A Bergen County man was found dead on a hiking trail in New York's Catskill Mountains last week Linhu Jin, 54, of Palisades Park, was discovered unresponsive by a group of hikers on the Devil's Path trail at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, April 24, New York State Police stated in a press release Troopers responded to Sprucetown Road in Lexington and pronounced Jin dead at the scene The Devil's Path is a 24-mile-long trail known as one of the most difficult hikes in the region, if not the country, according to the Times Union The rugged path features many steep climbs and dips and very little water sources along the route requiring extensive planning for even the most experienced hikers Other agencies assisting in the investigation include the New York State Forest Rangers the Greene County Sheriff's Office and the Lexington Fire Company LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today announced that the City has secured private funding to replace the Pacific Palisades playground thanks to the generous donation of nearly $1 million from FireAid and $300,000 in-kind from GameTime to the Los Angeles Parks Foundation Including an additional donation from Banc of California’s Wildfire Relief & Recovery Fund the total support for the playground comes to more than $1.3 million “While families work on rebuilding their homes the City is urgently working to rebuild the historic Palisades Village to serve the community," said Mayor Karen Bass "We must pay special attention to the trauma young people have experienced during this time and support them as we recover We continue this rebuild months ahead of expectations and we will continue to work urgently until all Palisadians are back home.”  This expedited restoration is made possible thanks to the generosity of FireAid and its Board of Directors including the Annenberg Foundation as well as Banc of California and GameTime These funds will allow for an expedited restoration and modernization of the Palisades playground that has served the community for 35 years closing the funding gap to modernize this playground has been one of my top priorities—for safety and because our families deserve high-quality community spaces,” said Councilwoman Traci Park “I’m grateful to our funding partners for hearing our voices and stepping up with this critical investment and to our community for their relentless advocacy to improve our neighborhood spaces.” The mission of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation is to enhance preserve and advocate for public recreation and open spaces for the diverse population of Los Angeles The organization will oversee the project with the funding they have obtained and plans to initiate it soon GameTime and Banc of California for their generous donations," said Tony Budrovich President and CEO of the LA Parks Foundation "This support comes out of a successful private and public partnership aimed at revitalizing the playground within the Palisades community The Park plays a vital role in the community providing families with opportunities for recreation and fostering a sense of togetherness “This playground has been at the heart of the Palisades community accessible amenities is an exciting step forward in bringing families back together and helping our community heal,” said Jimmy Kim and the LA Parks Foundation for making this amazing gift possible.” “The Palisades Park Advisory Board welcomes this transformative gift and the recovery it will help to bring about,” said Andrew Starrels “Palisadians love their public spaces and are thankful to the Mayor the Councilmember and everyone who has worked to make the Park a park again.” Catering to children from 5 to 14 years old there will be two adjacent playgrounds featuring a new rubber surface These modernised play areas will be fully accessible and equipped with integrated shade to ensure a secure environment for play the design will incorporate a play fire truck as an homage to first responders for their dedicated efforts in combating the Palisades fire .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Matt Cosentino | For NJ Advance MediaAnnabel Sohn struck out nine in a four-inning no-hitter and Emily Ignacio blasted two home runs and knocked in five as Leonia defeated Palisades Park 16-0 in Leonia The Lions jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the first inning and went on to improve to 5-4 Juliet Gramuglia and Demetra Stamboulos also homered in the win The N.J. 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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 Above: Gottheimer with local leaders after swearing in Palisades Park Councilman Charlie Shin Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) administered the oath of office for Palisades Park “Charlie was elected to the council for the first time and is ready to serve the people of Palisades Park with a passion that drives him to make a difference every day,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Charlie has already served our great community on the Board of Education working to improve our schools and education for all children and I know he will work hard to keep our residents safe and make Palisades Park an even greater place to live.” Gottheimer was joined by Assemblywoman Ellen Park Palisades Park Councilman Suk ‘‘John’’ Min Palisades Park Councilwoman Christine Woon-Yoon Below: Gottheimer with Palisades Park Councilman Charlie Shin 2025PressRELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts Fifth District Service Academy Ceremony Celebrates Accepted StudentsAbove: Gottheimer with this year’s Fifth District students accepted into U.S Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a ceremony at the Bergenfield VFW Hall to celebrate the 19 Fifth District high school students he nominated and who were accepted to one of the four U.S PressRELEASE: Gottheimer Joins Passaic County Central Labor Council’s Future Leaders Forum Breakfast Celebrates Men and Women of LaborAbove: Gottheimer with Passaic County labor leaders PATERSON Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined hardworking men and women of labor from across Passaic County at the Central Labor Council’s 11th Annual Future Labor Leaders Forum Breakfast The breakfast honors emerging labor leaders who have completed continuing education programs and policymakers who have a track […] PressPHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Speaks with Students at Rutgers Hillel and Rutgers University Chabad to Discuss Combatting Antisemitism on CampusAbove: Gottheimer speaks at Rutgers University Hillel Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Rutgers Hillel and Rutgers University Chabad House on campus to speak with students about the alarming rise in antisemitism on college campuses across the country Rutgers University is home to more than 6,400 Jewish […] (202) 225-4465 (201) 389-1100 (973) 940-1117 (973) 814-4076 Every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Thurs, 9:30am–12pm Proudly representing the Fifth District of New Jersey. Accessibility 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 A New Jersey man was found dead on a popular hiking trail in New York’s Catskill Mountains was found unresponsive by a group of hikers on Greene County’s Devils Path Trail in the Town of Lexington at around 6:45 p.m A cause of death was not given but troopers confirmed that no foul play is suspected State Police were assisted by the New York State Forest Rangers Additional details about Jin's life were not immediately available. Loved ones are invited to share a statement, funeral details, and/or photos by emailing mmashburn@dailyvoice.com The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has assumed responsibility for the Palisades Park Police Department's internal affairs investigations The Prosecutor's Office confirmed that it took over the internal affairs function on March 3 "With guidance from Prosecutor Mark Musella and under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is temporarily leading all aspects of the Palisades Park Police Department’s internal affairs workflow," Prosecutor's Office Deputy Chief of Detectives Jeff Angermeyer said in an email The public learned of the prosecutor's involvement during the borough's March 24 council meeting when Councilman Michael Vietri asked about it The meeting was then moved into a closed session for discussion and no additional information was provided Palisades Park was not given any advance notice or "reasoning or justification from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office for taking this action," reads a statement from borough spokesperson Sara Rossi its police department or any borough official or employee," Rossi said Borough officials said they immediately complied with the directions of the prosecutor "We have repeatedly requested to schedule a meeting with the Prosecutor's Office as soon as possible where we look forward to having a frank conversation regarding this matter that includes a clear indication of when the Palisades Park Police Department will be permitted to resume handling its own Internal Affairs investigations," Rossi's statement reads "Local government autonomy is a critical component of New Jersey law and we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Palisades Park remains in control of its own policies and procedures." A day after the Prosecutor's Office took over internal affairs, Police Officer Michael DeBartolo's lawyer filed a tort notice, a document indicating an intent to sue, which says the officer believes he was targeted with an internal affairs investigation After DeBartolo "gave a witness statement to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office regarding an investigation into Mayor Paul Kim on February 22 he became the object of an internal affairs probe "A sham Internal Affairs Investigation was lodged against him (DeBartolo) on December 19 on an Administrative Misconduct charge for sick leave abuse," the legal document says "A conspiracy among the individuals in the Borough designed the IA (Internal Affairs) investigation to create a pretense under which Claimant could be denied an upcoming promotion to Sergeant and defeat a whistleblower claim," reads the document filed in state Superior Court in Bergen County by DeBartolo's attorney Claimant was denied the promotion because he cooperated in an investigation of Mayor Paul Kim by the BCPO and executed a witness statement." lawsuits and allegations about internal affairs point to reasons the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office would step in to review whether guidelines and standards are being followed a former chief of the now-defunct Bergen County Police Department and an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan “You would want to go in and see how internal affairs is handled,” Higgins said “There’s a certain element of interpretation with internal affairs I would imagine the BCPO wants to get a handle on the complaints that were received and investigated.” Internal affairs divisions follow the New Jersey attorney general's guidelines that give the chief of the department the final authority If an allegation is made against a police department's chief the complaint then goes to the prosecutor’s office and the mayor and council appoint the chief,” Higgins said “The allegations might be the mayor and council have influence and I would imagine that’s part of what the Prosecutor's Office is looking at.” The Palisades Park Police Department changed leadership six times in the last five years. The last changeover happened in February who was appointed when Espino retired in December The rotation of leadership could also hurt internal affairs including internal affairs and a review of property and evidence they’re doing that for no other reason but to bring the next person up to speed,” Higgins said “It should be done every time they put a new chief or officer in charge in.” The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office's assessment in 2023 found that the Police Department has heavy political influence and a lack of leadership and procedures The report's findings said most officers have contributed to or worked with political organizations within the borough and that those same officers believed the "political influences had done immense harm" to the department Officers told Bergen County Prosecutor's Office investigators that the influence has made it difficult to supervise manage and appropriately discipline officers as politics affected many of these decisions The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office began its assessment of the department in September 2022 after an increase in the number of investigatory and disciplinary issues Investigators set out to review the department's operational and administrative processes and its compliance with law enforcement best practices Prosecutor's Office directives and state Attorney General's Office guidelines The report listed recommendations to the borough and the Police Department but the Prosecutor's Office took no formal action an independent review of the department ordered by borough officials called the Police Department a rudderless agency with unclear rules outdated internal affairs and disciplinary policies that break state guidelines with no clear chain of command The Palisades Park Board of Education fired its attorney and terminated the school security agreement with the Borough Council after the program was suspended following that investigation attorney in 1998 said there was a "culture of lawlessness" in the borough's Police Department in the early 1990s when it found that some of its police officers were responsible for a burglary ring a prisoner escape led to an investigation of the Police Department by the Prosecutor's Office No criminal charges were filed in that incident; however retired as part of a settlement agreement and Lt "The mayor and council support and stand with our Police Department and the integrity of our sworn officers and acknowledge their continued dedication to its residents," the borough spokesperson said Thursday A Palisades Park man repeatedly slapped and headbutted a child while screaming "I hope you die!" inside Bergen Town Center was arrested after officers responded to the mall around 6:44 p.m for reports of a man assaulting a juvenile girl Officer Hugo Rodriguez-Pena was met by multiple witnesses who pointed out Cohen and the injured child Witnesses told officers they saw Cohen strike the girl multiple times in the face with an open hand and headbutt her repeatedly Officers noted visible bruising on the juvenile and surveillance footage confirmed the violent assault Cohen was immediately taken into custody at the scene Cohen is charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child Due to the severity of the allegations and the age of the victim the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office – Special Victims Unit and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency were both notified The child’s mother was contacted and responded to the scene A Palisades Park woman accused of giving an 11-month-old girl a fatal dose of magnesium pleaded guilty Wednesday to practicing medicine without a license was arrested in February 2022 after the infant's mother brought the girl to her in December 2021 will have the charges of child endangerment against her dropped at Medina-Ramos' sentencing while the state is asking for one year of probation Assistant Prosecutor Richard Ruddy said the blood sample from the infant was contaminated and a private toxicologist said they could not prove acute magnesium poisoning State news: Another NJ government official has warned lawmakers about federal aid cuts "I'm overly impressed with the diligence of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office because of their careful analysis of the proofs needed to take this case to trial," Bruno said "It's rare that a prosecutor's office is willing to dismiss such a serious charge we could never have achieved this tremendous result." whose first lawyer said she was a midwife in Guatemala was originally charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter unauthorized practice of medicine and child endangerment Ruddy said the state dropped the manslaughter charge "in the interest of justice." Bruno said his client faced up to 30 years in prison and that since the child died "the weight of the world has been on her shoulders." her first attorney said she hadn't been aware of the severe medical history of the child Medina-Ramos admitted to giving vitamins and medicine to people who went to see her when they were sick PALISADES PARK — The council has approved the settlement of two more lawsuits filed by police officers against the borough and its Police Department These will bring this year's total number of police officer lawsuits settled by the borough to four There are still three unsettled lawsuits filed by officers against the borough and Police Department the town has paid out more than $3 million in police lawsuit settlements in the last five years The most recent suits settled date to 2023, when Sgt. Marc Messing and Sgt. Dennis Pavlik sued the borough alleging political interference that hindered their potential promotions had previously received a six-figure settlement from the borough in 2021 for attorney fees pain and suffering after he was acquitted of forgery charges filed against him Messing's most recent lawsuit was against the borough alleging they had been abusive and allowed political interference to hurt his career Messing is the son of former Councilwoman Cynthia Pirrera "The defendants have been abusive and allowed political interference to take place hurting the careers of [Messing] his promotions and opportunities that should have been available to [him] and allowed threats to be carried out by failing to promote him to at least lieutenant as was recommended and promised on various occasions through October 2023," the lawsuit said The lawsuit alleged that Kim met with Messing in the Borough Hall parking lot in March to request that his mother not run for reelection the mayor told Messing: "You didn't help me get elected an officer since 2000 and sergeant since 2010 filed a similar suit a day later that said the borough and former Capt and Officer in Charge Shawn Lee abused their positions and allowed political interference to hurt his career promotions and opportunities by failing to promote him to lieutenant said the settlements close out years of retaliation against them this puts an end to the history of retaliation for political purposes," he said What's in the Palisades Park police settlements?In the settlements the borough denied "any and all wrongdoing" asserted against it Messing will receive $150,000 and agreed to retire from the Police Department and not seek reemployment with the borough in the future Between now and his official retirement date using accrued time until he reaches 25 years of service Messing was also promoted to lieutenant with two years of retroactive pay of the difference of a sergeant to lieutenant pay and longevity under the Police Department's contract guidelines Pavlik received $125,000 in a settlement agreement and agreed to retire on March 31 He was also promoted to lieutenant with two years of retroactive pay The settlements were the latest for the borough's Police Department which has a history of police officers suing police settlements and the rotation of leadership An assessment conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, released in May 2023 said the department has heavy political influence and a lack of leadership and procedures The report found that most officers have contributed to or worked with political organizations within the borough and that those same officers believed the "political influences had done immense harm" to the department Officers told Bergen County Prosecutor's Office investigators the influence has made it difficult to supervise the department has had six police chiefs and experienced a tumultuous time marked by suspensions Some of the department's troubles date back to the 1990s when officers were found to be running a burglary ring and brought unwanted national attention Since Chief Mark Jackson retired in 2019 amid controversy after a scathing report that outlined deficiencies the department has changed leadership six times Two police officers who sued the borough alleging a hostile work environment and retaliation have received promotions and settlements totaling $300,000 Officers George Beck and his brother Christopher Beck filed suits against the borough in 2022 promoted George Beck to police captain and Christopher Beck to lieutenant George Beck received a $175,000 settlement the Police Department had paid out more than $2 million in settlements in the last five years pain and suffering in 2021 after he was acquitted of forgery Messing's suit was filed against the borough Officer Robert DeVito filed a lawsuit against the borough claiming a hostile work environment and discrimination DeVito received $600,000 and was allowed to return to his position as a police officer after he sued PALISADES PARK — The Board of Education will give an update on teacher contract negotiations at its next meeting the first since getting a vote of no confidence from the teachers' union The Palisades Park Education Association passed a vote of no confidence in the school board last month after working under an expired contract since June 2024 The majority of the membership approved the no-confidence measure after contract negotiations stalled The teachers' association said it believes the nine-person board is mismanaging district funds "prioritizing excessive legal fees over fair wages Board of Education President Soo Chung said the special April 11 board meeting has been scheduled to give an update to the public "The vote taken by the Association has no legal practical or other effect," Chung said about the no confidence vote via e-mail "While the Association has sought to gain advantage with a campaign of negative publicity that has distorted or misrepresented the facts the Board of Education remains committed to zealously seeking a mutually beneficial agreement that effectively balances and meets the needs of our students the board has paid more than $72,000 to the Busch Law Group while saying it doesn’t have the funds to offer a fair and equitable settlement the money spent on legal fees alone could have covered the first three years of a new contract settlement," the union "Instead of focusing on achieving a settlement the Board’s negotiations team chose to focus on attempting to rewrite vast portions of the PPEA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) resulting in unnecessary and inflated bargaining costs while also threatening to dismantle decades of educator rights and protections." The Palisades Park Education Association's negotiations chair said the teachers are among the lowest-paid in the county making it hard to attract and retain employees This is how you run a school district into the ground,” Sterni said “The priorities of this board must be questioned Why is so much money being funneled into legal fees and creating conflict rather than collaboration and student success?” The board has proposed cutting some health benefits for staff without offering the county-average salary increase "Research has shown that there are at least 25 districts within a 30-minute radius where teachers could earn significantly higher salaries," reads the union's statement "The Board has selectively chosen to raise the pay for certain sports teams based on winning seasons showing a lack of equitable support for all student-athletes and coaches." The union said last year the board allowed $1.3 million in banked cap funding to expire when it could have gone toward classroom enhancements “The Board’s refusal to offer a fair contract demonstrates a lack of respect for the educators who dedicate their time and personal resources to support students every day,” Sterni said we have lost confidence in their ability to lead this district.” The union has also raised concerns about a disconnect between the school board and the community it serves and three students will remain enrolled in the district next year and the Palisades Park community deserve better,” union President Amanda DiLullo Bellottie said “We call on our fellow stakeholders — parents business leaders and community members — to demand transparency a budget that prioritizes education — not excessive legal fees.” PALISADES PARK — The president of the borough's Board of Education said her life was threatened after a heated meeting During a special board meeting on April 11 President Soo Chung read a statement that lasted 20 minutes in response to the Palisades Park Education Association voting no confidence in the school board last month The statement called the teachers' union association unprofessional and accused it of using bad faith and deceptive practices in contract negotiations The special meeting was scheduled after the Palisades Park Education Association's no-confidence vote in March related to negotiations for a new contract The teachers have been working under an expired contract since June 2024 the teachers' association said the nine-person school board is mismanaging district funds asked for a formal vote of no confidence in the teachers' union leadership The only motion made was to post the statement on the district's website and reserve the right to hire a special counsel to help hold a press conference or spread the board's message to the public The statement was not posted anywhere publicly as of April 17 Chung said that immediately after the meeting ended a threat was made against her life in front of witnesses She said she filed a police report about the incident Northjersey.com requested a copy of the police report through an Open Public Records Act request but the report was not immediately available Local news: Former Bergen prosecutor responds to state PBA letter criticizing Daniel's Law coalition strange things had already been happening around me before the direct threat," Chung said noting she was advised not to comment further on the meeting due to the nature of the threat This should not happen to the board members in the Board of Education meeting or anywhere else." Chung said that "despite competitive salaries," the district's test scores remain below the state average "This persistent issue raises further questions about the disconnect between compensation demands and measurable educational outcomes," Chung said during the meeting One teacher said during public comment that she was personally hurt by that specific comment because the teachers make sure that the children Board members said they are aware that over 30% of the students are English learners Parents and teachers who attended the meeting were visibly upset Many parents who spoke during public comment said they took time away from their family in hopes of getting an update and instead just heard the board "drag and bash" their children's teachers for 20 minutes Audience members also shouted when the board attempted to pass motions without a clear roll call The board attorney needed to check his phone twice to see if the motions passed with enough votes “We remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to achieve a fair and sustainable agreement that prioritizes the educational needs of our students while respecting the contributions of our educators," the board said The teachers' union said the conduct of the school board members at the meeting reinforced their no-confidence decision "Rather than working collaboratively toward a resolution and alienate its own staff and community members," Amanda DiLullo Bellottie "We urge the board to reflect on its actions return to the bargaining table in good faith and begin treating the staff —and the families — of Palisades Park with the dignity and respect they deserve," DiLullo Bellottie said "Our educators remain fully committed to professionalism integrity and the academic and emotional success of every child in this community," DiLullo Bellottie said "We ask the board to meet us at that same standard — with transparency PALISADES PARK — The leadership for the borough's Police Department has changed yet again making the new officer in charge the sixth one in the last five years the department has had five police chiefs and experienced a tumultuous time marked by suspensions Some of the department's troubles can be traced back to the 1990s Since Chief Mark Jackson retired in 2019 amid controversy following a scathing report that outlined deficiencies An officer in charge in the borough serves as a temporary or interim post for the position of chief which comes without a chief's salary or pension benefits Palisades Park's newest officer in chargeThe mayor and council appointed Capt George Beck to be officer in charge during the Feb who was appointed when Chief Anthony Espino retired The change in leadership comes after the borough settled lawsuits with Beck and his brother George Beck and Christopher Beck filed suits against the borough in 2022 George Beck received a $175,000 settlement and his brother received $125,000 When asked about the change in leadership and if it was related to the lawsuits the borough's public relations firm Visions Media sent a joint statement by Beck and Rotundo More: Former Palisades Park clerk sues mayor, manager and new clerk, citing sexual harassment "Making this change will be the fairest way for borough officials to assess both of our leadership styles so that the most informed decision on who is to head the Palisades Park Police Department into the future can be made We both come from a department-first mentality and look forward to continuing to support each other as we both strive to make the Police Department the best it can be to serve the needs of our community," the statement from Beck and Rotundo reads The department attempted taking turns with the officers in charge in the past Anthony Muccio served as officer in charge after the chief's retirement Espino was put in charge and served for almost five months More: Palisades Park settles suits filed by two police officers. What about other lawsuits? Epsino was suing the department before he was appointed to the officer in charge role previously held by Capt borough officials said the two captains — Lee and Espino — would alternate as leaders until a decision could be made on who would be promoted to permanent chief of police The same night Espino was promoted, the borough settled a suit with him for $40,000 PALISADES PARK — The borough is suing its former administrator to recoup nearly $300,000 in paid unused sick and vacation time Palisades Park officials filed a lawsuit against David Lorenzo the fired former borough administrator they say wrongly received $276,334.85 in supplemental compensation from 2015 to 2024 The borough's lawsuit says Lorenzo used his position in municipal government to authorize the improper payments to himself which included payments for unused sick and vacation time to which he was not entitled under state law "As the business administrator for the borough David Lorenzo had a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the taxpayers and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations," Sara Rossi he violated that trust by accepting funds he was not statutorily entitled to Palisades Park is taking legal action to ensure these funds are returned to the borough and its residents." Lorenzo served as the business administrator for Palisades Park from 2008 until he was terminated in 2024 Lorenzo's attorney said the lawsuit was "frivolous" and in retaliation for filing pending lawsuits against the borough filed in state Superior Court in Bergen County on Jan Lorenzo "deliberately and improperly claimed and received payments" for unused sick and vacation time which were not in accordance with or applicable by state law and two state comptroller’s reports The borough seeks judgment against Lorenzo for the recoupment of the supplemental compensation in the full amount costs of suit and any additional relief deemed equitable and just by the court Lorenzo "caused and authorized himself" to receive a total of $276,334.85 including $81,226.65 for unused sick time and $195,108.20 for unused vacation days During Lorenzo's tenure as borough administrator he "crafted several purported employment contracts for himself which defendant caused to be 'rubber stamped' by the borough’s governing body with actual or constructive knowledge that the contracts violated the applicable law as it pertains to the compensation of officers and employees of a municipality." Officials said it wasn't until after Lorenzo was fired that the borough discovered the "full extent" of his actions and omissions that caused him to "wrongfully" be paid the supplemental compensation "Defendant’s actions and omissions which caused himself to be paid the supplemental compensation to which he was not entitled violated his duty of good faith and fair dealing and duty of loyalty," the suit says The lawsuit was a result of allegations made against Lorenzo before the Borough Council launched another investigation this past November Lorenzo is being singled out in this frivolous lawsuit seeking to claw back salary payments he earned for accrued time dating back to 2015," said Richard Malagiere The payments in the lawsuit were authorized by the borough's chief financial officer and presented and voted on by the mayor and council until Lorenzo was "wrongfully terminated." Comptroller's Palisades Park reportIn 2021, a scathing comptroller's investigation found that officials were improperly paying employees for unused sick time After the state comptroller said hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted, the mayor and Borough Council made changes issuing gas cards to department heads only and instituting an oversight committee Its most concerning findings are related to the borough’s policies on sick time payouts the 2015 contract and many actions taken by the Borough pursuant to the contract related to the BA (business administrator) and his sick and vacation leave appear unlawful," the report says A 2010 New Jersey law largely prohibits municipalities from making annual sick leave payouts other than a one-time $15,000 payout at retirement The law was put in place in an attempt to curb municipal spending but Palisades Park “substantially” ignored it paying out tens of thousands of dollars each year to workers for unused sick time The borough’s contract with Lorenzo came under specific criticism in the 2021 report Lorenzo's two most recent contracts had no limitations on sick leave payouts and he received payouts of about $9,200 in 2018 and $9,500 in 2019 Lorenzo's contract also allowed him to accrue vacation time beyond the state's one-year cap Lorenzo was entitled to receive a $160,000 total payout for sick and vacation leave that New Jersey law prevents him from getting That figure does not include the amount he has already received Lorenzo is also promised terminal leave — a severance-like payout at retirement — that is calculated based on his entire tenure with Palisades Park which includes 13 years when he was a councilman making less than $2,000 annually His terminal leave could total more than $100,000 for those 13 years when he earned just $24,000 total the borough made sick leave payouts of about $109,000 to 27 employees who Most payments were between $3,000 and $5,000 The council hired Matthew Giacobbe of Cleary Jacobs to serve as the special counsel and paid the firm $150 an hour to review the comptroller's 56-page report "While the complaint against him is partly based on the 2021 comptroller's report it is only one piece of a larger puzzle," Rossi said "There are other employees under investigation Giacobbe report echoed the comptroller's findings and served as a basis for the lawsuit." "Annual payments for accrued and unused sick and vacation pay were made to dozens of borough employees Lorenzo is the only former employee being singled out in this lawsuit," Malagiere said this lawsuit is nothing more than retaliation against Mr Lorenzo for his political activities and his pending lawsuits against the borough Malagiere said they will "demand" an immediate dismissal of this lawsuit Lorenzo is currently suing the borough in federal court The day after being placed on administrative leave Lorenzo filed a lawsuit against the borough conspiracy to violate civil rights and common law conspiracy to violate civil rights Lorenzo's lawsuit says he was targeted after the Palisades Park Democratic Club — of which he serves as president — withdrew its support for Min and ceased campaigning on his behalf Lorenzo was eventually terminated last year for not seeing "eye to eye" with the council during its reorganization He also has a second pending lawsuit over Open Public Records Act requests. Palisades Park Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim was under investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office in 2024 says a legal document filed by a police officer notifying the borough that he intends to sue for $2 million in damages Police Officer Michael DeBartolo's lawyer filed the tort notice earlier this month It reads that after his client "gave a witness statement to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office regarding an investigation into Mayor Paul Kim on February 22 2024," the officer became the object of an Internal Affairs investigation "A conspiracy among the individuals in the Borough designed the IA (Internal Affairs) investigation to create a pretense under which Claimant could be denied an upcoming promotion to Sergeant and defeat a whistle blower claim," says the document medical and hospital expenses and lost wages The legal document does not state the reason for the investigation into the mayor or give details except that the officer was called in to serve as a witness DeBartolo is the latest employee to sue the borough and the mayor the borough and a councilman in January by Police Officer Robert DeVito alleging retaliation discrimination and interference with a promotion The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that it could not confirm or deny any investigation "Standard policy and relevant laws dictate that information is released to the public if and when there is sufficient evidence to bring criminal charges," the Prosecutor's Office statement reads Another borough employee and an official confirmed they were also brought in and interviewed for the investigation into the mayor They said they feared the loss of their jobs or retaliation and asked not to be identified When the mayor was asked for more information about the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office investigation sent an email to The Record and NorthJersey.com threatening to sue if the story was published Mayor Kim has never been notified that he was the target of any investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and vehemently denies it to be true," Krumholz's email reads "The information you are apparently relying upon comes from a disgruntled former Borough employee.” having previously served as a councilman and a Board of Education member Kim was employed by Bergen County as the director of the Palisades Park Senior Activity Center During the time of the alleged investigation to the county's elder nutrition and Social Security coordinator saying he would "retire from my position." obtained by an Open Public Records Act request and that he valued his experience and opportunity to serve the seniors Bergen County Deputy Chief of Staff Derek Sands said it's the county's policy not to comment on personnel matters when asked about the investigation into Kim DeBartolo's tort notice joins a list of other court actions filed by police officers against the borough Officers George Beck and his brother Christopher Beck sued the borough in 2022. The settlements, approved on Dec. 30, 2024, promoted George Beck to police captain and Christopher Beck to lieutenant The two alleged a hostile work environment and retaliation The settlement included promotions and money totaling $300,000 the Police Department has paid out more than $2 million in settlements in the last five years There are three outstanding police lawsuits in total In 2023, Sgt. Marc Messing and Sgt. Dennis Pavlic filed suits against the borough claiming political interference that hindered potential promotions Settlement agreements for their suits were on the March 24 council meeting agenda Messing received a $675,000 settlement for attorney fees PALISADES PARK — Almost 800 apartment units have been approved in an affordable housing settlement for six builders' lawsuits The borough had 90 days to create a fair share housing plan and new land use ordinance after a judge ruled in favor of prospective developers Superior Court Judge Christine Farrington also invalidated a borough zoning ordinance in late October saying it "failed to provide a realistic opportunity for the construction of the borough of Palisades Park's fair share of the regional need for low- and moderate-cost housing." A court-appointed special adjudicator assisted the borough in developing its fair share plan and new land use controls The mayor and Borough Council approved a 156-page settlement agreement with the developers at their Dec The settlement agreement also says the borough must pay $20,000 in attorney fees to the Fair Share Housing Center "The inaction and mismanagement of the former administration unfortunately put the Borough in this situation where our hands have been tied and we have been forced to accept these settlement agreements in order to protect Palisades Park taxpayers from potentially devastating financial consequences," Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim said in a statement through the borough's public relation team Kim said that since the borough began negotiating the focus has been on minimizing the impact on existing residential neighborhoods and ensuring that current residents benefit from new development "This settlement accomplishes those goals to the best of our ability given our untenable legal situation," Kim said "We are hopeful that with careful management and planning we will be able to integrate this mandated new housing and extract significant community benefits from developers including new tax revenue and affordable housing opportunities for Palisades Park seniors and families." Builders that filed lawsuits against the borough this year include: the Borough Council unanimously approved new zoning and permits for accessory dwelling units for one- and two-family homes The ordinance creates a new code for building and accessory units An accessory dwelling unit can be within a proposed or existing primary dwelling like a basement or attic; an extension; or constructed as a separate detached structure on the same lot as the existing or proposed primary dwelling It was introduced last month right after a judge ordered the borough to develop an affordable housing plan The dwelling unit must provide complete independent living facilities including provisions for living The installation of accessory dwelling units was created to provide additional options for affordable housing to allow residents to remain in town Borough Attorney Scott Krumholz of Ruderman & Roth previously said "Older residents for example may be living on a fixed income and are thereby especially at risk and face the possibility of having to leave the Borough taking with them a lifetime of experiences that benefit the entire community," the ordinance reads "Also people with disabilities may face considerable challenges when finding adaptive housing and risk having to live away from family and trusted support networks in order to find appropriate living environments." The accessory dwelling units are a "partial but important solution" that requires no or little investment from the borough The ordinance was approved a month after a judge ruled against the borough in six builders' remedy lawsuits from prospective developers A suit settlement agreement is scheduled to be on the agenda for the Dec Judge Christine Farrington also invalidated a borough zoning ordinance A court-appointed special adjudicator will now assist the borough in developing its fair share plan and new land use controls The borough will have 90 days to create a housing plan and new land use ordinance A bill to address concerns about the development and use of accessory dwelling units was introduced earlier this year on the state level by Assemblyman Louis D It was referred to the Assembly Housing Committee This bill would authorize owners of property zoned for single-family or two-family residential use to develop an accessory dwelling unit on their property consistent with statewide standards The bill would permit each municipality to adopt or amend its land use regulations to be consistent with the bill’s statewide standards Some regulations include a minimum floor area requirement of 300 square feet and a maximum of 1,200 square feet with a maximum height requirement of 20 feet The bill would also amend the Fair Housing Act to require a municipality's master plan housing element to include a plan to promote the creation of accessory dwelling units that will be offered "at affordable rent for low- and moderate-income households and to clarify that amounts deposited in the New Jersey Affordable Housing Trust Fund may be applied for the purpose of creating ADUs to be occupied by low- and moderate-income households." PALISADES PARK — The mayor and most of the Borough Council members have voted to explore taking legal action to bar a current councilman from attending future meetings that are closed to the public The officials want to forbid Councilman Michael Vietri to sit in on future closed meetings because they said he disclosed sensitive and confidential information in the past that was privileged to those meetings of the mayor and council They said the disclosures left the borough at a disadvantage in pending negotiations the action may not be legal based on a provision in the Open Public Meetings Act the council passed a resolution to hire a special counsel the Cranford-based law firm Renaud Colicchio LLC at $325 per hour and not exceeding $20,000 The move was done to "protect the borough," said Borough Attorney Scott Krumholz of Ruderman & Roth 30 meeting when the resolution was approved and said he didn't know about the ordinance before he was asked to comment on it for this story The special counsel will be asked to interview investigate and substantiate the allegations made against Vietri verified complaints will then be filed against the councilman to show cause and to bar Vietri from future executive sessions Vietri will be allowed into all portions of the meeting The council was made aware of an incident with Vietri in early 2024 when he submitted an affidavit to an attorney against the borough that disclosed certain information that was discussed in a closed-session meeting the latest complaint came in early December 2024 and involved settlements of two lawsuits filed by borough police officers there were at least three attorneys providing the mayor and council with a status update on settlement terms and taking a "straw poll" of council members on how to proceed "This was all for discussion purposes and all sensitive material in litigation," Krumholz said that Vietri attended a local PBA holiday party and disclosed those terms of many if not all the settlements to several police officers," Krumholz said "It's created a difficult situation for the borough and for officer morale and now to proceed getting some of the settlements through." More: Paramus takes step toward redevelopment of garden center, historic home. What's next? Vietri disputes the account and said he did not even attend the holiday party in question so I don't know what they're talking about," Vietri said Krumholz said Vietri was given the council meeting packet with a copy of all resolutions before the meeting a former chief of police with the borough who previously served for five years as a part-time civilian police director said he doesn't attend the local Policemen's Benevolent Association meetings He said he only attended the chiefs association meetings recently He said the other allegation from early last year is when the borough was discussing the now-fired Business Administrator Dave Lorenzo's employment in closed session where Lorenzo asked for the discussion of his employment to take place in public "They went into closed session and started talking about him Vietri said the mayor and council have unauthorized meetings several times during the week from which he is excluded "You can walk into Borough Hall and see up to four council members in the mayor's office during the week," Vietri said "They keep me out of the loop and this is all retaliation for not agreeing with the mayor." Two settlement agreements were approved at the Dec There is still pending litigation involving two other officers Vietri's "comments have affected police officer morale now that word has gotten back to several officers about the speculative claims," Krumholz said "I don't think some police officers believe all the lawsuits are legitimate and now the numbers that were floated around with the settlement authority have potentially upset some officers and created an issue with morale and other things." Krumholz said there are still some settlements in limbo and he doesn't know the extent of the impact Vietri will have on them but it could put the borough in a disadvantageous position to have one party know what the other party is doing," Krumholz said If the investigation finds Vietri did reveal privileged information he can be barred from executive sessions and an investigation can be conducted by the Department of Community Affairs with the possibility that he can ultimately lose his council seat as a consequence This situation is one that Krumholz and Micah Rasmussen the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University Rasmussen said there's a provision in the Open Public Meetings Act that may make excluding an elected official from any part of a meeting illegal "No person or public body shall fail to invite a portion of its members to a meeting for the purpose of circumventing the provisions of this act," the Open Public Meetings Act states "an argument could be made that now the entire meeting is voidable," Rasmussen said "That's obviously why they're seeking the legal opinion but the Public Meetings Act is very clear that all members are supposed to be in the meetings and I think they could have a problem," he said "I'm sympathetic to the problem they say they have but engaging in public or closed meetings without all of its members is contrary to the will of the voters." Rasmussen said if the councilman still wants to assert his right and tries to enter a closed-session meeting it will now put the remaining council and even police officers in a difficult position "I'd be curious to see: If he goes into the meeting will the council just pick up and move to another room Will they have to get the police involved to prevent him from entering a room?" Rasmussen said The special counsel will conduct the investigation file any orders and ultimately a judge will decide what happens next and I'm sympathetic to their concerns," Rasmussen said you can't just decide a duly elected member of the body can be excluded from a meeting." PALISADES PARK — Two police officers who filed lawsuits against the borough alleging a hostile work environment and retaliation have received promotions and settlements totaling $300,000 The department is currently helmed by an officer in charge — again "The borough believes that settling these cases and allowing all parties to move forward amicably is in the best interests of Palisades Park taxpayers and we congratulate these officers on their promotions," Sara Rossi George Beck's lawsuit said his "disturbing experiences" with Capt and that he has been the target of harassment and abusive behavior since then culminating last month when he was issued a written reprimand Christopher Beck's lawsuit said Lee and a councilman created a hostile work environment and that Beck suffered permanent damage to his professional and personal reputation and was denied a merit-based promotion "We are of the mindset that the promotion of Chris Beck certainly was long overdue and we deeply appreciate the current governing body taking the action it did in promoting our client to the rank of lieutenant based upon his pure merit and fitness," said Chris Beck's attorney Beck looks forward to assuming and performing the duties of his new position and he will unquestionably do so with resolute distinction." The borough denied all allegations in the lawsuits and Lee is no longer employed by the department In 2022, a prisoner escape led to an investigation of the department by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. No criminal charges were filed in the prisoner escape incident, but the officer in charge at the time, Lee, retired as part of a settlement agreement and Lt the Police Department had paid out more than $2 million in settlements in just the last five years former Police Chief Ben Ramos received $850,000 and had all disciplinary charges against him dismissed under a settlement agreement with the borough The borough is responsible for $200,000 of the award with the remainder paid by the Joint Insurance Fund In 2023, Sgt. Marc Messing and Sgt. Dennis Pavlic filed suits against the borough claiming political interference that hindered potential promotions Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim and Councilman Suk Min 14 claiming a hostile work environment and discrimination In 2020, DeVito received $600,000 and was allowed to return to his position as a police officer after he sued saying he had been fired for being gay who has filed a harassment complaint against the mayor has worked for the borough for the last nine years and was last serving as a bilingual secretary and secretary to the borough clerk with a salary of $55,900 after she sought medical treatment for mold-related symptoms from the conditions inside Borough Hall The Borough Council voted to terminate Gardenier at its Monday The council passed a resolution to do so with no public discussion of the matter Only Councilman Michael Vietri voted against the resolution Gardenier did not attend the meeting in person because no borough officials had contacted her to inform her of her termination The resolution listed her termination as effective on Nov "I feel like it was retaliation and that they just don't want to deal with me anymore," Gardenier said "They just want to make me go away instead of owning up to their responsibilities to have a safe and harassment-free workplace They've given me no alternatives to help me work." Gardenier said she had no history of asthma or respiratory illnesses before the moldy conditions developed at Borough Hall Her doctor diagnosed her with workplace asthma Gardenier was ordered twice by certified letter to return to work or her position would be considered abandoned When Gardenier asked for proof that the building was mold-free She said she also filed a sexual harassment complaint against the mayor that has gone ignored reports or action plans and said she was never given a response Borough officials respondDuring Monday's council meeting one resident said she was happy about the employee's termination and said it was "excellent" that the borough was saving money Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim followed up and said "I appreciate your opinion concerning of what we did to save money." The mayor, council and borough attorney did not respond to requests for comment until Wednesday, Nov. 27. NorthJersey.com and The Record first reported last week on Gardenier's possible termination Borough officials said they took every legally required step to address Gardenier's concerns including working with the New Jersey State Office of Public Employee's Occupational Safety and Health PEOSH officials said no visible mold was found near Gardenier's workstation "The borough even took the additional step of performing a recent independent environmental air quality test and inspection which showed that air quality is within acceptable levels while ongoing renovation work within the building continues," Philip Swibinski a newly hired public relations firm hired by the borough said in a statement "It's important to note that while mold has previously been detected within some areas of the police department and is now in the process of being abated Gardenier's workstation was not in that area and no mold has ever been detected where she was stationed." Swibinski said accomodations were offered to allow her to return to work Gardenier's clerical position requires her to be physically in the office and interacting with residents "an important function that cannot be performed virtually," Swibinski said Gardenier and she still refused to return to work despite these clear attempts to address the issues she raised and that refusal left the Borough with no choice but to terminate her employment in order to protect the interests of Palisades Park taxpayers," Swibinski said Gardenier essentially was demanding to be handed a no show job and allowing that to happen would be illegal unethical and unfair to other borough employees who work hard every day for the community Public employees must be held to a high standard and the Borough will always take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that they are performing their jobs efficiently and effectively." Vietri said he believes the building still has mold and exposed ceilings and walls "I'm glad this chapter is closed so I can move on," Gardenier said "But the way it was handled is super unprofessional Earlier: Palisades Park employee, out of work over mold issue, expects to be terminated Monday The Record and NorthJersey.com first reported mold conditions in Borough Hall and the Police Department in September 2023 mold was discovered in Borough Hall and in police headquarters housed in the same building at 275 Broad Ave Since that time, more than 50 claims of injury have been filed to the insurance group about illness caused by the building conditions and mold in Borough Hall police headquarters and attached buildings along with documents received through the Open Public Records Act Gardenier was one of the workers' compensation complainants regarding the mold She has been under the care of a pulmonologist who advised her not to go back into the building and to seek remote work Over 400 pages of emails and documents obtained by The Record and NorthJersey.com show lingering health concerns among employees attributed to mold contamination and air quality in the buildings The borough spent $1 million on trailers to relocate the Police Department and borough employees during mold remediation Borough Manager Raymond Herr sent Gardenier a letter in September ordering her to return to work The letter said the Office of Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health "has advised that there is no danger or violation of the health code or public occupational safety standards regarding mold or mold spores in the borough facility she was told in writing that PEOSH only addressed visible mold that there was no presence of visible mold during its last inspection and that the borough is engaged in retaining services to clean Borough Hall Gardenier also filed complaints against mayor Chong "Paul" Kim alleging sexual harassment In her correspondence with Herr regarding her return to work over the mold mayor and attorney haven't addressed her complaints Gardenier said the mayor has been inappropriate in the way he speaks dating back to when he was first elected as a council member Gardenier's allegations of sexual harassment were thoroughly investigated by outside counsel and were found to be without merit As this is related to a personnel matter we can make no further comment," Swibinski said Rebuilding the Pal Park/Leonia football program might be the toughest job in North Jersey but new coach Sal DeGennaro believes it can be done “My commitment is full and I plan to be here for a long time and turn this program around and get it on the right track,” said DeGennaro I’m real excited to see where this goes in the next couple of years.” The co-op program hasn’t had a winning season since 2013 and went 0-8 last season “I think the first thing is building a foundation and making sure the kids are 100 percent committed,” said DeGennaro who grew up in Lyndhurst “When you have the kids in a system where they know what coach wants and expects every day that’s when you start building your scheme and the kids can work on getting better and eventually you will see the results in the win column.” Palisades Park/Leonia is one of the oldest co-op football programs in New Jersey DeGennaro has been on the Tigers' staff since 2022 serving as defensive coordinator in 2023 and offensive coordinator last season He’s also a varsity assistant baseball coach at Leonia DeGennaro recognizes that it’s not just two districts coming together but three with Edgewater kids also coming to Leonia High School That can cause logistical issues and make it hard to get the team together for summer workouts “We get a great influx late in the preseason but at that point it can be hard when half the team shows up Aug 15 along with the new freshmen coming in,” DeGennaro said “I have been talking to the athletic directors to get all of the kids ready to go DeGennaro met with the Leonia players already and will meet with the Palisades Park kids on Friday if we can tap into that potential we can be in a really good spot,” DeGennaro said More: Park Ridge football bringing in one of North Jersey's winningest coaches to lead program More: Wood-Ridge football tabs 'underdog' Sparta assistant for head job After playing baseball and football at Lyndhurst where he earned his master's degree in social studies He was hired as a history and government teacher in Leonia in 2022 “The final goal was to get somewhere where I could coach and be a teacher at the same time and I found the golden egg in Leonia,” DeGennaro said He credits the coaches he played for in Lyndhurst specifically football coach Rich Tuero and baseball coach Patrick Auteri He’s also grateful for the support of his father “I have a great staff that is coming with me that has the same vision and same mentality about what we want to build,” DeGennaro said “I have gained experience in great programs since I was young and I want to use that going forward A 29-year-old New York man was arrested in Palisades Park early Monday morning officers were on patrol at Broad Avenue and Brinkerhoff Terrace when they observed a black Jeep Liberty being operated by a man The vehicle had been stolen an hour prior from the Bronx and Barrea was taken into custody and charged with unlawfully taking of means of conveyance Enter your email to sign up for news and updates from the city Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Palisades Park football head coach Jon Koonce during the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference football media day activities Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Joe Zedalis | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comA senior offensive lineman from Palisades Park was resting at home after suffering “a major concussion” as the result of a penalized blindside hit Friday night during a North Jersey Interscholastic Conference football game in Garfield Jon Koonce, the second-year head coach at Palisades Park, told NJ.com he received word from the parents Saturday morning indicating the player was released from Hackensack University Medical Center at approximately 5:30 a.m Koonce said he planned to visit the player’s home on Saturday After speaking to parents Saturday morning Koonce said the player had sustained a “major concussion” but had been cleared of all other injuries expressed unhappiness Saturday morning when he discovered the game tape Palisades Park was the visiting team and did not videotape the game on its own “I am very upset that the play wasn’t included in the game film that was sent over to us from Garfield this (Saturday) “I wanted to see if it was a clean hit or a dirty play.” whose name was not released at the request of his parents was injured with about 10 minutes left in the game Athletic administrators agreed to stop the game while the player was prepared for transport by athletic trainers from both teams and the Garfield team doctor he was out cold and convulsing,” Koonce said he got caught out in the open and never saw it coming but it took a bit for their fans and bench to see it After the trip back to Palisades Park High School Koonce gathered and addressed his shaken team “We sat the kids down and gave them the updates we had at the time,” Koonce said “I reminded the kids we are a family and that he needs our support “I’m just not sure right now how to get back up and get going again.” Palisades Park (0-4) is scheduled to play at Lodi next Friday night In October of 2022, St. John Vianney player Aaron Van Trease suffered a serious neck injury on the third play of a game against Manasquan Van Trease suffed his injury while playing defense and attempting to make a tackle Van Trease was airlifted to a New Brunswick hospital where he underwent surgery Two weeks later a Keyport player, Logan Blanks suffered severe neck and cervical injuries during a game versus Lakewood Blanks was taken by ambulance to Jersey Shore Medical Center where he had two extensive multi-hour surgeries to address the injury said his son was expected to make a full recovery NJ.com reporter Steven Bassin contributed to this report Joe Zedalis can be reached at jzedalis@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) of course; either being associated with or owning a pool room and being a  competitor at the sport as well Jayson Shaw owns US 1 Billiards & Bar in West Haven Holden Chen owns Raxx Billiards in West Hempstead Ed Liddawi is the proprietor of Sandcastle Billiards in Edison NJ and the late Mark Griffin owned Griff’s in Las Vegas owner of Bergen Billiards in Palisades Park began when he entered our database just shy of 15 years ago (April finishing 49th at the World 8-Ball Championships in the United Arab Emirates Kang claimed his first (recorded-with-us) tournament win in his own room Lee not only went undefeated to win the Garden State Pool Tour’s $100-added Open 10-Ball event that drew 17 entrants to Bergen Billiards he did so by winning 83% of the games that he played (44-9) two in two other races to 7 and two in a race-to-9 final Lee never did get to face his closest competitor in terms of FargoRate The five opponents he did face (in six matches) had an average FargoRate of 566.8 with Jose Estevez at the top end of that list (605) and Tucker Connington (497) at the bottom to Kevin Scalzitti (unrated) and Connington before Estevez chalked up three against him Lee advanced to face Wode Ni in one of the winners’ side semifinals gave up three each to Victor Nau and Tri Chau to draw Nicholas Croce in the other winners’ side semifinal Both had lost winners’ side quarterfinals; Dy to Croce and Estevez to Lee Croce defeated Estevez 7-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals Ni downed Croce in those quarterfinals 7-3 and in what might well have been the tournament’s most nail-biting battle Lee gave up his last two racks and claimed his first (known) event title Tour director Dave Fitzpatrick thanked Bergen Billiards’ owner and competitor Kang Lee and his staff for their hosptitality The next stop on the Garden State Pool Tour will follow US Amateur rules and be hosted by Players Billiards in Eatontown The GSPT will be back at Bergen Billiards for a ‘699 and under FargoRate’ stop Go to discussion... © AZBilliards.com EPPA inc. 1998-2025 All Rights Reserved. Site design by GRIN tech Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More A re-roofing project for the recreation building and comfort station at Pacific Palisades Community Park has begun this week according to the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation Because there will be phased closures of both buildings in addition to the adjacent pickleball/volleyball court and some designated parking stalls DPR is providing portable toilets for the public and relocating affected programs usually held at this facility to nearby DPR parks The 8.42-acre Pacific Palisades Community Park in Pearl City opened in 1967 and is one of 50 community parks around Oahu PALISADES PARK — The former borough clerk has filed a lawsuit against the mayor the current clerk and the facilities manager intimidated and retaliated against her until she was forced to leave the job she had held for 15 years Gina Kim resigned from her post in April, at which time she wrote in her resignation letter that it was due to the "egregious conduct" of borough leaders that went ignored by officials and attorneys in the borough which includes allegations of a hostile work environment Kim served the borough of Palisades Park for 15 years In return for that service and during the early stages of her pregnancy she was sexually harassed and subjected to a hostile work environment by Mayor Paul Kim and his minions," said Kim's attorney Kim’s pleas for help and intervention to the powers that be in the borough were ignored and instead she was retaliated against for speaking out against Mayor Paul Kim." to be "free from a hostile work environment and retaliation." She is seeking damages for lost pay Borough Attorney Allen Roth said he was not aware of any summons or complaint served to the borough regarding Gina Kim and couldn't provide further comment Gina Kim's claims against the mayor date to 2018 The lawsuit says the mayor and Lee knew Gina Kim was raised in a traditional Korean American household and that they used her cultural values and respect for authority against her as a "weapon to intimidate and harass." Several examples documented in the lawsuit date to 2018 The suit says the mayor subjected Gina Kim to sexually harassing behavior that was "severe and pervasive One example included in the lawsuit says the mayor once discussed his prostate with Gina Kim and said it was uncomfortable and in need of a "prostate massage." The lawsuit also details an alleged incident in which the mayor told Gina Kim's co-workers that she had been mistaken for a prostitute at a past League of Municipalities event he regularly had "inappropriate sexual conversations" in front of her and attempted to get her to participate The mayor's behavior became so severe that Gina Kim was afraid to be left alone with him and documented the times she was began "spying" on her and frequently went to her office to use the printer and see if she was working despite having his own printer on a separate floor in Borough Hall Besides filing earlier grievances and reports to other borough attorneys Gina Kim reported 11 complaints or grievances between Sept "In a desperate attempt to protect herself from Defendant Lee’s harassment the Plaintiff was left with no choice other than to vacate her work area whenever Defendant Lee entered the same workspace," the lawsuit says Gina Kim reported more harassment and intimidation examples to the new borough attorney in 2024 that also were ignored "Notwithstanding the Plaintiff’s most recent request for help from yet another Borough lawyer the harassment continued unabated as the defendants Mayor Paul Kim and Defendant Lee persisted in their harassment and retaliation against the Plaintiff," the lawsuit says After she took a new job in Oakland as an assistant to the borough administrator The Palisades Park police director called the Oakland administrator to request certain passwords that he said Gina Kim took with her when she left "The Borough police director had no authority or legitimate purpose to make this request of the Plaintiff’s new employer and as such the request was an attempt to further retaliate against the Plaintiff and undermine her employment with the Borough of Oakland," the lawsuit says The people named in the lawsuit have not responded to requests for comment Kim is seeking compensatory damages for severe emotional distress physical pain and suffering; for the damage to her reputation and standing in her community; and "for public disgrace compensatory and punitive damages for the willful discriminatory and malicious conduct of all of the Defendants," in amounts to be determined at trial as well as an award of reasonable attorneys’ fees Austin Kim (17) of Dwight-Englewood pitches during the baseball game between Waldwick and Dwight-Englewood at Waldwick High School in Waldwick NJ on 4/19/24.Scott Faytok | NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Jason Bernstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comAustin Kim struck out eight in the complete game shutout allowing three hits and one hit batsman as Dwight-Englewood defeated Ridgefield-Palisades Park Matias De Alba went 3-for-3 with a home run two runs and a stolen base for Dwight-Englewood (5-2) and Nick Bevilqua went 2-for-3 with three RBI 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) Molly Fitzpatrick Taking a nap in a golden pyramid guarded by a pair of lion statues is pretty good Following that nap up with some chicken wings is even better King Spa is a Korean spa in Palisades Park, New Jersey with saunas, massage treatments, and body scrubs galore. It’s not quite as luxurious, or as large, as SoJo Spa Club in nearby Edgewater—but daily admission here is about half the price the counter-service Korean restaurant on the second floor serves food till 11pm so even night owls can replenish the nutrients they just sweated out in the mineral salt room find a seat in the sprawling dining room with ornate so don’t be shy in your use of the provided salt shaker and jar of gochugaru to make them sing and rest assured that you won’t be the first person to accidentally dribble spots of red broth onto your provided uniform and eggs baked—like you—in the spa’s very hottest sauna there’s a freezer section with honeydew Melona bars and other Korean ice-cream treats in the food court as well as a separate stand downstairs that serves bingsoo you’ll find that right next to the ice room.) KoreanAmerican Bulgogi will become your new favorite spa food after a meal at this Korean spa in Edgewater EuropeanEastern European Williamsburg Bathhouse is an Eastern European restaurant in Williamsburg that serves some of the best food you can eat in a robe Noodles and broth probably won’t change your life Molly is a writer and reporter from New Jersey who now lives in Queens She is clinically incapable of shutting up about either place .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By John Lewis | For NJ Advance MediaSophia Coleman struck out seven over three innings of work and went 3-for-3 at the plate as Cresskill defeated host Palisades Park scored a run and drove in three as the Cougars got to 2-2 Angeline Cecere added two hits for Cresskill and drove in a run John Lewis can be reached at hssports@njadvancemedia.com A wildfire that sparked in the Palisades Park area west of downtown Spokane Friday night was threatening hundreds of structures within hours by the Northeast Washington Interagency Communication Center Forward progress had been stopped by Friday night It wasn’t immediately clear how many of those were homes and Life Center Spokane church and Palisades Christian Academy were evacuated Crews blocked the fire along a ridge behind the school and were putting out hot spots around 8 p.m Spokane County Emergency Management issued a Level 2 evacuation notice for the area meaning residents should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice south to Greenwood Road and north to Sandridge Avenue A lower Level 1 evacuation warning was also in place for some areas A smoke column could be seen from downtown Spokane with onlookers stopping to observe from the Monroe Street Bridge spectators also stood across the street from Palisades Christian Academy in the parking lot of the church Life Center Spokane flames were close to the doorstep of the school Ian Nesteruk attended grades three through eight at the Christian school some 20 years ago he looked west across the road as the flames slowly inched down the hill at the school’s rear “I Facetimed my parents and showed them because my cousins go here My family,” Nesteruk said with folded arms Multiple streams from fire hoses could be seen behind the school spraying water dozens of feet up the hillside Nesteruk said he was glad the fire broke out when it did because he believed the school was empty as only day care services are offered in the summer months lifeless tree caught fire between the onlookers and the school Nesteruk and his family emigrated to Spokane when he was a boy He has since grown accustomed to wildfires but this one is close to home because I live five minutes down the road gesturing to the east and the buildings of Spokane’s main business district dominating sound waves in the vicinity with a loud engine It dumped a brilliant pink substance over the school “With all these planes and helicopters in the air – we’ll be all right,” he said Rafael Salgado has volunteered as a firefighter in the Spokane area for 10 years But the sights from a lookout near the intersection of Rimrock Drive and Greenwood Road was a little different than what he has experienced That’s why you see fire-retardant planes and helicopters carrying buckets,” Salgado said at about 7 p.m Friday as he pointed to a helicopter circling the column of smoke to the north with a bucket tethered underneath Although he’s spent a decade putting out flames and 15 years living in Spokane he said he hasn’t grown accustomed to wildfires the helicopters can typically get water from the rivers “So they’re probably going to have to go a little farther away to the lakes in the area.” Before heading to his home on the South Hill Salgado waited to ensure danger had left the residential area “We’re going to wait a few minutes longer to see where it’s at and to see if we have to evacuate,” he said A large fire also broke out Friday afternoon in the Cheney area The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning for the area Thursday because of strong winds and dry conditions spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources said five engines initially responded to the Upper Cemetery fire with air support DNR coordinated with Spokane County Fire District 10 to battle the blaze With additional reporting from Spokesman staffers Alexandra Duggan and Mathew Callaghan James Hanlon's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper’s managing editor. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy New York Almanack November 13, 2024 by Leave a Comment In the last week several brush fires and wildfires have broken out throughout the NY Metropolitan area and lower Hudson Valley. In the Palisades region alone, more than 5,000 acres have already burned – an area roughly ⅓ the size of Manhattan These fires come on the heels of the driest October on record This historic drought continues with minimal rain and high winds forecast for the coming days While fires are not uncommon during the dry season the quantity and severity of the fires we’re seeing feels unprecedented These worst-case conditions have contributed to an extreme fire, named the Jennings Creek Wildfire, currently burning in Sterling Forest State Park The intensity of the Jennings Creek Wildfire continues to require a massive response from multiple states The Palisades Parks Conservancy is collecting tax-deductible donations to support fire fighters responding to the Jennings Creek Wildfire and recovery efforts throughout the region. They are coordinating with responders and park staff to ensure funds go where they’re needed most – whether directly to fire crews or to park recovery after the fires burn out. You can make a donation here Amid fire fighting efforts over the weekend, 18-year-old New York State Parks employee Dariel Vasquez was tragically killed when he was struck by a falling tree. You can support Dariel’s family as they endure this devastating loss by donating here Palisades Interstate Park (Englewood Cliffs New Jersey): a 40-acre brush fire burned along the cliffs of the NJ Palisades Cliffs sending dramatic smoke billowing over New York City That fire began Thursday 11/7 and was fully extinguished by rain Sunday 11/10 The Palisades Interstate Park will reopen this week Bear Mountain State Park (New York): A small brush fire burned inside Bear Mountain State Park It was contained by DEC crews and extinguished by rain on Sunday 11/10 Sterling Forest State Park (Orange County NY/ Passaic County NJ): 5,000 acres have burned straddling the NJ/NJ state line The Jennings Creek Wildfire (Sterling Forest State Park) As of 2 pm on November 12th, the Jennings Creek Wildfire has burned an estimated 5,000 acres along the New Jersey-New York border in Passaic and Orange counties. On the NY side, the fire is burning in Sterling Forest State Park, a large swath of natural forest southwest of Harriman State Park The massive fire fighting efforts are being led by the NY’s DEC New York State has issued a statewide burn ban until November 30th You can show your solidarity to fire crews by following guidance from local authorities: Adhere to stringent burn and fire bans (no grilling, ground fires, safe cigarette disposal), especially in areas with Red Flag warnings; Monitor local air quality and smoke conditions and take necessary precautions to protect your health For more information about fire safety and prevention, go to DEC’s FIREWISE New York webpage Photos: Jennings Creek Wildfire (NJ DEP); and Dariel Vasquez (provided by Palisades Parks Conservancy) Stories written under the Editorial Staff byline are drawn from press releases and other notices. Submit your news to New York Almanack here New York Almanack receives no public funds Please give today (a monthly recurring gift is best) PayPal Venmo Rally.org Patreon Buy Me A Cup of Coffee CashApp Use your bank’s “bill pay” option (or just send a check) Without your support we cannot publish the Almanack (Click the link below to not see this message again) Don't Show Me This Message Again. A 29-year-old Little Ferry man was arrested and charged on Monday after he was found with a knife and a BB gun outside a church in Palisades Park authorities said Minseuk Jung was arrested for having a BB gun and a knife officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at First Street and E Edsall Boulevard and located Minseuk Jung standing out the Presbyterian Church of New Jersey at 500 Broad Ave. Officers conducted a pat down of Jung and located a knife and an air-type BB gun Jung was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon PALISADES PARK — The borough is looking to create zoning and permits for accessory dwelling units for one- or two-family homes on the heels of a judge ordering it to develop an affordable housing plan The ordinance was introduced at a special meeting on Friday night but it will require a public hearing and formal adoption An accessory dwelling unit can be located within a proposed or existing primary dwelling an extension or constructed as a separate detached structure on the same lot as the existing or proposed primary dwelling The unit must provide complete independent living facilities including provisions for living "The Borough Council will be considering an ordinance that would allow for the installation of Accessory Dwelling Units in order to provide additional options for affordable housing to help residents remain here in the community," one of the borough attorneys Scott Krumholz of Ruderman & Roth said in an email "Mayor [Chong Paul] Kim and council members are committed to taking bold action to address the affordability crisis plaguing the entire region and this ordinance is one part of that vision." Some residents felt excluded from the Friday night meeting as it was held on the Sabbath Jewish residents said an ordinance that may impact the entire borough should be presented at a time when all residents can attend Krumholz said the special meeting was scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m "due to urgent matters that must be addressed by the governing body immediately in order to protect the interests of Palisades Park residents and taxpayers." More: There's a push in NJ to build affordable housing in backyards. Here's what towns are doing Palisades Park affordable housing settlementsThe introduction of the ordinance comes weeks after a judge ruled against the borough in six builders' remedy lawsuits from prospective developers The borough will have 90 days to create a fair share housing plan and new land use ordinance "The ADU ordinance is not directly related to the recent court rulings that were caused by the prior negligence and mismanagement and Mayor Kim and his team are working hard to clean up that mess and ensure that new development benefits Palisades Park residents," Krumholz said Accessory dwelling units billA bill to address concerns of the development and use of accessory dwelling units was introduced earlier this year on the state level and was introduced by Assemblyman Louis D Greenwald representing the 6th District and Assemblyman Benjie E It was referred to the Assembly housing committee Some regulations include a minimum floor area requirement of 300 square feet a maximum floor area requirement of 1,200 square feet; and a maximum height requirement of 20 feet .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Anthony Gabbianelli | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comRebeka Lazellari led Lodi with six points in a 14-13 victory against Palisades Park in Lodi Each team held one another to no more than five points in any quarter Lodi (7-12) led 4-3 after the first quarter when Palisades Park shutout Lodi Lodi used a 10-6 second half to retake the lead and win Josefin Goddard scored all 13 points for Palisades Park (8-12) A Fort Lee man charged after a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured a 17-year-old in Palisades Park in October was released from jail on Friday appeared before Judge Marc Ramundo in state Superior Court in Bergen County and was released on his own recognizance on conditions he turn over his driver's license and his cellphone for evidentiary purposes He is also to refrain from excessive drinking and illegal drug use and is not to possess any weapons and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury tampering with physical evidence and obstructing justice Palisades Park police responded around 6:40 a.m 14 after a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle on Brinkerhoff Avenue said prior release from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Local: Bill introduced on police use-of-force policy review in wake of shooting of Fort Lee woman who was taken to an area hospital in serious condition The vehicle involved in the crash had already left An investigation revealed that a 2004 Honda Civic struck the teen as he was attempting to cross Brinkerhoff Avenue near the intersection with 14th Street Paz-Lajuj was identified as the driver of the Honda which was found a month later with repairs made to conceal the damage Paz-Lajuj does not have a criminal history Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against him Paz-Lajuj will be taken into custody by ICE agents for deportation proceedings His next court hearing is scheduled in December Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook Jayden Ferrer (8) of Elmwood Park carries the ball against Weehawken during the NJIC Union Division championship football game at Becton HS in East Rutherford .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Tyler Duffy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comSenior Justin Ortiz rushed for 112 yards and scored three touchdowns to help give Elmwood Park a 32-9 victory over Palisades Park in Elmwood Park Yaramayah Brown started the scoring with a 17-yard run in the first quarter for Elmwood Park (1-0) Brown also caught a 24-yard touchdown from Jayden Ferrer in the second quarter which gave Elmwood Park a 26-0 lead before halftime 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) Print In her youth she was a real-life surfer girl heroine who inspired the “Gidget” movies TV show and a book.Among the actors to portray Gidget were Sandra Dee and Sally Field Hollywood churned out any number of sequels “Gidget Grows Up.” “Gidget Goes to Rome.” “Gidget Gets Married.” And so on the onetime real-life surfer girl heroine — who was the basis of a nonfiction book and the string of fictional movies — was not hungry to produce a sequel it might be called: “Gidget Goes Homeless.” But it seems more likely in the long run to end up as: “Gidget: Queen of the Shore Again.” The pioneer woman surfer of the 1950s, who made the scene at Surfrider Beach in Malibu and other locales, lost her Pacific Palisades home of about six decades in last week’s wildfire. Kathy “Gidget” Kohner Zuckerman and her husband, Yiddish scholar Marvin Zuckerman, have safely relocated to a temporary rental in Santa Monica. Aided by their two sons, they’re plotting their next move. Not to worry, America’s original Gidget (as in girl-midget) appears to be approaching her new reality with all the pluck and good cheer that made the character she inspired an American symbol in the 1960s, and a basis for films and TV shows starring Sandra Dee and Sally Fields. Lifestyle I learned how to date later than almost everyone I knew. When I felt clueless, the original Gidget — who has been married since 1965 — served as my love expert. “At my age, imagine it: The house is gone, the neighborhood is gone, the community is gone,” Zuckerman said. “But the diamond in the rough is that the Duke’s family and the surfing community have all rallied around. I am so appreciative.” Duke’s is the Malibu restaurant that made it through the Palisades wildfire. The landmark Pacific Coast Highway eatery, at the base of Las Flores Canyon, was named after Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. It employed Zuckerman for many years as its “Ambassador of Aloha.” She schmoozed with customers, pointed out photos of her in her teenage surfing days and generally tried to imbue the place with the spirit of “aloha.” Zuckerman said Duke’s owners contacted her not long after the fire took her home, not far from Marquez Elementary School. They let her know that, as soon as they reopen, they will welcome her back to her job, one she continues despite being a couple of decades past standard retirement age. Zuckerman and her husband sat in Palisades Park atop the Santa Monica bluffs on Sunday, catching some warm California rays. On Monday, she was having her nails done, another gambit to remain “bright and cheery” in the face of loss. She has also heard from surfing big names such as Jack McCoy, a renowned filmmaker, and Randy Rarick, who helped found an early professional surfing league. Another surf-world friend has offered to give her a computer. John Leininger, a South Bay surfing original from the 1950s and longtime surf shop operator, came to Santa Monica to deliver clothes to his fellow surf pioneer and her husband. In light of that, and the support of her family, Zuckerman said she does not fear the future. “With all these calls, I have reentered a world that I left a long time ago,” she said, “and that community has been just incredible to me.” James Rainey has covered multiple presidential elections, the media and the environment, mostly at the Los Angeles Times, which he first joined in 1984. He was part of Times teams that won three Pulitzer Prizes. California Sports Climate & Environment Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map PALISADES PARK — An investigation launched six months ago into an unused Police Department trailer that will cost taxpayers more than $900,000 stalled due to "deliberate stonewalling" by former borough employees The mayor and Borough Council hired a special counsel to investigate what went awry with the plan to use a two-story custom modular building to house personnel from the Police Department while the borough remediated mold in police headquarters some involved said the investigation just never got underway The trailer has never been used and remains empty on Depot Place near the ShopRite while the borough pays $34,141 every billing cycle The council hired Greg Cannon of Matawan as special counsel to investigate Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim said Cannon was to investigate "potential improper or unlawful actions taken during the project." the mayor said the police trailer project was "spearheaded" by the council's Police Department Committee when Councilman Michael Vietri served as its chair council and borough attorney were asked to comment on the status of the police trailer investigation Only Vietri and the borough's new public relations firm responded "While the borough's investigation into the police department trailers is ongoing past borough officials who had a direct role in the process including former Business Administrator David Lorenzo have thus far refused to offer any cooperation in the matter whatsoever," Sara Rossi of Vision Media "This deliberate stonewalling by former borough employees has prevented the special counsel assigned to the investigation from gathering the necessary information to provide detailed findings." Lorenzo was never contacted by the borough who added that his client is being blamed now because of his pending litigation Lorenzo failed to cooperate with the borough's investigation into the use of trailers for the police department or the implication that Mr Lorenzo is somehow responsible for the police trailer fiasco are shameless lies put out by a faceless public relations firm hired to give cover to an incompetent mayor and compliant council majority," Malagiere said."Mr Lorenzo was never contacted by the borough seeking his thoughts or help regarding the trailer situation after he was wrongfully and unlawfully terminated for bucking the mayor’s choice in an election." Palisades Park will look into all legal options including creating a special investigative committee that will have statutory subpoena power and will be able to compel witnesses to testify before the investigative panel if the former borough employees continue to withhold necessary information Malagiere said Lorenzo advised against the use of the trailers and their cost several times Lorenzo will not be deterred in prosecuting his pending lawsuits against the borough by this recent campaign to defame him with revisionist history nor the threat of a sham 'special investigation committee' leveled by a public relations firm as a proxy for Mayor Chong Paul Kim and a select cabal of council member sycophants," Malagiere said in a statement Vietri said he was contacted months ago by letter to set up an interview with the special counsel The councilman said he gave the information to the borough attorney and never heard back about a meeting time A two-year lease for $1.149 million paid over 26 billing cycles was approved for a trailer that meets the attorney general's guidelines and there are no penalties to end the lease early The empty leased trailer structure will end up costing taxpayers more than $900,000 when it is returned in the spring of 2025 Council meetings and documents obtained through the Open Public Records Act show that the mobile building was not used because the cost to connect it to utilities such as water and sewer was too high Estimates for the connections in the documents were more than $300,000 The signed contract allows for cancellation of the contract after 17 billing cycles according to emails from borough officials obtained by NorthJersey.com The borough pays $34,141 for the trailer every billing cycle and has already paid out more than $700,000 in total including $333,988 for delivery and installation by the time the borough can cancel the contract before the two years are up The trailers are not in use at this time pending the results of the special counsel's investigation Remediation of the mold at police headquarters and other areas of Borough Hall is ongoing The police officers and borough employees have been working in Borough Hall during the remediation "The borough recently ordered an independent environmental air quality test and inspection which showed that air quality within Borough Hall is at acceptable levels while ongoing renovation work within the building continues and all mold known to be present in the building is in the process of being abated," Rossi said More than 50 claims of injury were filed by borough employees to the insurance group about illnesses caused by the building conditions and mold in Borough Hall according to officials and documents received through OPRA requests While borough employees and the members of the council have been aware of the issues emails and interviews show that the lack of action is attributed to the fact that those involved don't know who is responsible for fixing the problem Days after a story was published in The Record and on NorthJersey.com, the mayor and council approved the contract for the police trailer and gave the go-ahead to get price quotes for replacing the leaky roof that caused the mold and for the remediation of the mold itself Luis Placido (1) of New Milford drives to the basket against Waldwick during the NJSIAA North 1 quarterfinal round game at New Milford HS in New Milford .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Anthony Gabbianelli | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comLuis Placido scored a team-high 24 points forNew Milford in a 78-42 win over Palisades Park in Palisades Park New Milford (6-3) outscored Palisades Park 45-16 in the second half to win Dariel Liranzo had 17 points for New Milford The N.J. 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