Kearny resident runs over man

ENGLEWWOOD - Kearny resident Joseph Lopez, 39, has been charged and arrested with one count of vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated in connection with a fatal motor vehicle accident that occurred on Wednesday, March 27 at 12:25 p.m. in Englewood, according to a press release sent by Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli.
The charges came about as a result of an investigation conducted by Chief Joseph Macellaro and the members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit in collaboration with Chief David Bowman and the Englewood Police Department.
Lopez, who is employed by a company which cleans out portable toilets, was operating a 2007 Ford F350 Truck traveling in a construction site located adjacent to West Sheffield Road in Englewood, according to the report.
After cleaning out the second portable toilet, Lopez entered his Ford truck and traveled around the portable bathroom. He then backed up, in a northerly direction and passed a parked flatbed that was being unloaded.
As Lopez was traveling in reverse, he ran over a construction worker at the site - Hackensack resident Peter Toulson, 59.
Shortly after striking Toulson, Lopez stopped his vehicle after hearing several construction workers yelling after him indicating that there was a man laying injured on the ground in the path where the vehicle had traveled. Lopez then exited the truck and walked over. Toulson was pronounced dead as a result of severe head trauma sustained during the accident by Doctor Schiebman after the responding paramedics took the vicrim tothe Englewood Hospital Emergency Room.
During the course of the accident investigation, police detected an odor of marijuana on Lopez. He was charged and arrested with driving while intoxicated, and a blood sample was drawn for toxicology testing. Authorities await the results of the toxicology tests.
Bail was set at $35,000.00 with no 10 percent option by Englewood Municipal Court Judge James Dow, Jr., J.M.C.
The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutor Molinelli would like to thank the Englewood Police Department for their cooperation during the incident.

North Arlington Cheerleaders win International competition

NORTH ARLINGTON – See the April 2 Observer edition for the full story on the dedication and determination it took for the North Arlington High School cheerleaders to win not only the first regional competition in the school's history but how they went to the top of the pops in the AmeriCheer 2008 competition in Orlando, Florida. They had a big welcome home from friends, family and residents when they got back to town.

Fire on the Pike

Photo by Tony Mondaro, North Arlington EMS

KEARNY – There was a two-alarm fire Tuesday March 25 at 5:37 p.m. at 238 Belleville Pike in Kearny. The fire started in the second floor bedroom of the one-family house. All Kearny uptown fire companies - Engine 3, Engine 1 and Engine 2 along with Ladder 2 arrived at the scene. Deputy Chief Anthony Calabrese was also at the scene.
Two people who were passing by on the Pike pulled an elderly female from the building, prior to the arrival of the Kearny fire department. The 88-year-old woman was flown to the Burn Unit at St. Barnabas Heath Care Center in Livingston from Gunnel Oval by a New Jersey State Police operated NorthSTAR medevac helicopter, who were requested to do so by Kearny EMS. The injured woman is currently in critical condition with third-degree burns to 15 to 20 percent of her body.

Kearny Acting Chief Steven Dyl said the fire was under control in 20 minutes with assistance from Harrison and North Arlington fire departments. Jersey City and East Newark fire departments covered Kearny stations during the incident.
As of this time, the cause of the fire was determined accidental by Kearny Fire Inspector Officials.
See more photos in the April 2 edition of The Observer.

Racketeering sting comes down today

Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes announced today the arrests and/or pending charges against 42 individuals and the execution of 24 search warrants in Bergen, Hudson, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The search warrants resulted in the seizure of approximately five pounds of marijuana, five vehicles and the seizure of over five $5 million. The arrests and search warrants are for various crimes relating to traditional organized crime activities occurring in and around Bergen County, to include racketeering, promoting gambling, money laundering and the distribution of narcotics.
The arrests are the result of a seven-month long joint investigation by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Special Investigation Squad, under the direction of Chief Joseph Macellaro, and the New Jersey State Police, Organized Crime Bureau North, under the direction of State Police Lieutenant Dean Voris.
The investigation of illegal gambling and money laundering activities began in August 2007, occurring in and around Bergen County. The investigation focused on several individuals involved in controlling a large-scale illegal gambling ring, which was based in Bergen County but also had individuals controlling factions of it in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
The Genovese organized crime family allegedly controls the group, and several of the individuals arrested for their part in controlling this illegal enterprise and are known associates of the Genovese crime family, according to Bergen County officials.
The investigation indicated that Mark Iafelice, Brian DiGuilmi, James W. Skinner and his son, James J. Skinner, controlled the illegal gambling portion.
Bernard Duffy acted as mid-level manager on behalf of the Skinner’s, reports said. These five individuals operate along with a large network of operatives or “agents” who were running individual gambling “packages” on their behalf.
These co-conspirators were paid a “commission”, or percentage of the profits being reaped by organization. These “agents” were the ones responsible for meeting with individual bettors to pay out winnings or collect losses. The bettors were placing their wagers on a wide variety sporting events, including college, professional and horseracing, reports said.
The bettors placed wagers with an offshore “wire room,” located in the Dominican Republic either by telephone or on the Internet.
Bettors as well as “agents” were given code names and passwords in an effort to prevent law enforcement from identifying them, and would use these code names when communicating with the wire room.
As the investigation progressed, evidence of widespread, street level narcotics distribution was uncovered in the southern Bergen County area. The investigative team began to focus on this as well, and as a result additional evidence was obtained regarding the drug distribution network. The drug distribution included the distribution of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana and the illegal sale of prescription narcotics.
The investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Molinelli and Fuentes would like to thank members of the participating law enforcement agencies that assisted this investigation, in particular the East Rutherford Police Department.

Heliplex help

KEARNY - Come to Congressman Steven Rothman's (D-Fairlawn) "Listening Session," at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 24 at Kearny Town Hall, 402 Kearny Avenue, to air your concerns on the 5-acre Newark Heliplex proposal.

The $10 million project, across the river from Stevenson Place and Passaic Avenue, will bring a mini-airport with 24-hour, seven-days-a-week operations.

Talk about more noise and fumes from low flying copters crossing Rt. 21 and McCarter Highway and heading this way!

Mayor Albertos Santos, the town coucil and residents opposed to the plan hope to engage neighboring towns as well as Belleville and Bloomfield in the grass roots charge against quality of life and the submerging of property values due to the noxious and potentially dangerous lines of helicopter activity.

Rothman has been successful in toning down the Teterboro flights and has waged and won battles with the Federal Aviation Administration.

He may be the town's big wrench in Newark's works.

See the the March 26 edition of The Observer for the situation so far.

To see the resolution passed at the March 11 Kearny town council meeting see their Web site at http://www.kearnynj.org/Upcomingevents.asp and scroll down to March 12.

Police reports from Lyndhurst

Fire on Stuyvesant Street

At 7:03 am, Lyndhurst patrolmen responded the sound of a fire alarm coming from 130 Stuyvesant Avenue at 1:03 a.m. Tuesday, March 18. While on route, dispatchers alerted the officers that there was a working fire in apartment 12A.
Capt. Joseph Sarnoski, Sgt. Christopher Valiante and Officer Kevin Breslin were first at the scene and tried to get into the apartment on their hands and knees but were forced out due to the heavy black smoke inside the building.
The Lyndhurst Fire Department arrived on scene by then and conducted a search of the apartment. It was unoccupied, according to police reports.
A second floor tenant told the officers that she was forced to jump out her kitchen window to safety. The 27-year-old woman said that after hearing the fire alarm sounding, she opened her apartment door to vacate the building but was met by billowing smoke in the hallway. The woman immediately closed her apartment door but was forced to the window as her apartment began to fill with smoke. The victim then jumped out the second floor window to safety.
The woman complained of pain in her legs and buttocks. She was treated at the scene by the Lyndhurst Police Emergency Squad emergency medical team, reports said.
However, the victim of the fire declined transportation to the hospital.
Two cats were also rescued from the fire scene. One was administered oxygen by the patrolmen and transported to Veterinary Emergency Services on Ridge Road, while the other was brought to the Rutherford Animal Hospital
Both cats were treated and released to the building manager.
The fire was extinguished with haste by the firefighters. The cause of the fire was an electric coffee maker left unattended on the counter top within the apartment, according to police reports.
As of press time, the tenants were not permitted to return back to their apartments until repairs to code are made to the building as per the Lyndhurst Building Department standards.

Worker accident

A police unit was dispatched to Cambridge Pavers, 1 Jerome Avenue, on Tuesday March 18, 10:35 a.m., on a report of an injury to a worker. The officers found a 42-year-old man who worked there, who conscious and alert, police reports said.
The victim his right hand had been pulled into a tumbler (a large piece of machinery) while on the job but he was freed himself prior to police arrival. The worker was wearing a heavy work glove at the time of the accident and sustained severe injury to his right hand and fingers, as well as bruising to his arm.
Lyndhurst Emergency Medical Service and paramedics treated the victim and then transported him to Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack.
Lyndhurst police department notified OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) about the accident. As of press time, the injured man is listed in stable condition, they said.

Tanski goes up the river

William Tanski, 52, was finally sentenced to three years in state prison on March 7 on two charges: official misconduct and theft with failure to make required disposition, according to law enforcement officials.
The former superintendent of Harrison Department of Public Works was convicted of stealing nearly $100,000 in coins from the town’s parking meters. He worked for the town for 31 years.
Town officials noticed a substantial decrease in parking meter revenue and Mayor Raymond McDonough asked him to resign in the summer of 2005 after he admitted his guilt. Tanski deposited the money into his personal bank account and was used at Atlantic City casinos, according to reports at the time.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office first investigated Tanski in 2006, after Harrison police notified them after their own investigation.
Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said Tanski was remanded to the Hudson County Correction Center in South Kearny. Tanski will be taken to the Central Reception and Assignment Facility in Trenton, DeFazio said.
There, Department of Corrections officials will classify him according to the crimes he has been convicted of. Once a spot opens up in the appropriate state prison, such as a minimum-security prison, he will be sent there, other officials said.
“Based on the nature of the offense and his age, that (Tanski going to a minimum security facility) would be a reasonable assumption. It is in the hands of the D.O.C.,” DeFazio said.
Tanski could wind up in a workplace like Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, or one of the state prison-run AgriIndustries food production plants (formerly known as “the farms.”).
“Some prisons have a different number of classifications so (he could be sent) to a number of locations in the state – clearly it’s not in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton,” DeFazio said.
The AgriIndustries facilities are not like a regular farm.
“These are not country clubs. There are no golf, swimming pools or tennis courts in any of these places. But where he goes is strictly in the hands of the Department of Corrections,” he said.

Methane gas plant saved by firefigters

HARRISON - See this week's Observer for a fine photo array and story by Observer correspondent Diane Tilley on today's mid-morning brush fire where Harrison Avenue meets Rt. 280. Fire fighfighters from seven townships helped keep a methane gas plant from becoming part of the blaze. Kearny Engine No. 2 was the first on the scene.

Jersey man caught in Michigan child predator sting

MICHIGAN - One man from New Jersey and 26 men from Michigan were charged and arrested as a result of a six-month long Internet child predator sting by Van Buren police and Wayne County sheriffs, according to news reports. All 27 men came from a variety of distances and by different modes of transportation to a decoy home for what they thought would be a sexual encounter with an underage girl or boy.
They were met by Van Buren law enforcement officials instead.
Even more alleged predators are expected to be nabbed with help through volunteer video surveillance provided by Perverted-Justice Foundation, a non-profit foundation for aggressive confronting “of pedophiles, predators and all the issues that surround them.” See their Web site at http://www.pjfi.org/.

Contract dispute in Harrison

HARRISON – Members of Teamster's Union Local 701 working at Pechter's Bakery at 840 Jersey St. in Harrison are on strike because they feel their negotiations with owners, Anthony, Joseph, Philip, Sal and Mario Battaglia are squeezing employees to the limit.
The Battaglia brothers also own Rockland Bakery in Nanuet, New York.
Pechter's began operation more than 100 years ago and have numerous owners in the last 15 years.
Employees said they went on strike in 1994 and made some concessions to keep the business afloat. Now they now feel their loyalty is being disrespected since the new owners are telling them to "take it or leave it" in regard to the sliced-down final contract.
Some union workers have been at Pechter's for 10 to 30 years and say they say are getting the short end of the stick. Union members said new hires are coming in at $9 an hour.

Baker issues

Joe Spiekermann, owner of Mazur's bakery in Kearny, said prices for wheat that was $15 for a 100-pound bag six months ago is now $66. Spiekermann said prices may go up to $100 a bag by the summer, and there may be continued escalation of prices and perhaps rationing of all varieties of flour.
The Minneapolis Wheat exchange is trading at record prices and a wheat shortage is possible worldwide, according to reports.
Fuel prices for truckers are also tipping over at $3.50 a gallon for diesel gas.
But is this a reason to treat long-term workers as badly as they say they are?
The Battaglia brothers could not be contacted as of this time.
See the March 19 edition of The Observer for more on the strike, wheat, and how it's affecting our part of New Jersey.

Meter rates in Harrison

HARRISON – In order to raise revenue for the Town of Harrison, the parking meters near the PATH station have been hiked since March 4. Fees were reassessed after many years of staying the same, town officials said.
At the last council meeting on March 4, an ordinance was adopted so that all the meters in town would increase in time.
Even though signs were posted and stickers put on the meters about the changes near the PATH station meters, many residents are not pleased.
The rest of Harrison’s meters did not change over to the new rates, as of this time.
The meters rose from $4 for the full day (10 hours) to $6 for the full day. The regular rate is now 15 minutes for a quarter, so if you want a full day’s worth of parking, insert 23 quarters and that will give you time until 5:45 p.m. A 24th quarter gives you the full 10 hours of parking time.

Quality Inn Hotel fire

LYNDHURST – On Wednesday March 12 at 3:08 p.m. Lyndhurst police department patrol units responded to the Quality Inn Motel on a report of smoke coming from the roof.
Upon their arrival, there was heavy smoke coming from the roof on the southeast side of the building. Officers went into the motel to be sure that everyone was evacuated.
The Lyndhurst Fire Department put out the fire within minutes, police reports said.
The fire fighters were assisted by the Rutherford and North Arlington fire departments. The Nutley fire department also assisted by standing-by at the Lyndhurst fire house.
There weren’t any patrons staying in the affected section of the building at the time of the fire. No one was injured and no property was destroyed.
The second floor sustained smoke and water damage.
Fire damage was contained to an air-conditioning unit on the rooftop.
The motel was undergoing a roof repair when the blaze started. Workers were using a torch near an air-conditioning unit and it appears that the fire was accidental. It was a result of the repair work being conducted, according to police reports.
The State Fire Marshals Office was called in to investigate. Their presence at the scene was required since the structure is a mixed-use (hotel and restaurant) structure.
The Quality Inn will be closed until workers can repair the damaged area and the fire alarm system. The alarm system was disabled as a result of the fire, officials said.

New Jersey water

WASHINGTON - New Jersey, along with Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania are reported to have trace amounts of a variety of drugs in their drinking water, according to recent Associated Press National Investigation Team findings.
Tap water is unregulated, since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not require water utilities to test for these substances, according to news reports.
Some say the report has popped up while a media battle between bottled water vs. tap water is being waged.
The report states that over 41 million Americans have been drinking water with below dosage level amounts of drug residue from either toilet waste or from throwing unused drugs down the toilet or sink.
The pharmaceuticals found in the water supply include over-the-counter as well as prescription drugs.
While a 2002 report by the U.S. Geological Survey shows low levels of pharmaceuticals in our rivers and streams, effects on humans have not been accounted for with certainty.

House fire in Lyndhurst

Photo by James Wood, Sr.

LYNDHURST – Lyndhurst police officers responded to a call of smoke coming from a home located at 352 Copeland Ave. on Monday, March 3 at 11:47 a.m. Upon arrival, the responding police units reported that there was a house fire in progress, according to Det. Capt. John Valente, commander of the Lyndhurst investigation division.
The Lyndhurst Fire Department 32- Engine 1 was on the scene post haste and seeing a heavy volume of light brown smoke emanating from corner windows and various openings of the building, they put out the main body of fire by noon and had it under control (no hazard to firemen inside) by 12:15 p.m, according to a fire department report.
Salvage and overhaul continued until 12:27 p.m.
The 2 1/2 story wood frame, three-family residence sustained extensive fire damage to the first floor with smoke and water damage to the basement apartment. The basement and first floor apartments were rented out, but neither tenant was at home at the time of the fire. The second floor apartment is presently vacant.
Capt. Paul Haggerty of the Lyndhurst Fire Department, who was incident commander of the fire, said that a neighbor, Gina Servideo, went through a basement window and rescued two dogs.
As the Engine 1 crew began stretching a 2-inch line to the front door, the first floor flashed over. A heavy volume of fire was pushing out of the front door as well as some of the windows.
"When we got there, heavy smoke was coming from the front building. As the crew was making their first entry, a flash over occurred there just before they entered. The first crew in (Lyndhurst fire fighters Steven Passamno, Michael Keane and James Jenkins) made a very aggressive knock down while working their way through the first floor," he said, "Luckily, there was no one injured."
When Lyndhurst Fire Engine 3 arrived, a two-inch line was advanced to the front door from Engine 1 to put out the fire spreading through the walls and into the bottom of the staircase leading to the second apartment.
Mutual aid from the North Arlington Rescue 5 and the Rutherford Engine 2 came to the scene shortly after noon, as well as the Nutley Fire Department, who arrived at the Lyndhurst firehouse to stand-by and cover the township.
The tenants were displaced and have made their own living arrangements, according to police reports.
Lyndhurst Police Det. Lt. Peter Shellhamer and Det. John Kerner also responded to the fire, where an investigation was conducted on cause and origin.
The Bergen County Prosecutors Office Arson Squad and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department BCI unit were at the Copeland Avenue by 1:15 p.m.
By 1:48 p.m. Haggerty released the scene to Lyndhurst police, he said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire appears to have started in the living room couch on the first floor but the cause is still undetermined, police reports said.
The incident is still under investigation.
The Lyndhurst building department deemed the house uninhabitable, so they secured and "orange tagged" it.
See the Web site http://www.lyndhurstengine1.com/ for more information on Lyndhurst Fire Department 32- Engine 1.

Ban on teenage outdoor smoking

TRENTON – Assemblyman Fred Scalera, Gary Schaer and Herb Conaway, M.D. sponsored a bill announced on Monday, March 3 by the assembly committee that would prohibit all teens from smoking or carrying a lighted tobacco product in outdoor public areas.
“The best way to keep teens tobacco-free is to ensure that they never light or smoke cigarettes or any other tobacco product,” Fred Scalera (D-Essex/Passaic) said. “Preventing youth from smoking in public can do more than just protect their health and safety today – it potentially could save their lives down the road.”
The youth anti-smoking bill was inspired by a lecture on the legislative process Scalera delivered to an Advanced Placement class at Nutley High School, where he challenged students to propose their own public policy.
The students submitted the anti-smoking measure as part of their class project. The class is actively supporting the bill in hopes of seeing it become law before their June high school graduation.
The bill would ban individuals aged 19 years and younger from smoking, purchasing, possessing, or carrying a lighted cigarette or other type of tobacco product that can be smoked in any outdoor place accessible to the public. The bill would prohibit youth smoking in outdoor places including: streets, sidewalks, bridges, parks, recreation and shopping areas, and parking lots.
According to the state Department of Health and Senior Services, one-third of New Jersey high school students smoke at least occasionally. The American Cancer Society has found that 90 percent of all smokers begin using tobacco before age 18. The Citizens' Commission to Protect the Truth – which supports the national youth anti-smoking campaign, TRUTH – estimates that every day 1,500 youth become habitual smokers.
Every 6.5 seconds someone in the world dies from a smoking-related disease; in the U.S. alone over 400,000 people die a tobacco-related death every year – approximately 1,200 every day.
First-time violators of the legislation would be issued a written warning by a law enforcement officer that could include parental notification. Second-time violators face up to 25 hours community service and mandatory participation in a court designated educational program on the dangers of smoking. Third and subsequent violations would be punishable by up to 50 hours of community service and a $75 civil penalty.
The Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee released the measure 11-0. It now heads to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post it for a floor vote.

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Fare and toll increases

The surge to help with that big $30 billion capital improvement plan you've heard about in a number of Observer issues is on. As of this morning the PATH fare has made its $0.25 jump to $1.75 for individual rides.
Putting even more of a pinch on the pocket is the hike in Port Authority bridge and tunnel fares. The Holland and Lincoln tunnel along with the Bayonne, Goethals, Outerbridge and Washington bridge went up $2. The toll is now $8 during peak travel times.
That's 6 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 8 p.m. on weekends.
E-ZPass users will lose $1 at peak hours but gain $1 during non-peak time.