Wednesday, 3 January 2024 n www.TheObserver.com n Volume CXXXVI, Issue No. 35
UNDER THE COVER Nutley man already facing vehicular homicide charges now charges he sexually assaulted a child, BCPO says. Page 7
HELLO 2024!
BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
As we begin the new year, filled with hope, we first look at the most-read online stories of the last By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
W
It isn’t often electronic message boards lead to an uproar — but these did in September and it led to one of the most read stories on The Observer’s website in 2023. Observer file photo.
kc@theobserver.com
hile The Observer continues to buck the trend for print publications — we are still moving along nicely with a print product while many other publications have closed or now have limited print operations — one thing is certain: this newspaper’s digital footprint continues to experience growth, both locally and beyond this region. Here, then, are the Top 9 stories that appeared online at www.theobserver.com. Please note — not all stories that appeared in print also appeared online and not all stories that appeared online also appeared in print.
ALLY) HAPPENED AT KEARNY MARSHALLS MONDAY, DEC. 19. This story appeared Dec. 21, 2022, but took root just after the new year. It was especially well read because that week, social media reports inaccurately said there had been a shooting at the Marshalls. At no point was there ever a shooting at the Passaic Avenue store. However, two New Jersey men were charged with possessing with intent to distribute approximately a kilogram of cocaine and approximately 100 grams of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said at the time. Carlos Ovidio Gonzalez, 35,
9) A LOOK AT WHAT (ACTU-
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Kearny’s ‘Static Six’ block numerous raises for exempt employees By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
T
kc@theobserver.com
he Fab 5 — recently renamed the Static Six since they have a new addition and are known to be clung to each other most of the time like socks fresh out of a clothes dryer — but who are back to the Fab 5 this week because one councilman
was absent last week — struck again and this time, there are some who believe their actions are not only personal, but downright mean. At a special meeting of the Kearny Mayor and Town Council Wednesday, Dec. 27 to close out 2023, the Fab 5 voted to forego giving raises to several town employees who were all but guaranteed the raises by Chief Finan-
cial Officer Shuaib Firozvi and Town Administrator Stephen Marks. By a vote of 5-3, the new band rejected small raises for Town Clerk Patricia Carpenter, Fire Chief Joseph Mastandrea, Recreation Director Ralph Cattafi and they also chose to continue not to pay Mayoral Aid Lyla DeCastro the $32,000 annual stipend she agreed to accept — for the first
time ever — to serve in a dual role (hardly unprecedented) along with being the Assistant Town Clerk.
A little background first Just five months ago, after former interim Mayor Peter P. Santana fired DeCastro without notice or cause, See STATIC, Page 18