Schepisi: ‘John Mitchell was one of the truly good ones’ a Republican who served on the Bergen County Board of Freeholders passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning,” his children said in a statement Mitchell was elected in 2010 as part of a Republican wave that ousted a Democratic county executive Mitchell was the top vote-getter among the three freeholder candidates running about 12,000 votes ahead of two of the Democratic incumbents Chris Christie winning Bergen County with over 60% of the vote in 2013 outpolled Mitchell by 289 votes out of more than 200,000 cast; Felice captured the third seat by just 68 votes over Mitchell but lost to Democratic incumbents Steven Tanelli and Tracy Silna Zur by over 12,000 votes Mitchell entered the 2010 race at the end of August after one of the GOP candidates dropped out after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis “John Mitchell was one of the truly good ones,” said State Sen helping those most in need and volunteering his time and energy A retired government affairs executive at Con Edison he had run for local office in Cliffside Park five times without success Lavallette Councilman Robert Lamb died on Friday He was the father of Toms River Councilman Justin Lamb Cliffside Park officials allegedly offered a former EMT a full-time position in exchange for ignoring questionable requests in a quid pro quo according to a lawsuit filed against the borough a military veteran hired in Cliffside Park as an EMT in June 2023 said he was fired in January 2024 after being suspended amid a series of questionable requests by the department's director were named in the suit filed March 3 in Bergen County Superior Court Messages left for Russo were also not returned Horner said he was offered a full-time position in October 2023 but felt it was a "quid pro quo" for not pursuing his concerns regarding a call Horner was asked to bring a political friend of Russo's to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Montvale which left the borough without an ambulance service for about four hours The suit said Horner told his supervisors he believed the direction was a "violation of law or rule or regulation under the law or violation of public policy or constituted improper quality of patient care." Horner said he was dispatched to a home on Anderson Avenue for an intoxicated person where he met with a Cliffside Park police officer The officer told him the home belonged to the relative of "a high ranking elected official in the borough" and he should take the person into their home and leave him there The lawsuit said Horner called Betts to let her know what the situation was and she told him to do what the officer said to let it go and not file any formal report Horner brought the person back to their apartment but was concerned about his well-being the person wasn't able to take care of themselves and Horner was worried that leaving him without medical support in that state could "negatively affect" his EMT certification and employment Horner said when he returned to the EMT station he called Betts again and expressed another concern that the directions he had been given were a violation of a law or regulation or rule The suit said Horner requested a meeting with Russo about his concerns he was told he would be offered a full-time position Horner continued to request a meeting with Russo Horner was toward the end of his shift and was told by Betts to meet Russo at a "nearby secluded location within the borough's property" to transport someone to the Veterans Administration Clinic in East Orange for a "non-emergent medical appointment." He said the request was unusual and that the assessment of the patient showed no signs of needing the emergency lights despite Russo telling Horner to use the lights The lawsuit said Horner was also told not to maintain a chart and no bill would be created Horner said he was worried that saying no to the transport would put his job in jeopardy The lawsuit said after Horner raised objections to the directives Betts told him the borough was no longer interested in making him a full-time employee Horner was accused of abandoning his post after he asked Betts what the policy was for who should remain at the EMT building until everyone from the next shift showed up The suit alleges that despite Betts' admission which was compounded by Betts accusing him of being insubordinate he reached out to Bringas to see when he would be working again The suit said Horner's firing was retaliation for his concerns regarding directions he believed were against the law or were violations the lawsuit claimed the stress and anxiety surrounding his suspension and firing triggered a serious medical condition that required "medical treatment and emergency hospital care." Horner also said several valuable personal items are in the defendants' possession and they have not be returned to him despite demands for them Get important news about your town as it happens Get the top stories from across our network Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from daily updates Two young men from Bergen County have been charged with sexually assaulting the same child in separate incidents across multiple towns were arrested following an investigation led by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit investigators launched a probe into the sexual assault of a child under 16 that occurred “on multiple occasions and in different towns within Bergen County,” the prosecutor’s office said Detectives say Catalan assaulted the victim three times in Cliffside Park over the past eleven months Rosas is accused of sexually assaulting and endangering the child in Ridgefield on April 24 and charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault two counts of endangering the welfare of a child Catalan was arrested the next day and charged with three counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child Both men were taken to the Bergen County Jail and later released pending court action Two young men from Bergen County have been arrested on multiple charges of explicit contact with minor and endangerment following an investigation into the repeated abuse of a minor under 16 according to information released by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Prosecutor Mark Musella announced that 19-year-old Josue E Catalan of Cliffside Park and 20-year-old Luis Rosas of Ridgefield were taken into custody after a joint investigation involving the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit Detectives launched the investigation on April 27 after receiving reports that the child had been assaulted on multiple occasions across different Bergen County towns Authorities determined that Catalan assaulted the victim three times over the past 11 months in Cliffside Park while Rosas was involved in assaults in Ridgefield Rosas was arrested on April 28 and charged with six counts of second-degree explicit assault two counts of endangering the welfare of minor and one count of criminal explicit contact Catalan was arrested the following day and charged with three counts of second-degree explicit assault and one count of child endangerment Both men were booked into the Bergen County Jail and later released after initial court appearances pending further legal proceedings Home/Firefighting A mother and son ran through flames in a hallway to escape a fast-moving fire in an apartment building on the evening of December 16 They were both transported to Hackensack University Medical Center with severe burn injuries local volunteer firefighters were toned out to a reported dwelling fire Chief of Department Greg Yfantis was first to arrive He reported fire showing from the second-floor windows and struck a second alarm upon arrival The two residents with burns had fled the the building and were treated by EMS personnel The chief said the woman was frying chicken on the second floor when grease apparently ignited in the second-floor kitchen of the multifamily building The mother unsuccessfully tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher Flames consumed the second floor and attic area of the 2 1/2-story, wood-frame structure, sending low, banking smoke over the neighborhood on a rainy evening. A partial collapse occurred along the second floo rear, forcing firefighters to go to a defensive operation tower ladders were used by Cliffside Park and Englewood; also in use were a Fairview ladder pipe and a deck gun from Cliffside Park Engine 6 Additional mutual aid fire companies that operated at the scene came from Ridgefield The fire was declared under control in about three hours The Red Cross was assisting displaced residents Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad members were on the scene for an investigation .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By John Lewis | For NJ Advance MediaJeremy Ballestas went 2-for-2 with a triple as Ridgefield Park defeated host Cliffside Park The Scarlets (8-7) got RBIs from Emmanuel Paula Cliffside Park fell to 7-9 despite two hits from Victor Freytas John Lewis can be reached at hssports@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Two individuals were taken to police headquarters after gunshots were falsely reported at Cliffside Park High School Friday morning according to Cliffside Park spokesman Bill Maer the Cliffside Park Police Department received two calls from individuals reporting that gunshots were fired inside Cliffside Park High School police responded and the school was placed under lockdown officers on the scene determined that there was no active threat Two individuals were brought into police headquarters for further investigation There were no reported injuries and there is no threat to the students This incident is under ongoing investigation The Cliffside Park Police Department and members of the Cliffside Park School District did not immediately respond to requests for more information .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Reed Becker | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comChris Kelm’s home run and four RBIs led River Dell in its 14-1 win over Cliffside Park in Oradell Nathan Silverstein also went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while Michael Porco was 2-for-3 and drove in three Michael DeGroat pitched a four-hitter in the five-inning game River Dell (5-11) ends its six-game losing streak and will travel to face New Milford in the preliminary round of the Bergan County Invitational on Sunday while Cliffside Park (7-11) will host Emerson Boro in the preliminary round of the Bergan County Invitational on Saturday Reed Becker can be reached at rbecker@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Negligence played a role in the death of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle driven by a Cliffside Park Housing Authority employee filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court on Feb the housing authority and Angelo Celso of negligence The lawsuit says he was driving a 2008 Ford registered to the Cliffside Park Housing Authority attorney for the Cliffside Park Housing Authority declined to comment and did not say whether the agency still employs Celso The lawsuit says Sang was crossing Dempsey Avenue in Edgewater when Celso fatally struck her disability and loss of enjoyment of life." The lawsuit says Celso was driving the vehicle "negligently carelessly and recklessly," noting he should have known he could kill or hurt someone and created dangerous conditions for pedestrians The suit also says the housing authority employee failed to yield the right-of-way to Sang and drove at an excessive speed honk the horn and properly apply the breaks The suit accuses the borough and housing authority of hiring "inept incompetent and/or unskilled employees," which directly resulted in Sang's death Oh is seeking monetary damages including funeral costs Steve Klein (3) of Westwood hits a deep fly ball during the baseball game between Indian Hills and Westwood at Westwood HS in Washington .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Matt Bove | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comSteve Klein went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI for Westwood in its 7-5 win over Cliffside Park in Westwood Jack Walsh also homered and scored two runs for Westwood (8-5) which scored four runs in the fourth inning after trailing 3-2 Cooper Smith allowed just one earned run in four innings on the mound for Westwood The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription Matt Bove can be reached at mbove@njadvancemedia.com One person was injured and several residents were displaced in a fire at an apartment building in Cliffside Park on Sunday night members of the Cliffside Park fire and police departments responded to a blaze at an apartment building at 319 Gorge Road several surrounding agencies assisted in the response including the Fairview and Ridgefield police departments as well as the Fairview "On December 29th at 10:55 PM, the Ridgefield Fire Department was requested mutual aid into the borough of Cliffside Park for a working apartment fire," says a post on Facebook from the Ridgefield Fire Department "RF-7 and RF-3 responded and assisted with fire suppression and over haul Units operated on scene for approximately 2 hours before returning to the borough in service The dept sends out thoughts and well wishes go out to all affected by this incident." One man was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with first-degree burns and one firefighter was treated at the scene and subsequently released The residents of seven apartments were displaced and provided with overnight hotel accommodations The cause of the fire is still be determined as part of an ongoing investigation A fire in Cliffside Park that sent two residents to the hospital and displaced several other families Monday night has been deemed not suspicious after an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and the Cliffside Park Police Department Members of the borough police and fire departments and mutual aid from surrounding agencies responded to a three-alarm fire inside a multifamily private residence on Lawton Avenue just before 6:30 on Monday evening said a press release from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office the second floor of the 2½-story wood-frame building was fully engulfed First responders found two people who lived in the building with serious injuries a 58-year-old female and a 33-year-old male who were able to evacuate before the first responders' arrival The Prosecutor's Office said both victims were taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with severe burns The male victim was later taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston for further treatment The residents on the first floor were all safely evacuated The neighboring apartment building also was evacuated The Prosecutor's Office said an investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Arson Task Force in conjunction with the Cliffside Park Police Department Fire Department and Fire Prevention Bureau has revealed that the blaze does not appear suspicious .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Matt Bove | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comMatthew Mulligan allowed three earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 6 1/3 innings for New Milford in its 5-3 win over Cliffside Park in Cliffside Park Glen Murata recorded a bases-clearing double for New Milford (5-3) to help lead to a five-run first inning Liam Block and Luis Placido all recorded multi-hit games in the victory Breidy Marine had two hits for Cliffside Park Tuesday for a handful of New Jersey school districts opting to hold April school board elections Of the state's almost 600 school districts and the others have them on Election Day in November The districts with spring elections are: Cliffside Park All state school elections were held in the spring until 2012 when a new state law allowed districts to switch their elections to November districts no longer had to seek public approval to pass their budgets unless they exceeded the then-new state-mandated 2% cap on increases Only voters whose districts held elections in April had a say on school spending plans Phil Murphy signed a law that took the public budget vote away for districts with April elections unless the school district was raising taxes above the 2% cap it gives a school district the opportunity to raise taxes over the 2% cap before a public vote can take place Bergen County school board unofficial resultsCLIFFSIDE PARK (Three open seats) .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jack McKenna | For NJ Advance MediaCliffside Park broke open a tie game in the top of the seventh inning by plating four runs to secure an 8-4 victory over Fort Lee in Fort Lee Veronica Correa led the way for Cliffside Park offensively hitting two doubles and knocking in three runs as part of a 2-for-3 that also saw her steal a base and come around to score once Camila Rodriguez smacked a solo home run and a double in a 2-for-3 effort of her own for Cliffside Park (3-6) and a run scored while Madison Richter hit an RBI double and came around to score in a 1-for-3 showing for Fort Lee (2-4) Jack McKenna can be reached at hssports@njadvancemedia.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jake Tiger | For NJ Advance MediaNick Ortiz pitched a five-hitter and had two hits at the plate to lead Cliffside Park to an 8-1 victory over Dwight-Morrow at Cliffside Park walked three and did not allow an earned run He also went 2-for-2 at the plate with one RBI Freddy Fland aided the effort offensively by going 3-for-4 Cliffside Park (5-5) extended its winning streak to three Johnny Ragoonath scored the only run for Dwight-Morrow An emergency medical technician in Cliffside Park was charged Thursday with destroying the medical records of multiple patients over a three-month period last year was arrested in Paramus after an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office He was charged with purposeful destruction alteration or falsification of a record relating to care of a medical patient the Prosecutor's Office confidential investigations unit received information about "the alleged destruction of reports/charts associated with medical calls for service" in Cliffside Park Investigators said Jacobs destroyed several patients' charts and medical records while employed as an EMT with Cliffside Park Emergency Medical Services between September and November 2024 News: Bergen County deputy police chief claims town wrongfully denied his pay for sick days It was not clear why Jacobs allegedly destroyed the records He was released after his arrest pending a first appearance in state Superior Court for Bergen County A 24-year-old woman from Bergen County is facing serious charges after authorities say she beat a child so badly the child was left with bite marks Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella and Cliffside Park Police Chief Yakup Zoklu said The investigation began after the principal of a public school in Cliffside Park reported suspected child abuse to New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP) according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Daily Voice The principal had observed what the report describes as “heavy bruising” on the juvenile victim launching a joint investigation between the Cliffside Park Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit Detectives say the abuse occurred on Sunday Sunun-Miranda allegedly assaulted the child Sunun-Miranda was interviewed at the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office She was read her Miranda Rights and informed of the charges against her She was charged with second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child according to a complaint warrant filed in Cliffside Park Municipal Court Sunun-Miranda was booked at the Bergen County Jail where she is being held pending her first court appearance in Hackensack Prosecutor Musella noted that the charges are accusations and that Sunun-Miranda is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Anthony Gabbianelli | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comOlivia Rottner smacked a home run for Teaneck while collecting three RBI and scoring three runs in a 6-4 win against Cliffside Park in Teaneck Rottner also went the distance while striking out 10 allowing five hits and three walks on four earned runs Teaneck (4-6) led 6-0 after the bottom of the fourth inning when Cliffside Park (5-7) tallied four runs in the top of the fifth inning as Teaneck held on to win Leanna Guerrero and Adelyn Perez each had an RBI for Teaneck Saige Moya was 3-for-4 with three singles and a run scored Anthony Gabbianelli can be reached at agabbianellli@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comJohn Giannantonio had four RBI going 2-for-4 with a home run and a double as Pascack Hills defeated Cliffside Park a triple and a stolen base for Pascack Hills (4-3) Corey Ginsberg had two RBI and a run scored while Kyhle Wenckus added two runs and a RBI Derek Sanchez was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Kayden Moeller went 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jack McKenna | For NJ Advance MediaVictor Freytas hit a double and knocked in four runs as part of a 2-for-4 performance to lead Cliffside Park to an 11-5 victory over North Arlington in Cliffside Park Cliffside Park plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning and to take a 5-0 lead it held for the remainder of the game North Arlington drew as close as 5-4 in the top of the third before Cliffside Park scored six runs over the next three innings Kole Magnetico also had a multi-hit day for Cliffside Park came around to score once and knocked in a run in a 1-for-1 effort for Cliffside Park (4-5) North Arlington drops to 2-5 and will look to get back into the win column on Thursday when it hosts Leonia TrendingCommercialTri-StateA“Head-scratcher”: Good cash flow bad debt at NJ luxury apartment complexCliffside Park’s The Centre failed to repay $130M loan at maturity a 314-unit complex with 50,000 square feet of retail in Cliffside Park Yet the owners failed to refinance and pay off the mortgage when it matured in July 2024. An initial two-month forbearance ended Sept. 6 Modification negotiations with the debt’s special servicer are ongoing “This one is a bit of a head-scratcher,” Morningstar analysts wrote A new appraisal puts the Bergen County property’s value at $161.1 million down 14 percent from $188.2 million when the mortgage was issued A $130 million refinancing would have a loan-to-value ratio of more than 80 percent well above the initial 69 percent and too high for CRE lenders A refi at an LTV of 69 percent would be a $111 million loan which means the borrower would need to come up with $19 million to repay the matured loan SIGN UPArilex might also be buying time in hopes that interest rates will drop, but one month into the new administration, nothing seems imminent on that front. Ten-year Treasury notes were yielding 4.29 percent on Election Day and are now at about 4.5 percent A message left at The Centre seeking comment was not returned Schreer and Pizzurro joined their family firm’s development team of what was then called Cliffside Park Towne Centre then managed the property through the pandemic The sisters’ first ground-up project was Metro Place in North Bergen, at Tonnelle Avenue and 48th Street. Last fall they borrowed $59 million from S3 Capital to build a 12-story multifamily project at 7711 River Road in Edgewater Schreer had gone to work for her father straight out of college in 1994 and Pizzurro joined two years later after a year as a CNBC news writer told NJ.com that Schreer and Pizzurro “have grown up eating and sleeping real estate.” as is the case for many real estate investors this is the first time the sisters have had to cope with a suddenly heightened interest rate environment Because Arilex used CMBS debt for 702 Anderson Avenue the world can see how they are navigating it CLIFFSIDE PARK — A young EMT with Cliffside Park Emergency Medical Services has been charged with destroying patient records the Confidential Investigations Unit of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received information regarding the alleged destruction of reports and charts associated with medical calls in Cliffside Park The investigation discovered that between September and November 2024 allegedly destroyed several patient care medical records while working as an emergency medical technician with Cliffside Park Emergency Medical Services Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella did not publicly disclose a reason for the destruction Jacobs, who also uses the DJ handle, Ače Wăvě, according to Independent Online News He was charged with fourth-degree purposeful destruction or falsification of a record relating to the care of a medical patient Jacobs was released pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom Gallery Credit: Rick Rickman A young EMT with the Cliffside Park Emergency Medical Services has been charged with destroying patient medical records and charts, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.\nRead More Jacobs, who also uses the DJ handle, Ače Wăvě, according to Independent Online News Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom Henry Valles (10) of Cliffside Park speaks to his teammates during halftime against Becton 1-0.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Craig Epstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comHenry Valles scored twice to lead Cliffside Park past Bergen Tech 4-3 in Cliffside Park Cliffside Park (10-8) took a 3-1 lead into halftime before holding Bergen Tech (6-11-1) off in the second half Erick Valdez and Rogelio Ortiz scored for Cliffside Park while Matias Valencia had two assists Arhan Batur led Bergen Tech with a goal and an assist Cliffside Park won its third straight and four of its last five Cliffside Park is tied with Fort Lee for first place in the Big North-American Division The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Three New York men have been arrested and accused of impersonating police officers to commit a home invasion in Cliffside Park last month New York have been charged with three counts of kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said Monday Cliffside Park police responded to a multi-family home on Crescent Lane A joint investigation revealed that three men forced their way into the residence while wearing "imitation police-style badges portraying themselves as police officers," the prosecutor said The suspects then restrained three victims while three other children slept inside the residence The suspects then ransacked the home and stole valuables Local: New microtransit ride-hail app to expand affordable transport options in Clifton, Passaic dectectives were able to identify a stolen license used by the suspects to travel to and from Cliffside Park the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigations Squad and Bergen County Regional SWAT Team arrested Rosario at a home in Ridgefield He was taken to Bergen County jail awaiting a court appearance Simultanously across the river in New York City the Special Investigations Squad and officers from NYPD's 33rd Precinct arrested Perez Special Investigations Squad and Yonkers Police Department and taken to Westchester County Jail Bergen County fire officials are probing into hoarding conditions as a potential cause of a devastating fire in Cliffside Park early Sunday morning.The blaze ignited just before 10:45 p.m. severely damaging a two-story multi-family residence on the 30 block of George Road firefighters encountered intense flames emanating from a second-floor apartment The severity of the fire prompted officials to call for a second alarm where they encountered significant hoarding conditions that complicated their efforts The fire was successfully subdued within an hour While one resident sustained serious injuries another was transported to the hospital in stable condition As the investigation into the fire's origin continues, authorities are closely examining the role that the hoarding conditions may have played in the blaze's severity. Dani Daproza (3) of Leonia tries to dribble past Ava D’Addetta (21) of Secaucus during the girls basketball game at Secaucus High School in Secaucus .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Craig Epstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comDani Daproza scored her 1,000th point for Leonia and finished with 22 points and six steals as it defeated Cliffside Park 63-50 in Cliffside Park Leonia (16-8) led 34-22 at halftime before outscoring Cliffside Park 29-28 in the second half Angelica Do tallied a triple-double for Leonia with 36 points .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Matt Bove | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comMackenzie Riordan went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in the fifth and five RBI for Hasbrouck Heights in its 16-4 win over Cliffside Park in Cliffside Park Haley Wixon drilled a three-run home run in the second inning and finished 2-for-5 with four RBI Madelyn Connelly allowed one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks over six innings to earn the win in the circle Hasbrouck Heights moved to 4-0 on the season Khloe Bielins finished 2-for-3 with a double and a RBI for Cliffside Park (1-3) 1/42High School Girls Volleyball: Cliffside Park vs. Park Ridge, October 8, 2024.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance MediaOur HS sports photos like the ones above put you right up close with the action and the whole experience Check them out by clicking anywhere in the collage above to open the photo gallery Don’t forget to share the gallery with friends and relatives.These photos are also available for purchase in a variety of sizes and finishes – just click the “BUY IMAGE” link below any photo to see available options and make a purchase NJ.com subscribers can also get free print-quality digital downloads of any images in this gallery Note: Because we are trying to make these galleries available for viewing as quickly as possible you are probably seeing an early version and more photos will be added later Please return and refresh the page to see additions Mobile device users: For the best experience downloading high-resolution images (available free and to subscribers only) and making photo purchases it’s best to visit this page from your desktop or laptop computer A 32-year-old Bergen County man has been arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a juvenile is believed to have carried out the assault on Friday Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Further investigation found that Hernandez-Barrera assaulted the juvenile 26 and charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court Reports of gunshots inside Cliffside Park High School sent the building into lockdown Friday morning but police later determined there was no active threat Cliffside Park Police received two calls about possible gunfire at the high school on Friday securing the school and initiating a lockdown Law enforcement entered the building and determined there was no danger to students or staff Maer said two individuals were taken to police headquarters for further investigation .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comMina Kavrakis went 4-for-4 with a home run a double and a stolen bases as Paramus defeated Cliffside Park which broke the game wide open with six runs in the top of the fourth inning Juliet Tarabocchia went 3-for-3 with a walk and Kateyln McQuade went 2-for-2 with a walk Winning pitcher Miranda Rivera struck out eight was applauded by the whole restaurant when he went to the bathroom What beloved TV icon heard herself prematurely pronounced dead by patrons at the other end of the bar Remember "blind items"? The stock-in-trade of Broadway gossip columnists — back in the day when Broadway had gossip columnists. The day when Walter Winchell and Dorothy Kilgallen, the Broadway stars they tattled on, and the star-struck theatergoers who adored them, all hung out at Sardi's "Sardi's is the unofficial Broadway hall of fame," said Giovanni Felidi — "Johnny" or "Gianni" to his friends Matt Dillon and Bill Murray are among the many celebrities Felidi has seated at the storied Theater District hangout He's pretty much responsible for the whole ground game of the restaurant: greeting and seating the customers and — not least important — making sure that patrons are served promptly and sent off to their shows by curtain time hard by the Majestic and Broadhurst theaters has been the traditional nerve center for the whole district takes the New Jersey Transit bus from Cliffside Park where he's lived with his wife Lori since 2014 and makes the 40-minute commute to Port Authority Bus Terminal "There are people who have worked there 40 years you get to meet different people from all over the country Same celebrated caricatures of Broadway stars lining the walls The star who was applauded on his way to the men's room George Clooney — who was sharing a table with "It was a packed Saturday night," Felidi recalled And every guest in the restaurant knew he was there The lady who heard herself referred to in the past tense She was having a drink at the bar — over which were caricatures of herself "And they're looking at the caricatures of 'The Honeymooners.' And they're going 'What a great show she was so funny — she passed away.' Same thing about Art Carney Randolph — who did actually die last year — was not the only "Honeymooners" veteran to call Sardi's home. Gleason was a regular, too. He would hold court in the upstairs room, and constantly send bartender Joe Petrsoric (he retired in 2023 after 55 years of cocktail-shaking) to the first-floor bar for cigarettes Back when people in restaurants smoked cigarettes run downstairs and get me a pack of cigarettes.' And Joe would never ask for money because he was too embarrassed," Felidi recounted It was at Sardi's — back in the age when print newspapers ruled — that the cast and creative teams of shows would gather for that hallowed first night tradition: the wait for the Times review "They used to run out at 11:30 to the New York Times building next door to get the early edition of the Times to see the review," Felidi said But you would see if it got louder and more boisterous: good reviews "Now you’ll see everyone around their cell phones." Maybe because he once dreamt of being one himself he'd been a busboy at Mario's Restaurant on Arthur Avenue "And they called me a couple of weeks later," he said What makes it distinctive is the ebb and flow of its customers — which marches in lockstep to the theater schedule Worst is matinee days — Wednesdays and Saturdays people come in after the shows — including actors "After the show usually they’ll come upstairs," Felidi said "They'll relax with the other cast members from the show That Sardi's seems to belong to another era is both a selling point and a liability Others love the fact that the place — which has changed hands several times since the Sardis wrote the checks — remains "traditional." As does the food "I would say a couple of things," Felidi volunteered "People want to see the caricatures — the different actors and actresses they go to see on Broadway Our salmon with the orange teriyaki glaze that flavors the salmon and the sweet potato puree with a little caramelized ginger the cannelloni is the traditional staple dish that was put on the menu in 1946." is the Sardi equivalent of Chasen's chili — the signature dish of Hollywood's signature restaurant with oil and vinegar a little bit of tomatoes," Felidi said Felidi walked him to his table in the back — while the restaurant buzzed and buzzed When Pacino was appearing in "The Merchant of Venice" at the Broadhurst Felidi would sometimes cross the street to deliver his order right to his dressing room "I was his waiter because he liked me and I didn’t mess up his order," Felidi said The portraits on the walls — there are now more than 1,800 — were a feature of the place almost from the beginning when an émigré artist named Alex Gard agreed to draw them in exchange for meals Now they're so famous that people try to steal them Someone made off with James Cagney the night of his death in 1986 People have made off with Bob Hope (it was returned) and Kirk Douglas "They stole the original Barbra Streisand from 1963," Felidi said "And it took 55 years before Barbra let us do another one the original pictures are all kept in a vault; the ones on the wall are all reproductions The lure of Big Names may draw tourists to the restaurant But the reason theater people love Sardi's is because Sardi's loves them and his wife Jenny Pallera opened the place in 1927 Theater folk get 25% or more off for most items (with Actor's Equity or SAG-AFTRA card "He also started an IOU [program] amongst the actors," Felidi said after the economy flourished and Broadway flourished and really understood what they go through." "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Caine Mutiny," "Moulin Rouge" and so on "So he takes the role of Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway in 1947 to pay off his $1,000 tab." The role made him famous; he repeated it in a Hollywood film And it won him the first Tony for Best Actor "Antoinette 'Tony' Perry conceived the Tony awards in 1946," Felidi said Just about every Tony-winning performer who ever walked into Sardi's is up on the wall — along with movie stars Which brings us to a last blind item: Which Oscar-winning star didn't sign his name to his Sardi's portrait But we will reveal that he was the star of the 1982 film "The King of Comedy." And he used "He's the only actor who didn't sign his real name," Felidi said "He signed with his character in the film." Riley Fucci (11) of Ridgefield Park slides to this base safe before Celine De La Rosa (8) of Bergenfield can collect the ball during the girls softball game between Ridgefield Park and Bergenfield at Ridgefield Park High School in Ridgefield Park 2023.Mile Djordjiovski | For NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Craig Epstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comRiley Fucci pitched a complete game with four hits and seven strikeouts as Ridgefield Park defeated Cliffside Park 14-1 in Cliffside Park Ridgefield Park (5-0) took a 6-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning before adding eight more runs Kaylene Romero went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run while Karylle Culala finished 3-for-6 with three RBI and two runs NJ Advance Media file photoJohn Jones | For NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Tyler Duffy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comJamil Gonzalez had 23 points and five assists to help give Cliffside Park a 55-32 victory over Lodi in Lodi and three steals for Cliffside Park (12-9) Cliffside Park led 25-20 at halftime before going on a 30-13 run in the second half to earn the victory while allowing six points in the third quarter The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) (edited) Jason Marasciulo (7) of Cliffside Park looks to pass the ball against Newark East Side during the high school football game at Eddie Moraes Stadium in Newark .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Nestor F. Sebastian | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comCliffside Park stayed unbeaten through five games and gained sole possession of first place in the SFC Ivy White Division after a 27-26 win over North Bergen in North Bergen Cliffside Park (5-0) had two touchdowns before the half and Dom Velazquez connected on a seven-yard pass to Jayden David for North Bergen as Cliffside Park led 14-6 at the half North Bergen (4-1) closed the deficit to 14-12 after the break following Alexier DeLeon’s three-yard run into the end zone DeLeon put North Bergen up following DeLeon’s one-yard run and subsequent two-point conversion but Cliffside Park again scored to lead 21-20 DeLeon again put North Bergen up front after a 10-yard run for a 26-21 lead with 6:13 remaining in the game before Cliffside Park scored again for the win Both teams were off to strong starts after weak finishes in 2023 losing four of their final five games last season and finished 3-6 North Bergen was 4-0 for the first time since 2018 when it finished 7-3 while Cliffside Park was 4-0 for the first time since 2022 when it finished 5-3 Cliffside Park came in before Thursday’s game averaging 38 points per game The fewest points it has scored in a game in 2024 is 28 points last week in a 28-19 win over Belleville North Bergen has allowed only 23 points all season with 2 shutouts Cliffside Park’s victory guaranteed it a winning regular season for the first time since 2022 The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook |Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Anthony Gabbianelli | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comKaitlyn Nellegar recorded an 11-point 12 rebound double-double for Nutley in its 51-37 victory against Cliffside Park in the Bergenfield Showcase in Bergenfield Nutley also limited Cliffside Park to seven points in the first and third quarters Nellegar also contributed with three assists and three steals Isabel Riccardi and Cassey Arroyo each scored 14 points and combined for 12 rebounds The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) 1/42High School Girls Volleyball: Cliffside Park vs. Park Ridge, October 8, 2024.st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comWendy Palaguachi had 14 kills and 10 digs as Cliffside Park extended its winning streak to eight after defeating Park Ridge Isa Romo and Claritza Medina added six kills apiece for Cliffside Park (15-1) Yessica Nunez had 18 assists with five digs and Aiden Pangja added 13 assists with five digs Izzy Yarenis recorded her 1,000th career dig as Park Ridge falls to 11-5 Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) A 20-year-old EMT from Yonkers has been charged with purposely destroying patient care medical records while working for a Bergen County ambulance service in Paramus following an investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck Officials said the investigation began on Nov when the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Confidential Investigations Unit received information about the destruction of reports and charts related to medical calls for service in Cliffside Park Investigators determined that between September and November 2024 who was employed as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for Cliffside Park Emergency Medical Services destroyed multiple patient care medical records Jacobs was charged with fourth-degree purposeful destruction or falsification of a medical patient record He was released pending a first appearance in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack even a niche version called Ecuadorian volleyball She's designed the logo for the Cliffside Park volleyball program white and black Knight image starkly superimposed on a volleyball She's also one of the best players in the area on the first team ever to win the Big North American league title," coach Matt Brunelli said as our captain with only one other senior back from last year's team she's led this brand new team by her play and by her amazing leadership She's the best all-around player we've had in the 11 years since I've been with the program." "I love everything about the game," said Palaguachi who serves as an outside hitter and defensive specialist on the team "But my favorite thing is to set because it's so much fun to watch your teammates slam the ball." Palaguachi first tried the sport on the formal level as a seventh grader but has always been around the game pointing to the Ecuadorian version as a starting point "We play with three on the court instead of six and the net is much higher than regular volleyball so you really can't block people at the net." Her younger sister is on the Red Raiders junior varsity and the rest of the family is at as many games as they can get to who Wendy said is the best volleyball player in the family "They all really support me by coming to games and they watch me on YouTube if they can't come in person," she said The game has helped her through her worst moments "I'm a very energetic and fun-loving person most of the time I can struggle with depression and anxiety," Palaguachi said volleyball kept me distracted and it helped me keep my problems from overwhelming me." Palaguachi turns some of those setbacks into positives She discovered science at about the same time she started playing high school volleyball she's planning a career in nursing and as an exceptional student who is currently taking advanced placement physics she's focused on her volleyball season with hopes of going to Rutgers-Newark for college but I wasn't sure how she would be as a captain with everything she's faced," Brunelli said "But she ran with the leadership role and not only is she the best player we've had since I've been here Accomplishment: She led the undefeated Red Raiders to wins over Westwood Also nominated: Ella Selfon of Mahwah and Samantha Kranzler of Old Tappan for volleyball; and Isabella Zingarelli of Old Tappan for soccer.