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The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Opinion & Viewpoints EDITORIAL
Reality check: Where we live, car doors must be locked
T
his is the next in a series of editorials — frankly, we’ve lost track of specifically how many there have been — designed to remind resident of the importance of locking car doors and not keeping the keys or fobs in them overnight or when you run into the store for 30 seconds. This time, the warning comes from the Nutley Police Department. We’ve seen them from all the police departments we cover. And, without much doubt, we are certain this will not be the final one we get. We’ve asked countless police brass and local leaders why these crimes keep on happening and the answers are becoming universal. First, residents are having a tough time accepting they live in a town where cars are stolen, brazenly, right off of people’s driveways. Next, criminals are well aware of this. The Nutley PD estimated 90% of all vehicles stolen in that township were of cars left running (I’m just running into the store for one thing) or where keys were just sitting there, with unlocked doors, inviting criminals in, making their jobs more simple than anything you could imagine. Think of this for a second. Let’s say you own a laptop. It’s valued at $1,200. You get home, put it on the roof of your car, grab a few other items — and then head inside the house. But then you realize you left the laptop on top of the car. Not one person reading this editorial says, “Eh, I will grab it tomorrow.” No, you head right outside and bring the thing inside immediately. So how or why is it people don’t do the same with keys or fobs that allow something worth considerably more than a laptop to be taken without any assistance? The reality is that though we are generally safe in this area, we live in a place where cars are stolen. It is certainly not because more criminals live here. Instead, it’s because too many can’t accept the reality — and that reality is cars are easy to take here. Residents just make it too easy. So, please. Help the police. Help you neighbors. Accept the new reality. Start locking your cars and don’t leave them running, unattended, even for 30 seconds.
In loving memory of Jerry Tolve LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor: We first met Jerry Tolve on a random Tuesday night, seven years ago, at Lassoni Ristorante in North Arlington. Giuseppe (Lassoni) invited us to come see Jerry sing for the first time. My husband and I went with a few of our friends for dinner and arrived while Jerry was setting up. We were just doing our thing not really paying attention until that velvet voice came crooning over the mic. We thought, “This guy is fantastic!” And the rest is history. From then on, for the next five years, Tuesday nights with Jerry became “Dance Night” at Lassoni. Each week, the crowd got bigger and bigger and there was rarely a Tuesday night we missed. We always had a huge table for 10 right next to Jerry and always had more friends showing up throughout the night, so that we were squeezing more chairs in. After the dinner crowd would dwindle, we would move the tables and make a bigger dance floor. It got to the point Jerry was staying until midnight because we were having such a ball singing along and dancing. He would sing all of our favorites and while he was taking a break, he would program all our favorite
dance songs so we could keep dancing. Oh, the Tuesday night shenanigans that were had by all! If you were there, you know what I’m talking about. We became great friends with Jerry and he was a big part of so many of our events, including my husband’s 50th birthday party, our kids’ birthday dinners, anniversary and engagement celebrations and so many memorable friend-dinners at Lassoni. He even MC’d a hilarious dance competition night between my husband and me and a few of our good friends. He was the MC and judge for the coveted award of the “Left Footed Losers.” We laughed all night because our “rival couple” dressed up like contestants on “Dancing With the Stars.” We made so many happy memories with Jerry always at the helm. He never forgot to play my husband’s favorite song “Lonely Teardrops” and always sang a song for me he knew reminded me of my mother. When he found out our
In Memoriam Mary A. Tortoreti 1942-2016
Lisa M. Feorenzo lisa@theobserver.com Co-owner/Advertising Dir.
wedding song, he never failed to sneak it in so we could dance to it. You can hear him singing in the background of every video clip and see him in almost every pic. He would sit and hang out with us in between sets and really became a special person in our lives. We were saddened when he was diagnosed with ALS, but boy, did he teach us all a lesson in grace and dignity. He still always had a smile on his face and his faith was unwavering. He took every hurdle and kept moving forward, even as his situation was becoming more and more challenging. Even though we didn’t see him as much anymore, I had the pleasure of speaking to him a few times as he said it was difficult for him to text. He was cheerful and optimistic and always grateful. I told him how special he was to all of us and that we missed our Tuesday night shenanigans at Lassoni. They truly were the best of times and he agreed. Jerry was always a gentlemen and a wonderful human. He will be sorely missed and we are all better for having known him. Love and prayers to the Tolve Family. Angela and Joe Muriale North Arlington
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Tina Feorenzo Co-owner/Advertising
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