or be completely baffled and befuddled as the mayor and Town Council had preliminary talks of hiring a mobile-based company to assist with the collection of fees at parking meters.

Though formal action was not voted upon (it was originally on the agenda for the Sept. 5 council meeting) it appears the town’s governing body is considering entering into agreement with ParkMobile LLC also known as OMNIA Partners to accept parking payments at meters via a mobile application.

If approved, ParkMobile would be an additional way to pay to park, via that app, using a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, PayPal and other digital-payment platforms. However, the old-fashioned method of paying 25¢ or whatever the fees might be with coins will still be accepted at every meter.

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

ParkMobile will add a surcharge to the parking fees for the convenience of not having to scrounge around to find quarters and then trudge to meters. The company will also allow parkers whose time has expired to re-up for additional time sans having to run outside to feed the meters with more coins.

There was some concern raised by residents about the app, however, including Angela Kolbinger, of the Second Ward. She says no matter what, she won’t be able to figure out how to use the app. She was assured, however, she could continue to pay with coins. But as a response to all this, the mayor and Council said it would do all it could to educate residents and visitors how to use the app. That was all brought upon by resident Marybeth Kennedy, who spoke at the meeting and explained that to her, use of the ParkMobile app is easy and would be welcome here as it is in parts

See MOBILE, Page 19

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

may add ability for resident to pay for spots with phone in addition to good, old-fashioned quarters

This map shows locations where PARKMOBILE is accepted in the Harrison/East Newark area. A similar program is being explored for Kearny’s residents and visitors/shoppers.

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

P

This time, there were a few ideas tossed about, but one in particular stood out.

“A few months ago, we honored a North Arlington (South Bergen) girls’ championship basketball team at one of our Borough Council Meetings,” Pronti said and later recalled in a social meia post. “After the presentation, the group of girls remained at the meeting and watched in its entirety. Not

only were we impressed the whole team stayed to listen to important information about North Arlington, but one of the players, a young lady named Jaileen Henson, even asked to be recognized.”

Henson, 13, is in the first

week of eighth-grade now at North Arlington Middle School. Her dad says she’s always been vocal, whether at home, at school, at play. So no one in her family was all too surprised she’d asked to speak. But for Pronti and the

From left, Pronti, Hanson and Karcic at the new bike rack near the Senior Center.

Council, though excited by her maneuver well let’s just say it is very rare for any youngster to rise and speak publicly at the mic. But that is exactly what the young Hanson did.

“I was very impressed that she had such a well thought

out, articulate question and was also able to provide a potential solution. She was more prepared and more mature than some adults we’ve heard during public comments. I passed along my appreciation to her parents who are very proud and in my opinion, did a great job raising her to be confident enough to stand up and speak up in a way where people want to help.”

If you’ve ever watched or seen a council meeting in person it could be anywhere, not just in NA you know Pronti’s statements were true. Sometimes, there are people who get the mic and yell, scream, babble, senselessly. But not Hanson. She knew what she wanted to say and it worked.

Continued on the next page

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“When she stood and approached the microphone, Jaileen explained that she and her friends often ride their bicycles around town and do not like to leave them on the sidewalk, which tends to be unsafe to passersby and also leaves them vulnerable to theft,” the mayor said. “They sometimes chain them to poles or trash receptacles.”

But that’s not always possible. So her solution?

“She recommended the possibility of installing actual bike racks in certain areas of North Arlington where our young people like to congregate,” Pronti said. “The very next day, I asked our administrator (Steve LoIacono) to price out and order two ‘Viking Blue’ bike racks. They were delivered last

BIKE RACKS IN NA

week and today (Friday, Sept. 8), our DPW installed the new racks one behind our free public library and the second at Fisher Field.”

Knowing the racks had been installed, Pronti immediately knew Hanson had to be there the first day to test them out and for a photo op. After all, the racks wouldn’t have been there perhaps never to be thought of had she not stood up and spoke up. And, the mayor says the borough will see how well received these racks are and will look into possibly adding more.

“Jaileen was very proud to be the first person to chain her bicycle to the new bike racks,” Pronti said, as he and Councilman Mario Karcic, both Hudson County boys who were used to needing to lock bikes up, showed her the proper way to put her lock wire through the

bike’s tires as they laughed. “I hope this is a lesson to everyone in town who has a valid idea.

“Bring the idea to the proper authorities, in the proper manner and give facts and recommendations and your idea will be considered. We like to carry out any and all recommendations that not only make sense but are beneficial to our community.”

Karcic, meanwhile, joined Pronti in expressing his excitement and delight a teenager was so willing to be of service at such a young age.

“That’s just it she was confident enough to identify

ry

Photos by Kevin A. Canessa Jr. Jaileen Hanson, 13, of North Arlington, uses her lock to tie up her bike at newly installed bike racks at the senior center, off Ridge Road. It was Hanson speaking out a council meeting over the summer that led the mayor and Council to purchase two sets of racks. See HANSON, Page 15

KPD: Belgrove chaos caused by armed men holed up in apartment

By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. with Det. Sgt. Mike Gontarczuk www.theobserver.com

Michelle advertising@theobserver.com

Newspaper: The Observer

Police later learned the original information they were given was somewhat miscommunicated.

the store.

201-991-1600

This was not a home invasion, but instead, it was an argument between roommates, resulting in one of them bringing over armed friends.

Client:

The caller’s roommate allegedly asked for his portion of the rent money back at some point earlier in that month and he threatened the roommate if he didn’t return it.

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and charged with criminal attempted threat by extortion and remanded to the Hudson County Jail, South Kearny. His “friends,” both of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were asked to leave the residence.

She was arrested, processed at police headquarters and released with summonses, pending court.

On Aug. 31, at 10:30 p.m., police received multiple 911 calls regarding a multi-vehicle crash on Route 7 west on the Viaduct with injuries.

On Aug. 31 at around 2 p.m., Lt. Brian Wisely, Sgt. Mike Farinola, Officer Damian Kolodziej and other KPD units were dispatched to a residence on the 100 block of Belgrove Drive (residents may have noticed a larger-than-usual police presence that day in the area) where it was reported multiple men were in someone’s apartment, armed with guns.

On arrival, police formed a perimeter and, after over an hour of negotiating with the men inside, got them to surrender peacefully.

When he left the residence to go to work and later contacted the police, the firearms were no longer there

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On Aug. 31, Officer Derek Hemphill responded to Target, where loss prevention detained Yvanna I. Cabrera, 28, of West Orange, for reportedly shoplifting $381.78 worth of merchandise. The suspect had concealed the merchandise in foil-lined bags, so as to defeat security devices when exiting

Kearny units were dispatched to what amounted to a six-car crash with Sgt. Mike Andrews, Officers Pete Jahera, Derek Hemphill, Cort Montanino, Chris Montes and Ryan Wilson responded.

An investigation on scene revealed there was a single vehicle crash first (a car into a divider, overturned).

In an attempt to avoid the now-disabled and heavily damaged car from the first crash, a second five car collision resulted with multiple injuries. The crash was made worse by a long fluid trail from the overturned vehicle which made the viaduct extremely slippery.

The driver of the vehicle involved in the single car crash, Hector Rivera, 45, of Belleville, was found to be intoxicated and was placed under arrest for DWI. He was not able to provide samples of his breath, thus, he was taken to a hospital, where a blood draw was done.

Rivera was charged with reckless driving and driving while impaired. However, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office recommended

See KPD, Page 7

Kearny mayoral candidates invited to Observer-sponsored, streamed debate

Town residents are asked to submit

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

The Observer newspaper has invited all three candidates for Mayor of Kearny Peter P. Santana, Carol Jean Doyle and Sydney J. Ferreira to participate in a live-streamed debate, the first of its kind for the area.

The event will take place on a date to-be-determined, based on the candidates’ schedules (if they elect to participate.) The Observer has set a deadline of noon, Sept. 15, for the candidates to respond to our request.

Invitation letters were sent

to each of the three candidates at around 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, to each’s email address.

The format will be 100% virtual, with each candidate participating virtually by beaming into The Observer’s live-streaming software, and broadcast to our website, www.theobserver.com, and our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and Kick. Observer Editor Kevin Canessa will moderate the debate. The public will be invited to participate by sending

questions ahead of time by email. While we cannot guaranteed every question will be asked, The Observer will do its best to choose a cross-sampling of questions that are most relevant to all three candidates.

The three candidates, to participate, must agree they will not be provided any questions ahead of time. Only Canessa will be aware of all the questions to be posed.

Each candidate will be offered a 60-second open-

ing statement, followed by questions and answers. Each will have 60 seconds to answer questions, with the possibility of 30-second follow-ups as needed (or if one candidate addresses another in a response.)

At the end of the debate, each candidate will be offered 90 seconds to offer a closing statement pleading their case as to why they are the best person for the job. The start time will be at approximately 7 p.m. on the date that is ultimately

chosen and we anticipate the event lasting between 60 and 90 minutes.

The Observer will reserve the ability to silence the microphones of any candidates who continue, in responding, to go over the allotted time. This will be the first live-stream debate The Observer has ever sponsored. Links to the broadcast will be provided in the coming weeks.

Residents who wish to submit questions, please do so by noon, Friday, Sept. 22, and send them to editorial@ theobserver.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

New PVOs, not parking utility, needed in town: Doyle

To the Editor:

As the longest-serving member of the Kearny Town Council and a candidate for mayor, I want to weigh in on permit parking.

First and foremost, permits would not guarantee a parking spot. Let me say this again a parking permit will not guarantee residents a parking spot.

Neglia Engineers did a parking study a few years back and stated Kearny will never solve the parking problems because we have too many cars and not enough on-street parking.

That was not what we wanted to hear as a mayor and Council, so we hired a “parking guru,” or an expert for $25,000, to study the issue. Folks, I heard what I knew all along. There are not enough spaces but with parking permits, we could fine those who do not comply with “newly adopted ordinances.” We could establish a parking utility to enforce the rules at taxpayers’ expense.

I readily admit in the First and Second wards there is a situation that has existed for the last 40 years. No driveways, one-family homes now converted into two and three families, narrow streets, etc. What is the answer? I have not got a quick answer. What I can

clearly say, I am not convinced that a parking utility is the answer, and nobody thus far has convinced me a parking utility is anything more than another tax burden to our residents. I think two things would be helpful, however, as a start for commercial vehicles to be off the streets by 7 p.m. and I think we should hire additional PVOs who work from 4 to 11 p.m. They could enforce parking that is permitted in the various approved lots and they could ticket commercial vehicles.

Carol Jean Doyle Candidate for Mayor Kearny

Here’s how I would handle parking woes: Ferreira

To the Editor: Interim-Mayor Peter Santana and the Town Council held a parking meeting on Aug. 7th to gauge the public’s appetite for a new public municipal parking utility that will be charged with selling parking permits and issuing summonses for parking violations. It was great to see the amount of residents there and the level of participation on this issue. Congratulations to all of the resident speakers! You all did a great job.

I asked several times during the meeting about the presenter of this program, Robert Baselice, of North Bergen. I wanted to know his connections to our town, his role in this program and possible payout. My questions were never answered, but we did some research.

Mr. Baselice is a sitting Hudson County Commissioner (formerly known as County Freeholder). He was Mayor Santos’s boss, when he held his position with the County as Clerk to the Freeholders, until Santos resigned to become a judge. Now, Councilman George Zapata has inherited the position making nearly $110,000. It’s interesting that Zapata introduced this parking ordinance that, if approved, will pay his new boss Baselice $1.09 million. (Editor’s note: town officials have confirmed this will not happen.)

Do our town leaders understand the meaning of conflict of interest?

This proposed parking entity has been dubbed a Public Municipal Parking Utility. I was corrected several times for using the term “Parking Authority,” which Mr. Baselice slipped a few times and called it the same thing himself. Why the distinction?

So we the residents believe

that this will be a public entity and our leadership hopes we overlook the $1.09 million administrative fee for setting it up. Essentially, a private company will be commissioned to set up a “public” municipal utility.

Why can’t we just incorporate this parking authority under the Kearny Police Department, as we do now with the parking violations officers? Why create a completely separate division and pay someone from out of town to do it? When will this public utility become self-sufficient and repay the taxpayers for the cost of the initial administrative fee?

The parking issue has essentially been ignored for nearly a decade. We have been talking about parking permits since about 2016, and in that time, nothing significant has been done in town to address the underlying parking issues. Before we launch any program to sell permits and create a parking authority to issue

violations, we need to address the following:

Increase the supply of parking by annexing land to build more parking lots and other parking structures in more densely populated areas; we can even work with developers of new and existing buildings to help the town, especially if they are receiving tax breaks.

Decrease the demand for parking:

 Provide more public transportation options.

 Stop easing parking restrictions and providing parking variances for new developments.

 Address illegally rented apartments and rooms in nonowner occupied multi-family dwellings.

 Ban developers, who receive tax breaks (such as the Vermellas), from charging their tenants a parking fee (which is as high as $250 in some cases); this just causes tenants to forego

See LETTERS,Page 8

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Co-owner/Advertising Dir.

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com

Editor/Broadcaster

Tina Feorenzo Co-owner/Advertising

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KPD

Continued from Page 4

the Kearny PD not charge him criminally, despite the injuries to others. Rivera was released to a friend, with a pending court date for the traffic offenses.

On Sept. 3 at around 11 p.m., Sgt. Sean Kelly, along with Officers Taylor Latka, Mike Santucci, Bryan San Martin and Tom Collins responded to a Devon Terrace address on reports of a large fight. A large group of people there were frantic after a big skirmish.

It was determined during a scuffle, Jonathan Frias-Rivas, 44, of Kearny, retrieved two wine bottles and began to swing them at one or more people. Multiple people worked together to disarm Frias-Rivas until police arrived and ultimately subdued and arrested him.

He was taken to a medical facility after which he was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose

and unlawful possession of a weapon before being released with summonses, pending court.

Just before 7 a.m., Sept. 4, Officers Jean Paul Duran and Jordan Anders responded to a Kearny residence, fielding a report of a motor-vehicle theft. Police learned a Honda Accord was stolen (the keys were with owner, and the car was not left running.)

The owner used GPS and tracked his own vehicle. At about 740 a.m., the GPS showed the vehicle to be near the Kearny Wawa on Harrison Avenue. Sgt. Ryan Stickno and other units responded there.

The owner, who had been tracking his vehicle since the theft, was already at Wawa, and found a man driving, parking and alighting from it.

As police arrived, the owner pointed out the man. A show-up procedure was conducted and Christian X. Otero, 29, of Harrison, was arrested. He was also found to have a $5,000 Newark warrant.

Otero was charged with receiving stolen property at KPD HQ and then

taken to the county.

On Sept. 4, officers were dispatched to a Kearny residence on a report of a family having trouble with a neighbor. Residents told police they’d been having ongoing issues with Michael Bello, 31, of Kearny, who was allegedly shouting obscenities at them, causing criminal mischief to their vehicles, etc. These issues have been documented by the KPD, but had only resulted in either court referrals or being unable to identify him as the actor.

This time, however, neighbors showed police Ring doorbell footage of Bello, acting in an aggressive manner, approaching their front door, shouting obscenities, attempting to open the front door by turning the knob and pushing on it with his shoulder — and then spitting on the floor when he realized it was locked.

The entire family was fearful of Bello and filed complaints against him.

Bello was not home when officers attempted to make contact at

his residence and a warrant for attempted burglary was issued.

On Sept. 6, Officer Ryan Wilson arrested Bello at his residence. He was processed and remanded to the county.

On Aug. 31, Sgt. Mike Farinola and Officers Sean King and Nick Funk responded to America’s Best Glasses on Passaic Avenue, where a pregnant employee was reportedly robbed by a customer. They were familiar with the customer and knew his pedigree.

The customer had become upset over a clerical issue, shoved the employee and took her iPhone.

He walked out of the store with her phone and attempted to smash it on the ground, causing damage to the glass housing.

When the employee ran outside to get her phone back, Rodney E. Hillsman, 60, of Jersey City, began to assault her until fellow employees came to her aid.

The man was later identified and a warrant for his arrest was generated for robbery and criminal mischief.

LETTERS

Continued from Page 6

the Vermella parking permit by parking on the street and taking spaces from the rest of us.

Lastly, I believe that this program should altogether be scrapped, or we should at least postpone it until after the special election this November. The Council is currently deeply divided, and the residents have not had their say yet at the polls.

We should allow these discussions to continue after the residents have elected a Mayor. Our current Interim-Mayor was selected by a small group of town elites, party insiders and outside influencers. Out of respect for the residents, the Council members should kick this behemoth can down the

road, until the people’s choice for mayor is inaugurated.

We pay the second highest taxes to the county and get very little in return and hardly any representation. On top of that, everyone outside of our town seems to be making decisions for us. We are not North Bergen or Jersey City, we are Kearny, and we want to stay Kearny. Those places are great to visit, but we choose to live here for a reason.

Let’s stand together and reject these attempts by the Hudson County establishment to turn us into something we don’t want to be. I will not be influenced by outside forces. I will always put Kearny first and prevent the fleecing of our taxpayers. If elected, I vow to scrap this private parking program

and work on real solutions to help alleviate this long-neglected issue in town.

Sydney J. Ferreira Candidate for Mayor of Kearny

We’ve heard nil from elected officials: McDonald

To the Editor:

Since the meeting on Aug. 7 on the parking situation, I along with many people have been waiting to hear more from our elected officials regarding the concerns expressed not only at the meeting but also on the

A Message from the Harrison Water Department:

e Harrison Water Dept. will ush hydrants throughout Harrison beginning the week of September 18th 2023. Crews will work Monday through Friday between 9pm and 1am to minimize customer inconvenience. e ushing program is expected to last for about 6 weeks. Ending October 27th 2023.

Flushing removes harmless minerals that collect in the water mains. e project is part of the Town routine maintenance program to assure high water quality. Flushing hydrants help to maintain the integrity of the distribution system by keeping the water lines clean. It is also necessary for re protection because ushing ensures that the hydrants are working properly.

During the ushing process, customers may experience low water pressure or discolored water. While the water is safe to drink, customers may prefer to wait until it runs clear before drinking, washing clothes or dishes.

Residents with questions or problems can call the Harrison Department of Public Works at 973-2682468. Website townofharrisonnj.com.

various Kearny forums on social media as well as in the story run by The Observer a week after the meeting.

Unless I missed it, we’ve heard nothing.

What is painfully obvious is that putting a parking sticker on our cars will not guarantee a parking spot. Yet we’re being asked to pay for a service that cannot be guaranteed. How about .No chance. If I pay for a service I expect it to be rendered.

Next, it looks like the town is getting ready to have its lottery for spaces in municipal lots. Another joke. Folks it says on the applications spots aren’t guaranteed in those either because they “oversell” the lots. Furthermore, the hours one is allowed to park in the lots (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) do no good for people who don’t work overnight shifts.

Here’s an idea all of those commercial vehicles that are illegally parked on the streets how about reserving those municipal lots for those vehicles?

I’ve also heard one of the mayoral candidates, while against a parking utility (Bravo by the way No need for that at all) has also proposed having more enforcement officers working a shift from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Absolutely no good considering the fact that the proposed permitting program is suppos-

edly to be in effect from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Are the new second shift offices supposed to catch all (or even a good number) of violators during the last hour of their shifts? Give me a break.

Finally the lack of parking spots has a root cause that needs to be addressed. Thus far, only one candidate for mayor seems to have the courage to mention it or appear to be willing to investigate it. Simply put, there are many people living in Kearny illegally.

I am not referring to citizenship status. I’m referring to people living in illegal apartments and more people living in regular apartments than belong there according to zoning codes. You have 10 people living in an apartment built for five.

This is real. It exists. And it’s high time it is dealt with.

For the record, no one with compassion, including myself, wants to see people on the streets. But we have landlords who have blatantly broken laws for a very long time. Kearny simply doesn’t have the infrastructure for this many people. It doesn’t.

Hard truth. All of those “luxury” developments have added to the problem. Why? Because the owners are charging $250 to park on the premises. Seriously???? Who is going to pay that on top of the exorbitant rents? Of course the residents at those

See LETTERS, Page 18

SPORTS & HEALTH

Kearny boys soccer begins season with new cast, same goals

Kearny girls soccer isn’t ready to back down despite young lineup

By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

For several members of the Kearny girls soccer team, this past Saturday’s opener against Westfield was either the first or most prominent taste of varsity soccer. And while this version of the Kardinals roster is young, there is a strong belief that this new crop has been prepared for the season that awaits.

“We’ve been developing this group for a couple of years now,” head coach Michael Sylvia said. “So many of them really have big game experience. As much as it’s a challenge to graduate players, one of the good things is you know it’s coming. It’s been really important to us to develop this group and put them in the most challenging situations possible. We’re excited to see where it all shakes out this year.”

patiently for this moment, for this season that she is fully prepared to grab onto it with both hands.”

Promising freshman Casey Brown is set to be the backup keeper.

Regardless of who is in net, their job is sure to be made easier by the return of sophomore center back Keala Cicchino.Last year as a freshman, Cicchino established herself as one of the top young defenders in the state and is poised to play a bigger role in the offense this fall.

“She was tremendous in the back, but she’s also going to be joining our attack as well,” Sylvia said. “She’s very technical and tough as nails in the back, but is able to slide into the midfield or attack if we need some goals. We’re excited to unleash her this year.”

By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

It would be easy for Kearny boys soccer coach Bill Galka to lament all of the losses to graduation from a season ago and the holes they create within the Kardinals lineup.

But Galka understands that each year requires some degree of rebuilding in order for Kearny to maintain its status as one of the top programs in the state and this season is no exception.

“It’s somewhat of an inexperienced group. Every year is a bit of a rebuild to some de-

gree. You have some good seniors leaving and we certainly lost some strong seniors that were with us for a few years,” said Galka. “We expect our young, inexperienced players to adapt pretty quickly.”

While Kearny may lack in experience, it certainly doesn’t lack in talent as it enters the season ranked No. 9 in the NJ.com Preseason Top 20.

A big reason for that ranking is returning center back Hans Zoller. The senior, an All-State, Third Team selection last season, should be one

of the state’s top defenders, while also potentially being more involved offensively as well.

“He’s very talented.He comes back as one of the top center backs in the state,” Galka said. “He’s not only just a good defender, we like him to go forward when the time is right. He picks the right time to move forward and he’s great at breaking up plays up and then continuing to go forward,”

The other center back spot

See KEARNY, Page 10

This season also serves as a prime opportunity for several seniors who had to wait for a coveted starting spot. No bigger example of that is in goal where senior Aracely Vazquez takes over as the top keeper, after playing in parts of several games last year, including playoff wins over Fair Lawn and Livingston.

“Since she was a freshman, we’ve always had the utmost confidence in her,” said Sylvia, adding that he feels Vazquez could start for any program in the state. “She’s a tremendous shot stopper and she’s been waiting so

Senior Sara Ryan is set to start at the other center back. At right back, Annabella Vallejo is another senior set to start after playing well in limited time last year. On the left side is sophomore Melanie Rodriguez.

Sophomore Ava Natosi, who suffered a knee injury in last year’s state tournament will bolster the backline as the season progresses. Senior Shayla Torres brings added depth to the position.

At center midfielder, Olivia Covello returns for her third season as a starter. The junior had five goals and five assists

See SOCCER, Page 11

Photos by Jason Bernstein

Back Row (left to right): Jacob Wolfart, Tomas Lois, Pedro Perez, Chris Brooks, Hans Zoller. Front Row (left to right): Guilherme Xavier, Andres Toledo, Alex Cruz, Jeckson Rivera, Benji Silva.

KEARNY

Continued from Page 9

is a little more up in the air at the moment with Cristian Castro, Tomas Lois, Hamza Ejjaki and Matheus Mullins all vying for time.

Kearny boasts a similar quantity of options at the outside backs as well. Headlining the group is sophomore Benji Silva.

Silva is a returning starter who had four goals and three assists last year, but is much more than that as he brings a level of skill and versatility that is rare for a player of his age.

“Benji’s a guy that can play

anywhere. Benji, we’ll play anywhere except goalie,” Galka said. “You’ll see him up top, you’ll see him in the back and there’s a possibility you’ll see him in the midfield also.

“It’s very rare. I don’t know of a player that plays as well in different positions while that young.”

Chris Brooks is another player with experience on the backline and will be in the mix on the outside alongside Felipe Ferreira, Augusto Vieira and Felipe Souza.

The depth on the backline combined with returning senior goalkeeper Alex Cruz should allow the Kardinals defense to remain a strength.

Backing up Cruz, an All-

HCIAL selection last season, are Pedro Perez and Lucas Valera.

Offensively the graduation of All-State, First Team striker Alejandro Alvarado who is now at NJIT.. Replacing Alvarado’s 24 goals will be done with the work of several, than one person.

A big part of the scoring void will be counted on by junior Jeckson Rivera, who posted seven goals and three assists in limited action last season. Another key attacker will be Adryel Ferreira, a left-footed striker, who moved from Brazil.

Senior Jacob Wolfart and junior Guilherme Xavier are back after playing part-time

roles at top last season and are vying for time as well as Luccas Pessoa and Renan Pereira.

The offense should be further bolstered by the addition of Denilson Salinas at the midfield. Salinas, a senior who moved to Kearny from Peru last fall, and has the tools to be one of the state’s best midfielders.

“So far, he’s looked excellent in the summer and preseason,” Galka said. “Excellent ball control, reads the game well and has good vision.”

Junior Aaron Ocana is another talented newcomer who can attack from the midfield. Junior Andres Toldeo is a returning starter as a holding midfield. Pedro Diaz and Gerard Bocanegra

will also vie for time in the midfield.

Kearny, which has a 33game unbeaten streak against Hudson County competition, began the season on Monday, Sept. 11 against Hudson Catholic before traveling to perennial county contender St. Peter’s Prep on Wednesday.

Three straight home games follow, starting with Roxbury on Saturday and then Union City on Monday, Sept. 18 in a rematch of last year’s county final.

“The games come quick,” said Galka. “We always tell them that there’s no easy games and guys are going to always be gunning for you because it’s Kearny. It’s never easy for us, but we don’t expect it to be.”

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People with ALS or related disorders benefit from the team model of care. This includes coordinated diagnostic tests, access to dietary and nutritional counseling, lung and breathing care, follow-up care, and the support of social workers. Support groups for people with ALS and their family members also are available. To schedule a wellness exam, please call PREMIER CARE ASSOCIATES OF WEST HUDSON at 201-9987474, or visit us 7 days a week at 512 Kearny Ave., Suite B. P.S. Genetic and environmental factors are believed to play a role in ALS.

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Continued from Page 9

a year ago and is poised to break out as one of the state’s top players with her allaround game.

“She does all the little things you don’t see,” Sylvia said. “She’s the one who we link to to connect the back to the offensive side of things. We’re asking her to break up plays (on defense), we’re asking her to keep possession, we’re asking her to finish, we’re asking her to find shots from outside the box, she’s taking all of our corners. She’s really going to be the spark that we need and I’m excited for her to shine this year.”

Senior Ariana Carvajal and freshman Makayla David will also see extensive time at center midfield.

Among those on the wings will be Adrianna Rodriguez, Nimah Devlin and Sabrina Varela. The biggest addition to

the outside will be sophomore Mason Gryckiewicz, a starter at outside back last year, as she shifts back up to her more natural positions as an attack-

ing wing and a forward.

“We want to let her attack

more from her natural role that she plays,” said Sylvia.

“We’re excited to get her into those attacking situations. She’s really good at getting down the wing and crossing the ball in.”

Junior Vanessa Salgado, who was limited by injuries last year is primed for a big season up top as is senior Araxiel Cardenas, who notched two assists in the state tournament.

Varela is another who could see time up top with seniors Blake Torres and Francesca Gomes-Montejano also vying for some time.

Saturday’s 2-0 loss to a Westfield team ranked No. 9 in the NJ.com Preseason Top 20 was the first of three games against top 10 teams the Kardinals will face within the first three weeks of the season. Kearny will travel to No. 6 DePaul on Wednesday and No. 10 Watchung Hills on Sept. 26.

Photo by Jason Bernstein

Standing Back Row (left to right): Aracely Vazquez, Ariana Carvajal, Nimah Devlin, Mason Gryckiewicz, Melanie Rodriguez, Sabrina Varela, Adrianna Rodriguez, Keala Cicchino, Casey Brown. Front Row: Annabella Vallejo, Sara Ryan, Ava Natosi, Araxiel Cardenas, Makayla David, Olivia Covello

Bellenger’s fast start has Lyndhurst’s offense flying high

By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com

With so many new and unproven faces at wide receiver, Lyndhurst quarterback Shawn Bellenger entered the summer anticipating an offense that would rely even more on the running game and his ability to scramble playing a larger part of his role.

“I really felt that going into (the first 7-on-7 scrimmage in July) maybe we’re going to be a little bit more of a running team, maybe I’m going to have to run a little bit more,” Bellenger said. But after that 7-on-7 and having some more guys come out, I knew our

passing game was going to be heavier than we thought heading into the summer. It’s just about how hard we worked all summer.

What once was a big concern has now turned into a strength for the Golden Bears.

Lyndhurst has opened the 2023 season with convincing victories over Secaucus and New Milford. In those games, Bellenger connected with five different players on touchdown passes.

Bellenger’s play has the Golden Bears offense averaging 34.5 points per game and makes the junior signal caller The Observer’s first Athlete

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of the Week of the 2023-24 academic year.

“I’m not really that surprised. We’ve been working all summer and the guys stepped up,” said Bellenger.

“We had Anthony Pizzuti, who’s our biggest target, come out and play football this year. Cam Werner has stepped up big time at the Z, Anthony Amaro too. Using our running backs in the passing game was huge, I threw a touchdown to Roddy (Morinho) on Friday and also Matthew Jarvis at tight end.”

So far, Bellenger has completed 22-of-42 passes for 336 yards as six different teammates have two or more receptions over the first two games. His five touchdown passes are just two fewer than he threw all of last season.

“He’s just getting better every single weekend,” head coach Rich Tuero said. “It started out last year that way, where he was getting better and better each week as a sophomore. Now, he’s just the man. He’s been awesome for us.”

as a player.

“He’s literally the leader of this offense,” Tuero said. “He knows where everyone is supposed to be, knows everyone’s responsibility. He takes over and takes control of the offense. He’s doing an awesome job and getting better every week.”

Tuero remembers seeing Bellenger and Morinho as seventh graders and saw the potential in both of them to be special players. That confidence in them was so great, that both were named captains in the spring of their freshman year.

It was an honor that Bellenger considers “one of the best moments of my life so far.”

Most importantly, Bellenger has not thrown any interceptions, after having eight in 146 attempts as a sophomore. Both Tuero and Bellenger credit the change to being more disciplined and not trying to force throws.

“Last year, I felt I made a couple of decisions that weren’t great decisions,” said Bellenger, who has a 4.2 GPA. “I threw a bunch of interceptions and this year, so far, I don’t have any interceptions and I think that’s because I’m taking what the defense is giving me rather than just trying to make the big play every play.”

Bellenger credits his added time watching film for the better decision making as a junior. In addition to his own games, he makes sure to study QB play while watching NFL and college football games. Bellenger also felt that watching the recent Netflix docuseries Quarterback that followed Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes as well as Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota proved beneficial in his own development

“I definitely didn’t expect to be named a captain before my sophomore season since it’s not a very normal thing for a sophomore to be named a captain,” Bellenger said.

“But I definitely took the role in and I made the most of it because I had to lead my team out there. I got to be a leader out there.”

That leadership included attending virtually every offseason workout in the weight room even while playing basketball and baseball for Lyndhurst and several other days working with his new receivers.

So far, that work is definitely paying off for Bellenger and Lyndhurst, but neither are satisfied yet as they have bigger goals in sight.

“We definitely have to keep working because we’re on the right path right now. But we definitely have to keep working to what our expectations are,” said Bellenger. “Our expectations are a Group 2 championship. We still have a lot of work to do, but we know we have the group and we have the guys to do it.”

Photo by Jason Bernstein Shawn Bellenger

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

September 13, 2023

Samuel J. Souza

Samuel J. Souza died at home Aug. 30, 2023.

He was 63.

Born in Belleville, he was a true, blue Kearny kid. He also lived in Nutley and Brick before moving to Barnegat in 2016.

Private cremation was handled by Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny.

Sam was a construction code official for Montclair. He was an all-around good athlete and loved fishing.

Sam was fun to be around.

Beloved son of Charlotte (nee Baron) and the late Samuel Souza, he was the cherished husband of Michelle (nee Hirschman). He is also survived by his son Samuel Jr., (his wife Raquel), his step-children Sean McGrady and Allison Burns (her husband Greg), his brother and sister Christopher Souza (his wife Jane) and Karen Kennedy (her husband Patrick). Loving grandfather to Sean, Mia, Rory, Isla and Jada. He also leaves behind loving nieces and nephews and their families.

At Sam’s request, kindly consider a donation to the American Cancer Society in his memory to help cure this terrible disease.

Marion Myles Dunrovich

Marion Myles Dunrovich departed her loving family Sept. 6, 2023.

Marion was born in New York City on May 15, 1934, to Marion Connors of New York City and Owen Myles of Belfast, Ireland. Marion was one of six children, including Margaret, Owen, Kathleen, Patricia and Francis. Her family moved from New York City to

OBITUARIES

Garrison, New York, and then at the age of 10, relocated to Harrison, to be near relatives from Ireland who had settled there. Once in Harrison, her father opened Owen’s Fish & Chip Shop.

Marion was left-handed so as a young girl, her father lovingly nicknamed her “Babe” after the famous lefty, Babe Ruth — a name she carried throughout her lifetime.

After Babe completed her education, she worked for Driver Harris and O’Connor’s Trucking. Looking for a change in career, Babe registered with the Grace Downs Modeling School in New York City. Upon completion of her modeling program, Marion was placed as a stewardess with Capitol Airlines (which later merged with United Airlines). She was stationed in Washington D.C., and then Ypsilanti, Michigan. While home on leave, she met the love of her life, John Patrick Dunrovich (Pat). They were married in 1958 and made a home and life for themselves and their four children in Kearny for the next 60 years.

After the airlines, Marion worked for Hartz Mountain and Roadway Express, and then spent the last 25+ years of her career at the Rosa Agency Real Estate office in Kearny, as the office manager and sales agent. She retired at the age of 82 and moved to Brick in 2018.

As for her favorite pastimes, Marion spent many weekends out on the ocean saltwater fishing with Pat and friends and taking cruise ship vacations. She was an avid reader, enjoying countless novels and solving jumbles and crossword puzzles. She was also a HUGE fan of the New York Yankees and her nightly TV game shows, namely “Jeopardy!” and the “Wheel.”

Marion was member of the

VFW Post 1302 Women’s Auxiliary and was involved in many VFW committees and events throughout the years. It was her and Pat’s second home. There wasn’t a member who didn’t know and love Babe and Pat at the “V.”

Marion also greatly enjoyed cooking, baking and entertaining, and loved a good party. She and Pat were surrounded by their children, family members and hosts of friends at many memorable holiday and fun birthday gatherings, around the Dunrovich table. She was an amazing hostess and made some of the most incredible dishes, including her famous coleslaw, stuffing, mushrooms and delicious apple pie. After a great day at sea, she often made fish fries for the whole gang with their “catch of the day.” She was a lover of desserts and sweets, especially chocolate. But her greatest love and joy of all was being a mother.

Marion was sadly predeceased by three of her children, Susan, Jackie and Jimmy, her sister Margaret (Peggy) and her brothers Owen and Frank. She is survived by her husband John (Pat) of 65 years, daughter Marion and husband Greg, grandson Sean, sisters Kathleen Payne and Patricia McCourt and many loving nieces and nephews and their children.

Family and friends gathered at the Thiele-Reid Funeral Home, 585 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, A church service is set for Wednesday, Sept. 13 at noon at St. Stephen’s Church in Kearny. A burial service will be in Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington.

Lois Mae Deegan

Lois Mae Deegan (Hoyle) of Harrison died peacefully with her daughters by her side on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.

She was 83. Funeral services were under the direction of Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave., Harrison.

Fond memories and expres-

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

sions of sympathy may be shared at www.mulliganfh.com. She was born in Newark on July 31, 1940, and was the

Continued on the next page

Mulligan Funeral Home

331 Cleveland Avenue, Harrison

Arrangements may be made in Spanish, Portuguese or Polish Frank X. Mulligan III, Manager, NJ Lic. 4221

Frank X. Mulligan, Jr. Inactive

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138 DAVIS AVE. • KEARNY, NJ 07032 (201) 991-2265 www.buyusfuneralhome.com

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

ny before moving to Harrison in 1976.

Continued from previous page

daughter of the late Sidney and Catherine (Gray) Hoyle. She was raised in Kear-

Congregation B’nai Israel of Kearny and North Arlington SCHEDULE OF

292 Belleville Turnpike, Kearny, NJ

Lois worked at Ed’s Corner Deli on Fourth Street in Harrison for many years. Prior to that, she worked as a bookkeeper. Upon retiring from the workforce, she became a devoted grandmother to her grandchildren and had the pleasure in helping to raise them.

Please

waiting for the bagpipes to come marching by. She was also an avid Elvis Presley Fan.

Her favorite pastime was attending the annual Harrison Halloween Parade and

Lois was the devoted mother to her loving daughters, Patty Egan (Phil), Lori Hinkle (Tom), Barbara Deegan and Alice Kelly (Larry), devoted grandmother to her cherished grandchildren, Shane Egan (Danielle), Cortni Deegan (Daniel Mackerley), Sean Hinkle, Ryan Egan (Jackie), Kaitlynn Long (Mike), Darin Hart, Miles Pastrof (Amanda Kirst), Matthew Deegan, Riley Kelly, Dana Morris (Ryan), Lauren Gardner (Mike), and dear great grandchildren, Kayla, Sydney, McKenna, Mikey, Harper, Charlie, Harper, Mila and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her beloved daughter, Catherine Hart (Deegan), her brother, William Hoyle and her cousin Lynn Pandorf (Gray).

Giuseppina F. ‘Josephine’ DeLuca Grabowski

Giuseppina F. “Josephine” DeLuca Grabowski, 67, of Kearny, formerly of Newark, died peacefully Sept. 2, 2023.

Beloved mother of Kristin Grabowski, she was the loving sister of Antoniette Adao. Lovingly know as Aunt Josie to her nieces, Andrea, Marisa, Sofie and Aryiah, she was cherished friend to Mayra Rodriguez and Maria Masullo.

Born to Antonio and Filomena DeLuca, she was born and raised in the Ironbound section of Newark. Josephine was a proud Italian woman, who knew the value of hard work. She attended grammar school at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Newark. For her high school years, she attended St. Vincent Academy, Newark, where she graduated. She attended Essex County College, and after graduation “Jo” worked for the State of New Jersey (New Jersey Compensation Rating & Inspection Bereau) for 35 years and happily enjoyed her retirement at home in Kearny.

“Jo” loved to give back and enjoyed supporting church events and activities at both St. Stephen’s RCC, Kearny and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel RCC, Newark. But, Josephine’s true love was baking. She happily enjoyed baking and sharing her tiramisu, pumpkin cheesecake

as well as her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and many other Italian sweets. She was a kind and sharing person, making sure her family, friends and neighbors received holiday care packages she made.

Josephine was a strong and brave fighter who beat both breast and pancreatic cancer. She remained in remission for over 10 years and until her last heartbeat, that is all in part to the care she received from Dr. Vasireddy and the nursing staff at Clara Maass.

Visitation was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. The funeral service was from the funeral home. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Stephen’s RCC, Kearny. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum, North Arlington.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Josephine’s name may be made to St. John’s Soup Kitchen, or St. Vincent Academy, both of Newark.

Elaine Grajewski

Elaine Grajewski, 78, died Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, at St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark.

Visitation was at the Thiele-Reid Family Funeral Home, 585 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. The funeral service was at the funeral home. Cremation was private. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Elaine lived in the Bronx before moving to Harrison in 1978.

Mrs. Grajewski was a lunch aide at Lincoln School in Harrison for several years.

She is survived by her husband Richard Grajewski, two daughters Tangy Rosado, Keya Berrocal-Dayton and her husband, Percy Berrocal, two brothers Charles Mallery and Eugene Dayton and one sister Muriel Morgan. Elaine was the grandmother of James, Mallery and her husband Ramon and Haley, and the great-grandmother of Brandon, Jecenia, Tristen, Mason, Jelina and Jayla.

She was predeceased by her siblings, Nelson, Donald and Richard and Gertrude.

Duncan H. Farrell

Duncan H. Farrell of Kearny died Sept. 10, 2023.

He was 89.

Born in Greenock, Scotland, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1961.

home featuring 3 bed/ 2 full bath, 1 car garage and is conveniently located!

maintained 2 fam house, 4 beds, 2 full baths, LR, EIK, finished basement w/ laundry area, family room,

Continued from Page 3

something, bring it to our attention and we’re willing to listen to anybody in town, regardless of age, as to what they see are problems,” the councilman said. “We were happy we were able to provide a solution and we hope there’s more to come.”

Jaileen’s dad, Ross, meanwhile, says he didn’t have to nudge his daughter to speak up one bit.

“She has her own mouth and her own brand and she’s just so smart,” he said. “When she has an idea, she is not a quiet girl, so she just blurted it out. She did this all on her own.”

So why’d she do it? Jaileen says it was simple.

“When I am in North Arlington riding my bike, I always have to lock it or hide it like on a pole or behind somewhere, or on a trash can,” she said. “Because people like to steal bikes, no matter where you live, and he (dad) would have to pay for a new one if mine got stolen. If I didn’t stand up and say something, this would have never happened. So I did.”

And now because of Jaileen, the mayor and Council, bike riders around the borough have two ideal locations when they have other stuff to do and who knows, there may be more down the line to park their bikes, knowing they’ll still be there when they return to pick them up later on.

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NEW RENTAL!

N. Arlington - $3,500

2 Bdrms - 1,453 Sq Ft Luxury Apt. - Open concept - LR, DR, EIK, Full Bath, In-unit Laundry – private parking – New Building “The Bend” - fitness center, elevator and smart key access.

Ft. - Kitchen, Full Bath, Laundry/ Utility Room – private parking – New building “The Bend” - fitness center, elevator and smart key access.

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2 Bdrms - 1,206 Sq Ft Luxury Apt. - Open concept - LR, DR, EIK, Full Bath, In-unit Laundry – private parking – New Building “The Bend” - fitness center, elevator and smart key access.

N. Arlington - $3,500

2 Bdrms - 1,206 Sq Ft Luxury Apt. - Open concept - LR, DR, EIK, Full Bath, In-unit Laundry – private parking – New Building “The Bend” - fitness center, elevator and smart key access.

Manchester - $300,000

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2 Bdrms - 2.5 Baths - LR + DR combo –family room – 1 car garage

Lyndhurst - $1,500

2nd Floor Apt. - 1 BdrmLR - DR - Kitchenette - heat +hot water included - no pets.

Karcic, right, helps Hanson lock her bike up at the new rack.

INSPECTOR ROAD OPENINGS

The Town of Kearny is currently accepting applications for Full Time or Part Time Inspector Road Openings (https://info.csc.state.nj.us/jobspec/02106.htm)

Salary is negotiable based on experience. For application go to https://www.kearnynj.org/job-opportunities/

The Deadline for submission is September 22,2023 17W03

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

The TOWN OF KEARNY is accepting applications for the full-time position of Assistant Superintendent of Public Works. The town is seeking an experienced professional with technical knowledge and strong leadership skills to effectively assist the Superintendent with the Department of Public Works which consists of staff of 35. The position entails assistance of planning, supervising and directing all aspects of public works including, but not limited to: recycling center, roads, public buildings and grounds, parks, fleet maintenance, shade tree, snow removal, sanitary sewer system, and sidewalk permitting and inspection. Also includes contract administration for tree removals, landscaping and janitorial services. The successful candidate should have at least four years’ experience in a supervisory and administrative leadership capacity. Certification in Public Works Management (CPWM) is required along with a Class B CDL License or the ability to acquire one within 6 months. Salary negotiable based on qualifications and experience.

Appropriate Candidate have opportunity for advancement For application go to https://www.kearnynj.org/job-opportunities/

The Deadline for submission is September 22, 2023.

The Town of Kearny is an EOE 17W03

Housing Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer

The Town of Kearny is accepting applications for the full-time position of Housing Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer. Under the direction of the Construction Official/Zoning Officer, the successful candidate will be responsible to perform field inspections of residential properties for purposes of issuing a Zoning Certificate of Occupancy (“ZCO”) for resale, as well as inspecting commercial properties which require a ZCO for a change in commercial tenant. In addition to coordinating and performing field inspections, candidate will be responsible for completing research of the Town records to ensure said properties are in compliance, must work with front office staff on issuing of all certificates, as well as maintain records required by the State of New Jersey for residential rental properties.

Duties relating to Code Enforcement would include, but not be limited to, identifying properties that are in violation of the Town’s Property Maintenance Code, Zoning Ordinances, potentially under construction without the required permits, and investigate complaints of any kind that have been referred to the Department. Applicants must have excellent communication and writing skills and must be computer literate.

A valid NJ Driver’s License is required. However, no other special licenses of certifications are necessary. The salary is negotiable based upon experience and qualifications.

For application go to https://www.kearnynj.org/job-opportunities/

The Deadline for submission is September 22, 2023 17W03

Music lessons in the privacy of your home,learn to Read, write & play music.

Guitar, Bass Guitar, Piano/Keyboard Call Diego Diaz Graduate of AMDA, NYC 201-978-5921

17W03

Part Time 3 days a week. Grocery store looking for experienced Cashier & Heavy lifting of boxes. English required (862)202-5765

18W03

PT Vacuum Repair Tech Needed 9am-1pm M-F Disassemble unit Assess problem areas, estimate and perform repairs Polish aluminum as needed

Will Train $15/h

201-955-0001

19W03

Looking for mature person for office work, good with math and computer skills, very neat and organized, responsible. Flexible hrs Family business Close to Kearny and Belleville (973)482-3462

19W03

Part time, flexible hours bookkeeping, must know QuickBooks. Please respond by email Mrenviro34@aol.com Thank you, Steve Environmental Equipment Repair, Inc. 236 Stuyvesant Avenue Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 (877)438-1168

19W03

WAREHOUSE WORKERS & OFFICE ASSISTANCE

Apply in person : 260 Schuyler Ave Kearny,NJ,07032 No soliciting calls or emails

19W03

SYSTEMS ENGINEER

Co. in Arlington, NJ seeks F/T Systems Engineer to create plans for sol. energy systems, design sol. panel systems, perform comp. simulations, test solar cells. w/at least 1 yrs exp. Req. Bach. Deg. in Systems Eng’g. Jobsites in NJ. Send resume attn: HR, Bullet Electric Inc., 322 Belleville Turnpike, North Arlington, NJ 07031

19W01

Midtown pharmacy Kearny, has following job openings Full time registered pharmacy technician, Full/part time evening cashier Apply in person/submit resume to Midtown581@gmail.com NO phone calls please 19W03

Collection System Supervisor

Kearny Municipal Utilities Authority, Hudson County

KMUA is seeking a Collection System Supervisor for the Authorities five pump stations, approximately 9 miles of gravity sewer, and 3 miles of force mains. Will report directly, and function under the supervision of the Executive Director. Assists with & perform daily operation, process changes, maintenance, inspections, and recordkeeping. Ability to troubleshoot and identify operational failures. Oversees, trains, and works with the operational staff of (3). Required to be on-call for emergencies. Intermediate computer skills are required (MS Office). Requires at least 4 years’ experience in pump station & collections operations and maintenance. High School diploma, NJDEP C-1 license, NJ state driver’s license, and NJ CDL Class B w/Tanker required. Salary range is requested. Resumes should be forwarded to JQUINONES@KMUA.ORG

19W04

Great Opportunity! Deli/Coffee Shop on Schuyler Ave in Kearny. For more info call 201-618-6560 19W03

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

APARTMENTS FOR RENT

N.ARLINGTON BELLEVILLE

BELLEVILLE Huge

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BELLEVILLE 1st floor. 1 BR, LR, DR, full Bath, EIK, 1.5 Months security. Utilities included. No Pets/Smoking. Couple Preferred. Available October 1st (201)988-1671 19W03

BELLEVILLE 3rd floor. Belleville/Nutley border. 1 BR. Spacious LR, EIK $1600 + 1.5 months security. Utilities separate. Includes 1 Parking space. Walking distance to Trans & Supermarket. Available October 1st (973)9516071 19W03

BLOOMFIELD

BLOOMFIELD 1st floor. 2 BR’s, Open space LR/Kitchen combo. Full basement with washer/dryer. access to driveway & backyard. $2250 + 1 month security. Utilities separate. No Pets/smoking. Available Now. Leave message (973)7254320 18W03

APARTMENTS FOR RENT HARRISON

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APARTMENTS FOR RENT

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N. ARLINGTON New one bedroom apartment with bonus room, den/office. Extra large rooms in new development. Close to shopping and transportation. Parking available and laundry on premises. $1900.00 per month with one month security. Supply own utilities. Available Oct 1st. Please call 201-997-2341 between10:am and 7:pm. 17W03

KEARNY

KEARNY Newly renovated. 3 BR’s. 1 bath, EIK, LR. $2400 + 1.5 months security. Utilities separate. No Pets/ Smoking Available Now (201)852-1720 18W03

N. ARLINGTON New 2 BR Apartment w/ updated kitchen and bath. Hardwood floors throughout. Rent: $2000 Security: 1.5 months rent Utilities are separate No Pets No Smoking

Credit/Background

Check required Contact: (201)693-3480 18W03

N. NEWARK 4 BR, Kitchen & LR combo. 1.5 Baths. Washer/Dryer included. 1 Parking space $2500 + 1.5 months security. No AvailableSmoking/Pets October 15th (201)283-7881 18W04

ROOM FOR RENT

BELLEVILLE Room for rent. 1 or 2 people reasonable price. Everything included. Private Bath. Shared Kitchen. Available now. Please Call (973)5366559 19W01

North Arlington Ridge Road Office Parking available $750 + utilities. Great Space. Owner (201)509-6965

PARKING SPACE FOR RENT

2 Commercial parking spaces available in Nutley, NJ up to 24 ft. (201) 390-1729 19W03

ROOFING/SIDING

HALL FOR RENT

13W06

Months Security. Utilities separate, Alv. Parking

Spot No Smoking/ No Pets.

KEARNY 1 person Studio Apartment in quit family oriented home perfect for single person. LR, BR, Bath, kitchenette, “Micro & Refrigerator No cooking allowed”. Utilities included no pets $1000 + 1 months security. (973)668-8305 19W03

KEARNY 1st Floor. Large 1 BR loft style apartment. Featuring high ceilings, Large windows, Hardwood floors, Full ceramic tile Bath, New Kitchen w/ Refrigerator & Stove, $2000 + Security & Utilities. No Pets/ Smoking Available Now (201)991-6942 19W03

N. ARLINGTON 2nd floor. 3 BR, LR, DR, Kitchen, bathroom $2200+ 1 month security. Utilities separate. No smoking. no pets Avl. October 1st. (973) 477-0896 18W03

N. ARLINGTON 4th Floor 3 BR’s, LR, DR, EIK. 1.5 months security. No Pets/Smoking Also 2nd floor. 2 BR’s, EIK & DR. 1.5 months security. No Pets/Smoking.

Both Available September 1st (908)764-5547 19W03

NUTLEY Large room. Share Bath, Kitchen $700 + 1 months security, Utilities included. Woman preferred. No Pets/Smoking. Available Now (862)2088565 18W03

HOUSE FOR SALE

NUTLEY

Estate modern 4 BR’s, 2 Baths. Attached 2 car garage. New Kitchen $490K (973)544-3930

19W03

YARD SALE

KEARNY

YARD SALE

for seniors and veterans.

NEWARK Newly renovated. 1st floor.3 BR’s w/large closets. LR. EIK. DR. 2 Full Bath’s. $2600 + 1.5 months security.

Utilities separate. No

Pets/Smoking. Laundry facility on premise.

Available September

1st (201)725-7709

17W03

Huge Yard Sale Sat 9/16 and Sun 9/17 from 9 am-4pm 214 Davis Ave Kearny. Xmas items, Ladies clothing, books, tools, etc. Lots of great and new items!

19W01

Jean’s grass hedges and tree trimmings On the spot will get it done! Our prices and service will be the best. Senior Discount (201)565-6393

17W06

Couple from Poland will clean houses, apartments, offices. References Available. (201)364-5859 Leave message. 17W06

LETTERS

Continued from Page 8

properties are going to park on the streets. I would, too.

Kearny is a mess. The quality of life here has gone downhill. Crime is up. The town is filthy. Have you seen

the number of illegal U-turns made on Kearny Avenue alone? I’ve recorded several videos of these. They happen all day, every day.

It’s dangerous and people don’t care. Is it going to take someone getting seriously injured or worse for something to be done? Want to catch

these folks? KPD sits an unmarked vehicle (or a couple) on Kearny Avenue between Wilson and Midland. Wait five minutes.

I was raised in this town and have lived most of my life here. My children live here. We must do better. Which of the three candidates for

mayor has the most courage to seriously address these issues? Don’t film videos of playgrounds being refurbished or streets being repaved the unannounced street closures demonstrate that plenty without vertical videos. Do something important, instead. Fix this!

We are waiting. And time is running out.

Sean McDonald Kearny | First Ward

How does Syd expect to annex town land?: LaClair

To the Editor:

The Republican Mayoral candidate (in Kearny) says he has the solution to our parking problem: “(annex) land to build more parking lots and other parking structures.” Wow! He solved the problem, right?

Not quite. Several questions must be answered:

n Under what legal authority can the Town of Kearny annex land? A town cannot just take land that belongs to someone else.

n What land is available to be annexed? Where is it, and who owns it now?

n Who will pay to put up the parking lot(s), and how much does it cost?

Mr. Ferreira’s “plan” is a solution in the same way that Bugs Bunny always has a solution for every problem in a cartoon.

Beware of people who claim to have solutions but have no idea what they are talking about. People like that can easily make matters worse.

Paul L. LaClair Kearny

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

(MOBILE continued from Page 1) of Harrison and East Newark currently and in Bloomfield, where she used to work. But she also noted it will be vitally important for the town to teach the less tech savvy how to use the app properly, and this was something on which the governing body concurred.

Once details of how the app itself works are made available, The Observer plans to offer a step-by-step tutorial in an upcoming print edition and a stepby-step video online. You may download ParkMobile now to get a head start at either the Apple Store for iPhone users or at the Google Play Store for Android users.

Parking meetings by ward

Meanwhile, town will host meetings in each of its four wards for residents to offer input on the parking situation. All meetings are set to take place at 6:30 p.m.

In the First Ward, the meeting takes place Sept 18 at the American Legion on Belgrove Drive.

In the Second Ward, the meeting will be Sept. 12 at Kearny High School on Devon Street.

In the Third Ward, it’ll be Sept. 21 at Roosevelt School on Kearny Avenue.

And lastly in the Fourth Ward, the meeting takes place Oct. 16 at Schuyler

Celebrate North Arlington set for last weekend of September

The Borough of North Arlington will host its “Celebrate North Arlington” Festival, an annual community event that features a family-friendly atmosphere, local flavors and engaging activities for all ages, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the municipal parking area at Borough Hall.

There will be local food, live music performances, games and rides, and opportunities to connect with various civic organizations and learn about their impact on the community.

For animal lovers of all ages, a petting zoo will provide attendees a chance to get up close and personal with adorable animals. Adults can relax in a beer and wine garden, hosted by the North Arlington Fire Department.

“Our Celebrate North Arlington Festival is an opportunity for our community to come together, recon-

School on Forest Street.

Two of the meetings, however, will take place concurrently with Kearny Board of Education meetings Sept. 18 and Oct. 16. When asked by Board of Education President Samantha Paris to consider changing those meetings to ones that did not coincide with board meetings, the mayor and Town Council declined the request.

Conversely, interim Mayor Peter P. Santana and Second Ward Councilman Richard Konopka said they’d remain at the parking meetings until a time when anyone attending the board meetings could then come to the parking meeting to offer input after the aforementioned school board meetings end.

Two deputy OEM coordinators appointed

The mayor and Town Council also appointed Police Officer Richard Poplaski Jr. and Fire Chief Joseph Mastandrea to serve, in an unpaid capacity, as Deputy Emergency Management Coordinators.

The two will assist Police Chief George King who is the overall coordinator.

King said the decision to appoint two experienced public-safety officers to assist him was multi-faceted.

First, during COVID, King says he realized the immense amount of work the previous deputy coordinator, retired

COMING SOON

nect after the summer and celebrate our wonderful borough,” Councilwoman Allison Sheedy said. “It’s a day to appreciate our local culture, build friendships and enjoy some fantastic food and entertainment. I look forward to seeing everyone there.”

Performances of ‘Othello,’ ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ set for later this month

Shakespeare is coming to WHATCo. later this month.

Performances of “Othello” take place Sept. 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m., while performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” take place Sept. 29 and 30 at 8 p.m., with all shows at the Theater at WHATCo, 15 Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard S., Harrison.

This Shakespeare run marks the first performances of these classic works locally in recent memory. The unique undertaking has prompted WHATCo to create and launch several new initia-

police Sgt. Peter Blair, had to perform. Having two deputies will place a less significant burden on the two.

Additionally, having a cross section of deputies from different public-safety sectors, will also be a great benefit to the town overall.

Four new firefighters hired

Four new firefighters Gustavo Martinez, Justin Erezuma, Matthew Duane and Zachary Myers — will head to the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, Morristown, for training and they’ll make an entry-level salary of $40,000 a year during that time.

New councilman a no-show?

Kearny has a new Second Ward Councilman Dennis Solano, who replaced Santana when he accepted his appointment as interim mayor and he was absent from the Sept. 5 meeting. It would have marked the first full meeting the new lawmaker attended at which he would have been able to vote. (He joined the council at its last meeting, but the town attorney advised him not to vote on any ordinances or resolutions since he hadn’t at that moment had a chance to review any of them.)

What happened to Lyla?

Lastly, based on a question posed by

tives surrounding the performances. Tickets will be “Pay What You Choose” for the performances. WHATCo says it will be reaching out to middle and high schools in East Newark, Harrison and Kearny to provide a variety of correlative education tools including lesson plans and activities for classroom use to complement the performances, as well as incentives for students to attend the productions.

WHATCo will also launch a new “Education Spotlight” series, pre-show audience primers that will not only feature short power-packed synopsis of the plays, but will also highlight significant themes, discuss ties to pop culture and identify recognizable quotes. The spotlight, will be presented 30 minutes prior to each performance. Visit www.whatconj.org for more information and tickets; some seats may be available at the door the day of performances.

resident Melanie Ryan, it was officially confirmed Lyla DeCastro is no longer the confidential aide to the mayor. Town Attorney James Bruno said the position is one that does not require the consent of the mayor and Town Council and the person who works in that capacity is appointed solely at the discretion the mayor.

That did not sit too well with Councilwoman Carol Jean Doyle, who noted in the past, whenever DeCastro was up for appointment and re-appointment, it was done so annually by resolution with the consent of the entire council.

“It’s always been done that way,” Doyle said.

She also says she still wants the new appointment to be voted on.

“I want to have the salary on the agenda so we could vote on it,” Doyle said. “My understanding for the last 27 years is we the mayor and Council could not spend taxpayer dollars without a resolution or ordinance.”

There was no discussion as to why DeCastro, the affable, popular and long-time aide to former Mayor Alberto G. Santos, and sister of First Ward Councilwoman Marytrine DeCastro, was relieved of her duties in favor of another person. Lyla DeCastro, also a deputy clerk in town, will continue in that capacity.

(OBITS continued from Page 14)

Visiting will be Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 from 3 until 7 p.m. at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home in Kearny. Private cremation will follow.

Duncan was a self-employed carpenter in the Kearny area for many years. He was a member of Copestone Ophir Lodge F and AM., the Ulster Club and the Scots Club all in Kearny. He was a World Wide U.S. Lawn Bowling champion and when still living in Scotland, he played for the Greenock Morton Soccer Team. He was a bass and tenor Drummer for both the St. Columcille United Gaelic Bag Pipe Band as well as the Kearny Caledonians.

He is currently married to Mary and formerly married to the late Elizabeth Farrell. Father of Heather, June and William Farrell, he was the brother of Margaret Ireland and is also survived by his grandchildren Courtney, Aislinn, William and Elizabeth.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to the American Heart Association.

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