North Edition
MAYOR BEGINS 8TH TERM
Closter • Demarest • Harrington Park • Haworth • Northvale • Norwood • Old Tappan • Rockleigh
CROPPED FOR A CAUSE
JANUARY 13, 2020 NORTHERN VALLEY
SUEZ’S PLAN FOR LEAD FIX TO GET JAN. 21 HEARING
Five-year-old Alexa donated 12 inches of her hair to the Children With Hair Loss charity.
SEE PAGE 10
NORTHERN VALLEY
DRAMATIC SEA LEVEL RISE MAY IMPACT NJ, REPORT SAYS BY HILLARY VIDERS SPECIAL TO NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
Sea levels in New Jersey could rise from 2000 levels by as much as 1.1 feet by 2030, 2.1 feet by 2050 and 6.3 feet by 2100, according to a new study released during the first meeting of New Jerseyʼs new Interagency Council on Climate Resilience. The study, “The Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms,” was commissioned by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and prepared by Rutgers University and leading climate change experts. The report also concludes sea-level rise projections in New Jersey are more than two times the global average, according to NJDEP. “New Jersey has much to lose if we do not act quickly and deci-
See CLIMATE page 64
Photo by Ann Bistritz
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
The 2020 Harrington Park Borough Council, from left: Councilman Gregory Evanella, Councilman Allan Napolitano, Councilwoman Diane Walker, Mayor Paul Hoelscher, Council President Joon Chung, Councilman Jeffrey Brockman, and Councilman Jorden “Nick” Pedersen. ever in the Northern Valley. On Jan. 4, incumbent BY MICHAEL OLOHAN Harrington Park Mayor Paul Hoelscher was OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS sworn in to begin his eighth consecutive four-year HARRINGTON PARK—If not the longest serving term. Prior to being elected mayor, Hoelscher mayor in Bergen County, heʼs certainly in the running as one of the longest serving public officials Continued on page 2
CSX rail crossing repairs due Jan. 13 in Norwood BY MICHAEL OLOHAN NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
NORWOOD—A railroad grade crossing on Broadway—which the police chief called in “deplorable condition” in a December letter to CSX Transportation Corp. officials—will be repaired over three days beginning Monday, Jan. 13, Norwood police officials reported in a Facebook post. An illustrated map with planned street detours was also posted on Facebook to aid motorists, said Norwood Police. The crossing intersects Broadway at Broad Street, a street which has been closed for two months due to underground utility upgrades by Rockland Electric, a situation that angered over a dozen local
QUIZ KIDS SHINE
A Northern Valley Old Tappan team earned high marks in a competition that tested their talent in trivia.
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shopowners due to lost business and poor communication by utility officials. Shopkeepers, including Callahanʼs owner Daniel DeMiglio, publicly complained to Northern Valley Press in December about the railroad crossing repair coming right after a two-month Broad Street shutdown due to utility electrical upgrades, originally planned to take place during summer. In addition, more utility upgrade work is planned for Blanch Avenue and Livingston Street soon as part of a two-year, $28 million electric system improvement project that includes installing 3.2 Continued on page 2
A proposal to replace customer lead service lines for a flat fee of $1,000—and impose a surcharge of up to 85 cents per month on water bills for 200,000 customers in Bergen and Hudson counties—will be open for public comment at a hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders Meeting Room in Hackensack. The state Office of Administrative Law (OAL) is conducting the hearing, which will be overseen by Judge Jacob S. Gertsman. “The company is requesting approval of a monthly surcharge up to $0.85 per month to General Metered Water customers, which includes the costs of the program and the companyʼs costs incurred above the $1,000 per residence payment as part of the total,” states the public notice. The company notes it will initially pay the difference above $1,000 to replace a customerʼs lead service line and seek reimbursement later via a monthly surcharge on all customers. The Suez petition to begin a two-year pilot program was transferred last year by the state Board of Public Utilities to the OAL for a decision and recommendation back to BPU. Public advocate opposed Suezʼs proposal is opposed by the state Division of Rate
See SUEZ page 204
B ck in time...
Three convicts escaped from Sing Sing prison in 1873, only to be nabbed in the Northern Valley.
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