Wednesday, 23 February 2022
www.TheObserver.com
Vol. CXXXIV, No. 42
ON THE INSIDE KPD: Fabula investigation leads to ID thief being caught stealing pal’s credentials SEE PAGE 8
BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
REST EASY ERNIE Veteran Harrison Police sergeant who lost cancer battle remembered as a caring & loving soul By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com
E Sgt. Ernesto ‘Ernie’ Hernandez is seen here when he was promoted to sergeant. He’s with his wife, Jennifer, and his daughter, Graciella.
rnesto “Ernie” Hernandez loved being a cop. But perhaps it was never more evident than it was on the day he was laid to rest just how much he was loved back, as scores of police officers, from near and far, took part in his funeral throughout West Hudson. They came from everywhere to pay respects to the man who fought long and hard to beat cancer. Four years ago, he took out colon
cancer. But then in December 2021, he found out he had Stage 4 pancreatic/liver cancer, a nauseating way to spend Christmas. He succumbed to the disease Feb. 10, 2022, aged 51, after trying his darndest to beat it, yet again. At his funeral, many cops rode motorcycles — and though it’s hardly rare to see police officers on bikes at funerals, especially for fallen officers, it was especially poignant for Hernandez, as he See ERNIE, Page 18
Harrison gives thumbs-up to two potential pot shops By Ron Leir
A
For The Observer
t some point soon, Harrison residents could be lining up to buy marijuana at a shop along the main drag. Two companies have applied to the town to set up shop as prospective “adult personal use” cannabis retailers and, on Feb. 15, both received
Catch
official endorsements from the town governing body. Whether either – or both – become a reality depends, ultimately, on state bureaucrats. Cookies Harrison LLC and Green Origins Solution LLC have each secured municipal zoning approval and a resolution of support from the mayor and Town Council – both of
which are pre-conditions that must be met before their applications can be passed on to the N.J. Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) for consideration. Mayor James A. Fife said each applicant submitted a $10,000 filing fee mandated by the town for researching whether the applicant’s plans comply with state and local require-
The Observer LIVE!
MONDAYS AT 8 PM @ YOUTUBE.THEOBSERVER.COM
ments for operating as a marijuana sales shop. A town ordinance passed in August 2021 calls for cannabis Class 5 retailers to: n Confine their operations to Harrison’s waterfront redevelopment area and neighborhood commercial zone. n Provide an amount of off-street See POT, Page 15
