Mora struck out six and walked just two in 6.2 innings of work to lead Passaic (7-7) to the upset victory The Indians’ offense provided enough support with 10 hits against Pompton Lakes (8-5) Passaic broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning when it pushed across a run The Indians added two insurance runs in the sixth inning to secure the win Eriberto Penalo led the Passaic offense with a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate and added a stolen base Randis Rosario went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases while Franklin Pena contributed two doubles Adrian Fabian delivered two singles and drove in two runs for the Indians Vincent Caruso had a strong game for Pompton Lakes while Jack Babich added the Cardinals’ only other hit Pompton Lakes starter Vinnie Stigliano struck out eight Passaic batters without issuing a walk in six innings of work Passaic advances to face third-seeded Passaic Valley in the quarterfinals 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) Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Mickey Gilligan of Passaic Tech takes a swingPJ Potter Jackson Burger struck out seven batters and walked one while allowing eight hits and seven runs (five earned) over seven innings to earn the win for Passaic Tech (12-4) entering the fourth inning when Passaic Tech took a 2-1 lead High Point (10-4) responded with four runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead 5-2 but the Bulldogs answered with an eight-run explosion in the bottom of the inning to take control at 10-5 but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit Matt Caruso went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Melvin Genao added a 2-for-4 performance for Passaic Tech Freddy Stansfield also contributed significantly going 2-for-4 with an RBI and scoring twice The Bulldogs collected nine hits in the victory Justin Brown added a single and scored a run The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By N.J. High School Sports DeskMatt Bove | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comAmelia Plescia hit a three-run home run for her 100th career hit as Old Tappan defeated Passaic Tech The victory improved Old Tappan to 15-2 on the season Erin Huelster dominated with 12 strikeouts in a complete-game shutout allowing just two hits and two walks go along with her 12 strikeouts The game remained scoreless until the third inning when the Golden Knights erupted for all five of their runs The highlight of the inning came on Plescia’s home run Sophia Savino also went deep for Old Tappan Ava Candullo had a productive day at the plate Grace McManus and Amelie Cardenas each contributed singles The win continues a hot streak for Old Tappan which has now won nine of its last 10 games .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Anthony Gabbianelli | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comOlivia Ormsby netted five goals and had one assist for eighth-seeded Passaic Valley in its 14-4 victory against ninth-seeded Mary Help of Christians in the first round of the Passaic County Tournament in Little Falls Lilliana Kalokitis also tallied five goals for Passaic Valley (7-3) Klea Gerollari scored two goals while Jordyn French had a goal with two assists Grace Dransfield made eight saves for Passaic Valley Passaic Valley will face top-seeded DePaul in the quarterfinal round of the Passaic County Tournament on Monday Anthony Gabbianelli can be reached at agabbianellli@njadvancemedia.com The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Two candidates will vie for the Passaic mayor's office in the nonpartisan municipal elections coming up on May 13 Perennial candidate Diomedes Minaya — who has run repeatedly over more than a decade for mayor City Council and Board of Education — is challenging incumbent Mayor Hector Lora for a four-year term and he previously ran against former Mayor Alex Blanco in 2013 Lora was appointed to the mayor's post when Blanco resigned in November 2016 after pleading guilty to accepting bribes Lora at that time had served two terms as a Passaic County freeholder the position now known as county commissioner Lora has handily beaten Minaya in subsequent races Attempts to reach Minaya in recent days were unsuccessful including several redevelopment projects in the city and efforts to improve parking reduce red tape and increase open space for city residents Who's running for Passaic council?Only three candidates are seeking the three open seats on the council meaning the city will get a fresh face on the governing body barring an under-the-radar write-in campaign is set to take the seat of Daniel Schwartz Mayer is a restaurateur who owns the King of Delancey kosher eatery in the city both running unopposed to return to the council Love said he hopes to continue to support the city's efforts to redevelop aging housing and commercial units He said he also is proud of the way Passaic has expanded its youth recreation programs More: Here's why Passaic is beefing up police patrols in its downtown business districts and Garcia has been on the council since the early 2000s the base salary for council members is about $28,000 As with the primary in June and general election in November Passaic's nonpartisan election allows for early voting The early period will be May 9 and 10 from 10 a.m Albert Nova (0) of Passaic Charter looks to spike the ball against Passaic Tech in the Passaic County Tournament Finals at Clifton High School in Clifton 2024.Thomas M Salus | for NJ Advance Media .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Greg Patuto | For NJ Advance MediaThe full bracket for the 2025 Passaic County Tournament has been released Last year’s runner-up Passaic Tech has been seeded No Passaic Tech made an incredible run to the final last year with a record of 11-16 The Bulldogs were taken down by Passaic Charter and Paterson Eastside round out the top five in what is another loaded field in Passaic County BRACKET: PASSAIC COUNTY TOURNAMENT The tournament will continue on Tuesday with first-round games being played at the location of the higher seed The quarterfinals will be take place on Saturday A champion will be crowned during the Passaic County final on Saturday 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) Greg Patuto can be reached at gpatuto@njadvancemedia.com A Passaic County man has pleaded guilty to using an explosive device to damage a Chase Bank ATM in Prospect Park according to a statement released by the U.S He admitted to one count of using an explosive to damage property involved in interstate commerce According to court documents and statements made in court the incident occurred during the early morning hours of July 5 Surveillance footage captured Torres approaching the Chase Bank ATM where he ignited an object in front of the machine and Torres was seen fleeing the scene with two other individuals Investigators tied Torres to the crime using both the surveillance footage and cell phone location data which placed him at the scene of the explosion The investigation also revealed that Torres had traveled to Pennsylvania the day before the blast and spent roughly $1,000 on fireworks, which were believed to have been used in the incident.  The charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9 2025Jennifer Contreras would have turned 24 the day after the roof of the Jet Set night club collapsed last week.PASSAIC New Jersey (WABC) -- A vigil was held Tuesday night in New Jersey to remember a local woman killed in the Dominican Republic nightclub tragedy while celebrating her birthday Jennifer Contreras would have turned 24 the day after the roof of the Jet Set night club collapsed last week killing at least 226 people and injuring more than 200 Her family and friends gathered outside her home in Passaic to remember the vibrant young woman who dreamed of opening a beauty business Her older sister described to Eyewitness News the agony of waiting to find out if Contreras was among those killed New York City Hall was lit up Tuesday night in the Dominican flag colors of red to mark a citywide day of mourning for the collapse victims * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More New Jersey news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. A Hawthorne, New Jersey man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to embezzling more than $3 million from a couple who had employed him as a personal assistant Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced admitted to one count of wire fraud during a plea hearing before U.S The charge stems from a scheme in which Gallo misappropriated approximately $3.2 million from the victims between March 2022 and March 2023 using his access to their financial and personal information Gallo began working for the victims in 2018 managing their monthly bills and providing assistance with banking Prosecutors said Gallo abused this position of trust by systematically draining their finances through a range of unauthorized methods The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross financial gain or loss resulting from the crime Federal investigators detailed a year-long pattern of deceit by Gallo who leveraged his role to access the victims’ accounts and execute unauthorized financial transactions Attorney Alina Habba stated that Gallo’s conduct represented a severe betrayal of trust and an egregious abuse of his position The scheme unraveled after discrepancies in financial records prompted a review of account activity Authorities have not disclosed whether any restitution has been made or if the victims will pursue civil recovery in addition to the criminal case Gallo remains free on bond pending sentencing Prosecutors said the case highlights the risks of unchecked access to sensitive financial systems A New Jersey assistant turned a position of trust into a personal fortune—now he faces decades behind bars for a $3.2 million fraud © 2008-2025 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd Contact: Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org Isiah Cruz, Founder & CEO at Ama Earth Group, isiah@amaearthgroup.com 4/16/2025 Washington D.C. —   American Rivers is today announcing the Passaic River as #4 on its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® Historic and rampant contamination for more than two centuries by chemical manufacturing — including of Agent Orange and DDT — and textile industries led to the lower Passaic River being designated a Superfund site in 1984 cuts and changing priorities at the Environmental Protection Agency cannot derail decades of effort.  the Passaic River has remained one of the most contaminated waterways in our nation,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) “Toxic waste dumped by corporate polluters into the river threatens the health of surrounding communities It is critical that the Environmental Protection Agency prioritizes the cleanup work that has been dragging on for decades and hold responsible parties accountable until the River is completely clean and restored.” “There’s a future out there in which the residents of New Jersey don’t hear the Passaic River mentioned and automatically think ‘dumping ground’,” said Adam Schellhammer Mid-Atlantic regional director for American Rivers but full funding and commitments for the remainder of the cleanup would go a long way towards helping this river and the communities along its banks.” The Passaic River flows approximately 80 miles through both rural and highly urban environments before emptying into the Newark Bay.  Its watershed is home to ten reservoirs and three drinking water facilities that serve more than two million people Its publicly-accessible parks and natural areas serve over two and a half million people The river suffers from a high accumulation of toxic waste that includes heavy metals and very high concentrations of dioxins in the riverbed sediments in the river’s tidal zone below Dundee Dam The worst of this pollution is located in the lowermost eight miles “The Passaic River is one of New Jersey’s primary waterways yet it has been largely neglected and mistreated over the years,” said Isiah Cruz Founder & CEO of environmental AI company Ama Earth Group “This river supports over $15 billion in annual economic value across commerce Everyone in New Jersey and the surrounding metro areas stands to benefit from restoring its health and honoring its ecological and historical significance to the region.” Many of the companies responsible for the pollution have agreed to fund a portion of the cleanup effort which is estimated to cost in total as much as $1.8 billion In 2022 a group of 85 companies entered into an agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency to pay $150 million toward the cleanup “The Passaic River has long been treated as a dumping ground and our Ironbound community—an Environmental Justice Community designated by the EPA and DEP—bears the burden of this pollution daily,” said Tanisha Garner President of the Ironbound Super Neighborhood Council “Industrial polluters like Covanta and Darling threaten our air and water while Agent Orange contamination lingers in the river we have a duty to restore what’s been damaged—for justice American Rivers and our partners Ama Earth Group and Ironbound Super Neighborhood Council are urging the Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Office to maintain its commitment to the people of New Jersey and ensure that the cleanup continues to be a top priority This means continued support of the experienced federal staff working to advance the cleanup as well as maintaining proactive oversight of the Superfund legal process to ensure participation by all responsible parties.  Learn more about America’s Most Endangered Rivers 2025 including other rivers and our selection process.   Every $1 donated to American Rivers helps us make rivers clean and healthy for people and wildlife Don’t let the latest river news and actions pass you by Undefeated Passaic Valley was awarded the No 1 seed in the 2025 Passaic County softball tournament on Monday The Hornets (8-0) are currently ranked No. 6 in the North Jersey Top 25 Three other ranked teams earned top-five seeds: No This file will be updated all tournament long with scores and future schedules (14) Paterson Arts & Science at (11) Eastside A Passaic man admitted in federal court to trying to blow up a ATM machine in Prospect Park three years ago U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced on Thursday that Nicolas Torres pleaded guilty to "using an explosive to damage real property used in interstate commerce" before U.S Torres was seen on surveillance video igniting a device in front of an Automated Teller Machine at the Chase Bank in Prospect Park Seconds later there was an explosion and Torres and two others were seen fleeing "The investigation also revealed that Torres had traveled to Pennsylvania the day before and purchased approximately $1,000 worth of fireworks," said the U.S which also said cellphone data placed Torres in the vicinity of the Chase Bank at the time of the incident Torres faces five to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 when he is sentenced on Sept Police arrested a man who is accused of committing multiple armed home invasions burglaries and car thefts throughout North Jersey the Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday is charged with several counts of burglary attempted burglary and motor vehicle thefts He allegedly committed these crimes throughout Bergen Harris allegedly carried out an armed home invasion in West Caldwell on April 9 This was the only specific burglary that was mentioned in the press release sent by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Officials said Harris committed these thefts with another individual who was not mentioned in the press release sent by the prosecutor's office Police did not identify the specific townships where the armed robberies occurred Summit and Ridgewood police departments assisted in the investigation that led to the arrest The Passaic River has been named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2025 with a national conservation group citing toxic industrial pollution along the river’s lower stretch as a long-standing threat to the public and the environment The group called for continued federal oversight and full financial accountability from Passaic River polluters as cleanup work enters its fourth decade The Passaic flows about 80 miles from the Highlands of Morris County to Newark Bay suburbs and industrial centers in Paterson but American Rivers and its partners emphasized the conditions in the lower Passaic That 17-mile tidal section from Dundee Dam in Clifton to the bay is where contamination is concentrated and community impacts are most severe the Passaic River has remained one of the most contaminated waterways in our nation,” U.S "It is critical that the Environmental Protection Agency prioritizes the cleanup work that has been dragging on for decades and hold responsible parties accountable until the river is completely clean and restored.” The federal agency designated the lower Passaic as a highly polluted Superfund site in 1984 after the discovery of extensive contamination from riverside manufacturing including dioxins from Agent Orange production was deposited directly into the river by a range of industries beginning in the 1800s stormwater and combined sewer overflow systems continue to release untreated waste into the river during heavy rains Fishing and crabbing have been banned since the Superfund listing particularly in working-class and immigrant neighborhoods along the flood-prone shoreline Many of those areas were reshaped by poor land-use decisions that left residents exposed to flooding and our Ironbound community — an Environmental Justice Community designated by the EPA and DEP — bears the burden of this pollution daily,” said Tanisha Garner president of the Ironbound Super Neighborhood Council Two cleanup projects have already been completed on the river the EPA finalized plans for a third phase with a full bank-to-bank remediation of the lower 8 miles Additional investigations are underway for the remaining reach between Belleville and the dam in Clifton The full 17-mile cleanup is expected to cost as much as $1.8 billion “There’s a future out there in which the residents of New Jersey don’t hear the Passaic River mentioned and automatically think ‘dumping ground,’” said Adam Schellhammer mid-Atlantic regional director for American Rivers but full funding and commitments for the remainder of the cleanup would go a long way toward helping this river and the communities along its banks.” the Passaic River remains a vital resource The watershed supports more than 2 million people with drinking water and contains 10 reservoirs and three water treatment facilities Parks and natural areas along the river are used by more than 2.5 million residents across North Jersey the river supported Native American people who relied on it for transportation and fishing founder and CEO of environmental technology company Ama Earth Group “Everyone in New Jersey and the surrounding metro areas stands to benefit from restoring its health and honoring its ecological and historical significance to the region.” American Rivers is calling on the EPA’s Region 2 office to maintain full staffing and proactive oversight of the Superfund process to ensure cleanup deadlines are met and responsible parties remain engaged The group also recognized the efforts of local partners such as the Ironbound Community Corporation the Great Swamp Watershed Association and the Passaic River Community Advisory Group PASSAIC — The first part of the city's plan to get its residents moving is underway with the Bike Share program hitting the streets last week proposed and supported by Mayor Hector Lora kept at five stations dispersed throughout its 3.25 square miles support local businesses and make transportation more accessible the Urban Enterprise Zone Bike Share is open to the public and part of the mayor’s broader wellness campaign In a city where 82% of its households own one or no vehicles this program hopes to bridge transportation gaps for residents and visitors Passaic!' the initiative encourages users to take advantage of free bike access while discovering Passaic’s vibrant commercial corridors," Lora said More: Immigrant advocates weigh in on Trump crackdown and protections in the Garden State The mayor said more than 200 residents signed up since the program started and at least that many have taken the bikes for a spin "The bike racks are empty today," Lora said on Tuesday Riders can download the On Bike Share app and enter a special promo code PUEZFREE to unlock up to two free hours of ride time The other key to the city's ride program will be the completion of its Bicycle Master Plan Its purpose is to create a network that's safe convenient and accessible and to encourage residents of all ages and abilities to use bicycles for recreation the bike paths should be much further along by the end of the summer The UEZ Bike Share Program features bike stations throughout key commercial and community areas in the city PASSAIC — Due to "a perfect storm of financial issues," the city's school district will have to reduce staffing by 51 positions to meet its budget obligations said Superintendent Sandra Montañez-Diodonet During her presentation of the $369 million budget for 2025-26 to the Board of Education on Thursday night Montañez-Diodonet introduced the term "reduction in force." The district's financial challenges were part of "a perfect storm of financial issues," she told the board adding later that the position reductions "represent the most difficult decisions." Montañez-Diodonet did not break down the reductions or explain how much of the savings would come in the form of salary and benefits and she did not respond to a request to further discuss a breakdown of the cuts She did say the district has been struggling with these expenses since early fall The superintendent offered the following information during her presentation to the school board: the district has seen a drop in enrollment which means fewer state and federal dollars with almost $1.7 million less funding in the last school year alone.Despite a modest 2% increase in its tax levy the district saw revenue drop by 8.8%.A 15% increase in health care costs contributed to the financial situation but she did not elaborate.A 17% increase in energy costs from PSE&G also added to the financial shortfall.Passaic school position cuts surprise the school boardThe information on a reduction in force was a surprise to some school officials president of the Education Association of Passaic Koterba said he was notified of the reductions at 3:58 p.m come on top of a number of staff vacancies that were not filled and coupled with 41 staff members who recently left the district the district has 100 fewer positions even before the superintendent's 51 additional cuts "We need people in front of students," Koterba told the board The superintendent responded that the number of positions that had not been filled helped reduce the total number of positions that need to be cut She said that at one point it looked as if 100 positions would need to be cut Board of Education President Judith Sanchez was asked before the meeting about the budget but she said she could not comment in advance In a relatively sparsely attended public session several audience members said they were dismayed by news of the staff cuts a mother of three district students and two preschool boys said one of her children needs help with reading but she was told that in order for him to qualify for the help "I have to teach him to read," she told the board "I am at the point where I have to decide to keep them enrolled or home-school them." the district's business administrator and board secretary He said the $48 million special revenues budgeted may be adjusted "We budgeted that conservatively," he said The next school board meeting will be held after the April 15 school elections in which candidates are vying for three available seats Juan Arroyo and Michael “Moshe” Gross and incumbents Maryann Capursi and Patricia “Abril” Barrales-Garcia who supports arrest of immigrants charged with violent crimes Raven Santana, Correspondent | February 10, 2025 | Immigration, Law & Public Safety Immigrant workers and advocates took the streets in Passaic at the weekend to protest the surge in raids and arrests by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency under the Trump administration people carried flags of their home countries and expressed solidarity with those who have been targeted in the first weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term The marchers condemned raids they said targeted innocent people who were not charged with crimes ICE is reporting just under 1,000 arrests a day has tried to calm fears among residents in his city while also working alongside ICE to help detain what he calls “violent criminals.” In an interview with NJ Spotlight News Lora discussed ICE activity in Passaic and his message to immigrants in his community Raven Santana is an award-winning journalist with a passion for serving New Jersey’s diverse communities and a highly respected member of her own Santana has served as correspondent/sub-anchor for NJ Spotlight News since 2018 She’s reported on the state’s business climate She also hosts New Jersey Business Beat with Raven Santana on NJ PBS she has made it a mission to focus on often-overlooked aspects of business from BIPOC ownership to gaps in equity and inclusion Her recent accolades include being recognized in 2023 as part of COLOR Magazine's Power 40 Under 40 list and in Perth Amboy Free Public Library’s 2nd Annual Women’s History Month Celebration where she received a mayoral citation and the NJ Senate/General Assembly presented her with a Joint Legislative Resolution She also serves on The WNET Group’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion council and is vice president of The Second Street Youth Center SUBSCRIBE NJ Spotlight is part of The WNET Group and is operated by WNET a non-profit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Familiarity does not necessarily breed contempt. With community policing the zone has now added four police officers to a special patrol of its business districts who are overseen by but technically separate from Passaic regular city police officers safe environment for local businesses and residents The new officers patrol the entire business district Market and Passaic streets and Van Houten Avenue They can often be seen walking the beat or cruising in one of two UEZ police cars and also are expected in the near future to patrol on bikes "These officers operate with a bit more focus to effectively address the unique needs of that area," Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said There are plans to add two additional cops as the UEZ is authorized to hire as many six officers per shift per day "We want as many as funding allows," Lora said adding that shift times may vary and the current schedule and staffing are a work in progress said Business Administrator Rick Fernandez Two of the officers are retired cops who work mostly part time The UEZ officers have the same prerogatives as regular officers and are authorized to carry guns But they are more familiar with the people and businesses of their beat helping them more strategically address quality-of-life issues as well as public safety "These officers can engage with individuals loitering or engaging in disruptive behavior asking if they have business in the area and encouraging them to move along if they do not," Lora said More: Route 80 west reopening delayed as sinkhole repairs taking longer than expected Passaic's UEZ is administered by a special entity the Passaic Enterprise Zone Development Corporation It runs through all of the city's commercial areas it is one of 34 enterprise zones in New Jersey Much of the money comes from state Zone Assistance Funds Roughly 95% of Passaic businesses reside inside the zone where qualified members can charge 3.5% in sales taxes The city also provides grants for businesses in the zone to replace awnings and to purchase items like air conditioners tax free About 200 businesses belong to Passaic's UEZ Lora said the city hopes to double that number and ultimately get the overwhelming majority to participate An official website of the United States government JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts View a larger version of this image The Passaic River's lower reach is a 17 mile tidal stretch from Dundee Dam in Clifton The Lower Passaic has borne a heavy burden of pollution from a century of industrialization in the Passaic River Watershed Manufacturing has left behind layers of dioxin PCBs and many other toxic contaminants in the river's sediments along with harmful disease causing organisms brought in through combined sewer overflow events has worsened the river's water quality Fishing and crabbing advisories have been in place since 1984 Poor land-use management has also degraded the river's shorelines and exposed vulnerable to flooding while obstructing access to the waterfront two cleanups of the river have been completed bank-to bank for the lower eight-mile stretch of the river Diverse partners continue to work with parties responsible for the pollution to complete the investigations and river cleanups for the full 17 miles of the river community and environmental groups are working to bring residents back to the river through park creation The Lower Passaic River Urban Waters Federal Partnership (LPR UWFP) is a collaboration of federal and state agencies and community-based organizations advancing cleanup and stewardship of the Lower Passaic River and equitable sustainable development along its banks. The Partnership is guided by a steering committee made up of two federal co-leads as well as representatives from the NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program The Partnership enhances existing work on the Lower Passaic through four main avenues: View the Lower Passaic River/Newark homepage   for more information on this location's history Engaging Communities for a Cleaner and Resilient Passaic: A River That Connects Us Taking a look back at the last 10 years of the Lower Passaic River Urban Waters Partnership Democratic leaders meeting on Saturday with three major contenders seeking two seats Passaic County Democrats are preparing to support two new candidates for county commissioner when party leaders meet on Saturday to replace a seven-term incumbent not seeking re-election and another unlikely to receive party support Pat Lepore is leaving after 21 years in county government and four terms as mayor of Woodland Park has fallen out of favor with local Democrats and has not decided whether to run again in a lineless Leading the list of prospective Democratic candidates for the two seats are: Mike Ramaglia a former Republican councilman from West Milford who switched parties after losing a 2015 mayoral primary; Christina Schratz a school board member in the city of Passaic; and Paterson City Councilwoman Lilissa Mimms Ramaglia is the top choice of the county chairman  Schratz’s candidacy comes three months after Donald Trump carried the city of Passaic by 4.5% — a seismic shift from Joe Biden’s 26-point win in 2020 as Hispanic and Orthodox Jewish voters went Republican in the presidential election Republicans will run former County Commissioner Nicolino Gallo who lost re-election by 3,354 votes last year The GOP has not settled on a second candidate Lepore not seeking re-election; Duffy didn’t get party support for eighth term Passaic County Democrats picked Mike Ramaglia a former Republican councilman from West Milford who switched parties after losing a 2015 mayoral primary a school board member in the city of Passaic as the slogan-bearing candidates for county commissioner in the June primary Incumbent Terry Duffy did not compete after being told he would not get party support for an eighth term Ramaglia and Schratz were selected over Paterson City Councilwoman Lilissa Mimms after appearing before a screening committee earlier today it’s still unclear if Duffy will run again Ramaglia was the top choice of the county chairman  Schratz’s candidacy comes three months after Donald Trump carried the city of Passaic by 4.5% — a seismic shift from Joe Biden’s 26-point win in 2020 as Hispanic and Orthodox Jewish voters went Republican in the presidential election PASSAIC — The city has adopted a rent stabilization ordinance limiting rent increases to 8% per year The ordinance will also create a stabilization board to mediate disputes between tenants and property owners The council on Tuesday night appointed five members to the board: three regular members The ordinance passed by the City Council was proposed by Mayor Hector Lora and his administration He said it was needed due to high rent increase complaints filed by renters against property owners The law goes into effect 20 days following the approval of the ordinance More: Firefighters battle three-alarm fire in Passaic, as residents escape unharmed members of the council praised the administration for finding a balance "It's hard to get everyone on the same page," Councilman Chaim Munk said adding that it was clear the mayor and his staff put in considerable thought "to find the right balance." While the ordinance protects tenants from arbitrary increases it also offers protections to property owners by including ways to increase rents more than 8% under some circumstances For existing units that are significantly undervalued the property owners may increase the rent in increments of 20% per year until fair market value is reached It additionally provides for property owners to increase rent by 8% each year after reaching market value The ordinance also would allow property owners who make significant improvements to a property such as updating kitchens or adding or updating bathrooms to make their case to the stabilization board for a larger increase The council voted unanimously to adopt the measure but there was a stipulation: All present agreed to consider an amendment to the ordinance at the next council meeting on Jan allows for large tax increases to be passed to tenants but it would also reduce annual increases to 6% is to reduce the likelihood of tax appeals by property owners The same amendment would require the owners to return a portion of a successful tax appeal to tenants The ordinance also contains a sunset provision It expires in six years unless the council renews it Atlanta-based Stonemont Financial Group has completed construction on nearly 296,000 square feet of new industrial space off Route 21 in Passaic The private real estate investment firm announced the milestone on Friday noting that its Stonemont Passaic Logistics Center at 122 8th St It’s now touting the site’s location three miles from Route 3 and seven miles from the New Jersey Turnpike along with features such as 40-foot clear ceiling heights as it continues to market the speculative warehouse and distribution center Chris Hile and David Knee are marketing the 295,506-square-foot facility 267 car parking spaces and 55 trailer stalls “The location of this development is prime and we are pleased to add it to our growing portfolio of Class A development in New Jersey,” said Neal Moskowitz a senior vice president and principal with Stonemont “We appreciate the support from the City of Passaic as we work together to reimagine an aging property into a dynamic hub for economic development ultimately creating new jobs and generating tax revenue for the community As demand continues to surge in the market we anticipate a smooth leasing period for this well-positioned property.” Stonemont said the project results from a public-private partnership with the municipality PREMIER Design + Build Group was its general contractor Ware Malcomb as architect and PCCP LLC as capital partner “Industrial warehouses need to be up to the task of operating efficiently and reliably amid heavy use equipment and trucks coming and going round-the-clock to meet distribution demand,” Senior Project Manager Mohamed Attia said “This facility includes many features that make it a major asset for logistics in the area.” Stonemont closes on Passaic parcel, plans 296,000 sq. ft. spec industrial development has been covering New Jersey commercial real estate for 13 years Many industry leaders view him as the go-to real estate reporter in the state a role he is eager to continue as the editor of Real Estate NJ He is a lifelong New Jersey resident who has spent a decade covering the great Garden State Greek Real Estate Partners has gained a seal of approval for one of its key divisions thanks to a new accreditation from the Institute of Real Estate Management All RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2023 Real Estate NJ 101 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland Our site uses cookies. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy 14 champions will be crowned at the Passaic County wrestling tournament Stay tuned to this page for live updates from West Milford from the first bout to last and wrap up with medal rounds around 2 p.m 106 pounds: Nicholas Nguyen (Passaic Tech) Tec-Fall Jamai Howell (Passaic) 113 pounds: Muhammad Abuhadba (Passaic Tech) Tec-Fall Shane Singh (Passaic Valley) 120 pounds: Joseph Rizzuto (Depaul Catholic) Maj-Dec Chace Severs (Lakeland) 126 pounds: Delvan Rotte (Depaul Catholic) Dec Jack Lorper (Hawthorne) 132 pounds: Jesse Araujo (West Milford Township) Dec16-2 won by decision over Christopher Ahlborn (Pompton Lakes) 18-5 (Dec 13-6) 138 pounds: Noah Zindaki (Wayne Valley) Maj-Dec Isaias Hernandez (Depaul Catholic) 144 pounds: Ryan Langenmayr (Lakeland) Dec Cole Perry (Wayne Valley) 150 pounds: Adam Suzay (Wayne Valley) Maj-Dec Christian Murcia (Pompton Lakes) 157 pounds: James Conklin (Passaic Tech) Tec-Fall Nick Triverio (West Milford) 165 pounds: Joseph Geleta (Clifton) Dec Chad McConnell (Pompton Lakes) 175 pounds: Cody Aniche-Farrell (Depaul Catholic) DQ William Capizzi (Passaic Valley) 190 pounds: Dante Benvenuti (Passaic Valley) Fall Nick Doktor (Clifton) 215 pounds: Adam Mashfej (Wayne Hills) Tec-Fall Adam Noufal (Wayne Valley) 285 pounds: Mason Brancato (Pompton Lakes) Fall Isaac Cazimovski (Clifton) 106 pounds: Franco Furfaro (Depaul Catholic) Fall Alex Holdfeld (Wayne Valley) 113 pounds: Hamza Hemaid (Manchester Regional) Maj-Dec Tyler Martinez (West Milford) 120 pounds: Jarrett Rodriguez (Clifton) Fall Branden Rosario (Passaic Valley) 126 pounds: Johnny Pignataro (Wayne Valley) Dec Roberto Vargas (Manchester Regional) 132 pounds: Dominic Lally (Wayne Valley) Fall Malik Abuharthieh (Passaic Tech) 138 pounds: Hugh Shortway (Hawthorne) Fall Braviell Rodriguez (Clifton) 144 pounds: Ali Abuharthieh (Passaic Tech) Dec Jonathan Roy (Passaic Valley) 150 pounds: Ayden Mulroony (Passaic Valley) Dec Tyler Whartnaby (Passaic Co Tech-Voc) 157 pounds: Christopher Gallagher (Lakeland) Dec Peter Rodriguez (Passaic) 165 pounds: Alexander Perez (Wayne Valley) Dec Robert Orlando (Depaul Catholic) 175 pounds: Joseph Dumeng (Clifton) Maj-Dec Khaleel Santiago (Manchester Regional) 190 pounds: Sean Van Dalinda (Wayne Valley) Fall Redon Xheladini (Pompton Lakes) 215 pounds: Richie Breitweiser (Passaic Valley) Dec Justin Gaviria (Clifton) 285 pounds: Jason Dixon (Passaic Tech) Tech-Fall Benedetto Cooper (Wayne Valley) Jamai Howell (Passaic) Fall Ryan Ortega (Lakeland) Nicholas Nguyen (Passaic Tech) Dec Alex Holdfeld (Wayne Valley) Muhammad Abuhadba (Passaic Tech) Tec-Fall Mason Romero (Lakeland) Shane Singh (Passaic Valley) Tec-Fall Tyler Martinez (West Milford) Chace Severs (Lakeland) Dec Jarrett Rodriguez (Clifton) Joseph Rizzuto (Depaul Catholic) Fall Branden Rosario (Passaic Valley) Jack Lorper (Hawthorne) Tec-Fall Johnny Pignataro (Wayne Valley) Delvan Rotte (Depaul Catholic) Fall Roberto Vargas (Manchester Regional) Christopher Ahlborn (Pompton Lakes) Dec Brady Tiernan (Depaul Catholic) Jesse Araujo (West Milford) Tec-Fall Malik Abuharthieh (Passaic Tech) Noah Zindaki (Wayne Valley) Fall Hugh Shortway (Hawthorne) Isaias Hernandez (Depaul Catholic) Fall Ismael Vertedor (Passaic Tech) Ryan Langenmayr (Lakeland) Tec-Fall Jonathan Roy (Passaic Valley) Cole Perry (Wayne Valley) Dec Ali Abuharthieh (Passaic Tech) Christian Murcia (Pompton Lakes) Dec Anthony Nyhuis (Lakeland) Adam Suzay (Wayne Valley) Dec Joshua Vasquez (Manchester Regional) James Conklin (Passaic Tech) Fall Christopher Gallagher (Lakeland) Nick Triverio (West Milford) Maj-Dec Peter Rodriguez (Passaic) Chad McConnell (Pompton Lakes) Tec-Fall Alexander Perez (Wayne Valley) Joseph Geleta (Clifton) Dec Robert Orlando (Depaul Catholic) William Capizzi (Passaic Valley) Maj-Dec James Kestenholz (Passaic Tech) Cody Aniche-Farrell (Depaul Catholic) Fall Owen Menier (West Milford) Nick Doktor (Clifton) Dec Redon Xheladini (Pompton Lakes) Dante Benvenuti (Passaic Valley) Dec Sean Van Dalinda (Wayne Valley) Adam Mashfej (Wayne Hills) Fall Richie Breitweiser (Passaic Valley) Adam Noufal (Wayne Valley) Fall Jeffrey Papienuk (West Milford) Mason Brancato (Pompton Lakes) Fall Benedetto Cooper (Wayne Valley) Isaac Cazimovski (Clifton) Fall Jason Dixon (Passaic Tech) Ryan Ortega (Lakeland) Fall Giovanni De Jesus (Manchester Regional) Jamai Howell (Passaic) Fall Jayson Nguyen (Clifton) Nicholas Nguyen (Passaic Tech) Fall Aaron Herrera (Pompton Lakes) Alex Holdfeld (Wayne Valley) Dec Franco Furfaro (Depaul Catholic) Muhammad Abuhadba (Passaic Tech) Fall Shelby Tuhari (Wayne Valley) Mason Romero (Lakeland Reg) Fall Christopher Olivo (Clifton) Tyler Martinez (West Milford) Fall Aiden Aguilar (Passaic) Shane Singh (Passaic Valley) Tec-Fall Hamza Hemaid (Manchester Regional) Chace Severs (Lakeland) Fall Justin Tuhari (Wayne Valley) Jarrett Rodriguez (Clifton) Tec-Fall Ayden Cruz (Manchester Regional) Branden Rosario (Passaic Valley) Fall Omar Rivera (Passaic Tech) Joseph Rizzuto (Depaul Catholic) Fall Peter Garofalo (Wayne Hills) Jack Lorper (Hawthorne) Tec-Fall Logan Belviz (Wayne Hills) Johnny Pignataro (Wayne Valley) Dec Rayan Mohammad (Passaic Tech) Roberto Vargas (Manchester Regional) Dec Justin Burke (West Milford) Delvan Rotte (Depaul Catholic) Fall Ethan Ribitzki (Lakeland) Christopher Ahlborn (Pompton Lakes) Maj-Dec Leandro Solorzano (Hawthorne) Brady Tiernan (Depaul Catholic) Tec-Fall Nicholas Jung (Lakeland) 4:31 (19-3) Malik Abuharthieh (Passaic Tech) Fall Dominic Lally (Wayne Valley) Jesse Araujo (West Milford) Maj-Dec Jihaad Fulmore (Manchester Regional) Noah Zindaki (Wayne Valley) Fall Ethan Perez (Lakeland) Hugh Shortway (Hawthorne) Fall Braviell Rodriguez (Clifton) Ismael Vertedor (Passaic Tech) Fall Amanur Rahman (Kennedy) Isaias Hernandez (Depaul Catholic) Fall Justin Mehnert (Wayne Hills) Ryan Langenmayr (Lakeland) Tec-Fall Benjamin Valle (Passaic) Jonathan Roy (Passaic Valley) Fall Jordyn Rivera (Clifton) Ali Abuharthieh (Passaic Tech) Fall Laith Jafar (Wayne Hills) Cole Perry (Wayne Valley) Fall Sergio Mundaca (Pompton Lakes) Christian Murcia (Pompton Lakes) Fall Max Tripoli (Depaul Catholic) Anthony Nyhuis (Lakeland) Fall Tyler Whartnaby (Passaic Tech) Joshua Vasquez (Manchester Regional) Dec Ayden Mulroony (Passaic Valley) Adam Suzay (Wayne Valley) Tec-Fall Nicholas Carbone (West Milford) James Conklin (Passaic Tech) Fall Yousef Qteifan (Clifton) Christopher Gallagher (Lakeland) Fall Nwauzo Ezenanii (Depaul Catholic) Peter Rodriguez (Passaic) Maj-Dec Cris Battaglia (Wayne Hills) Nick Triverio (West Milford) Fall Shamil Hina (Hawthorne) Chad McConnell (Pompton Lakes) Fall Nicholas Maldonado (Passaic Tech) Alexander Perez (Wayne Valley) Dec Talha Akdogan (Wayne Hills) Robert Orlando (Depaul Catholic) Fall Narell Ford (Manchester Regional) Joseph Geleta (Clifton) Fall AJ Mirabal (Passaic) William Capizzi (Passaic Valley) Fall Aron Martin (Wayne Hills) James Kestenholz (Passaic Tech) Fall Khaleel Santiago (Manchester Regional) Cody Aniche-Farrell (Depaul Catholic) Fall George Calagua (Wayne Valley) Owen Menier (West Milford) Dec Joseph Dumeng (Clifton) Nick Doktor (Clifton) Fall Noah Monica (West Milford) Redon Xheladini (Pompton Lakes) Fall Erick Montiel (Passaic Tech) Dante Benvenuti (Passaic Valley) Fall Ahneurys Perez (Passaic) Sean Van Dalinda (Wayne Valley) Fall Jaion Irizarry (Manchester Regional) Adam Mashfej (Wayne Hills) Fall Christopher Espinal (Pompton Lakes) Richie Breitweiser (Passaic Valley) Dec Justin Gaviria (Clifton) Jeffrey Papienuk (West Milford) Fall Kishon Hamilton (Manchester Regional) Adam Noufal (Wayne Valley) Dec Justin Mayo (Passaic Tech) Mason Brancato (Pompton Lakes) Fall Luis Lopez (Eastside) Benedetto Cooper (Wayne Valley) Fall Brian Yannotta (Lakeland Reg) Jason Dixon (Passaic Tech) Maj-Dec Yazan Monem (Passaic Valley) Isaac Cazimovski (Clifton) Maj-Dec Anthony Bua (Depaul Catholic) Ryan Ortega (Lakeland) Fall Dennis McVeigh (Passaic Valley) Franco Furfaro (Depaul Catholic) Fall Aspen Dages (West Milford) Shelby Tuhari (Wayne Valley) Fall Braeden Daddis (Pompton Lakes) Aiden Aguilar (Passaic) Maj-Dec Collin O`Connor (Depaul Catholic) Hamza Hemaid (Manchester Regional) Fall Jandiel Hernandez (College Achieve Paterson Charter) Justin Tuhari (Wayne Valley) Fall AJ DeFede (West Milford) Peter Garofalo (Wayne Hills) Fall Anthony Carbone (Pompton Lakes) Logan Belviz (Wayne Hills) Dec Jason Cancel (Clifton) Rayan Mohammad (Passaic Tech) Fall Nicholas Sheridan (Passaic Valley) Roberto Vargas (Manchester Regional) Tec-Fall Matthew Mendez (Kennedy) Ethan Ribitzki (Lakeland) Fall Rodrigo Fuentes (Passaic) Leandro Solorzano (Hawthorne) Maj-Dec Jesiah Shade (College Achieve Paterson Charter) Brady Tiernan (Depaul Catholic) Fall William Thompson (Clifton) Nicholas Jung (Lakeland) Dec Juan Flores (Passaic) Dominic Lally (Wayne Valley) Fall Alexander Franco (Kennedy) Jihaad Fulmore (Manchester Regional) Fall Samuel Mendoza (Passaic Valley) Ethan Perez (Lakeland Reg) Fall Adam Bagdough (Manchester Regional) Justin Mehnert (Wayne Hills) Fall Fabjo Laraku (Pompton Lakes) Benjamin Valle (Passaic) Fall Rayner Tavarez (Manchester Regional) Jordyn Rivera (Clifton) Fall Ian Metzler (Hawthorne) Jonathan Roy (Passaic Valley) Fall Joseph Nieto (Depaul Catholic) Laith Jafar (Wayne Hills) Tec-Fall Charlie Kling (West Milford) Sergio Mundaca (Pompton Lakes) Fall Isaiah Reams (Kennedy) Max Tripoli (Depaul Catholic) Dec Brandon Ruiz (Passaic) Tyler Whartnaby (Passaic Tech) Fall Messiah Cruz (Hawthorne) Ayden Mulroony (Passaic Valley) Fall Ben Crawford (Wayne Hills) Nicholas Carbone (West Milford) Fall Jacob Organisciak (Clifton) Yousef Qteifan (Clifton) Dec Nate Boston (Manchester Regional) Nwauzo Ezenanii (Depaul Catholic) Fall Devin Bolton (Wayne Valley) Cris Battaglia (Wayne Hills) Tec-Fall Omer Xheladini (Pompton Lakes) Shamil Hina (Hawthorne) Fall Michael Prosperi (Passaic Valley) Nicholas Maldonado (Passaic Tech) Fall Daniel Kyzima (Lakeland) Alexander Perez (Wayne Valley) Fall Nathaniel Hernandez (College Achieve Paterson Charter) Narell Ford (Manchester Regional) Fall Ayden Lopez (Kennedy) AJ Mirabal (Passaic) Tec-Fall Adonai Aarons (West Milford) Aron Martin (Wayne Hills) Fall Sebastian Gill (Hawthorne) Khaleel Santiago (Manchester Regional) Fall Steven Coronel (Paterson) George Calagua (Wayne Valley) Maj-Dec Alex Helphingstine (Lakeland) Owen Menier (West Milford) Fall Arber Berlajolli (Pompton Lakes) Noah Monica (West Milford) Fall Ibrahim Abuzid (Kennedy) Christopher Espinal (Pompton Lakes) Dec Daniel DuVerge (Passaic) Kishon Hamilton (Manchester Regional) Fall Alberto Velzquez (Hawthorne) Justin Mayo (Passaic Tech) Fall Emir Bueno (Lakeland) Luis Lopez (Paterson) Dec Alex Torres (Hawthorne) Anthony Bua (Depaul Catholic) Fall Jacob Jaquez (Manchester Regional) Football: 2024 All-Passaic County teamsNorthJersey.comHere are the All-Passaic County football teams .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Advance Local Weather AlertsOn Saturday at 3:36 p.m the National Weather Service issued an updated winter storm warning valid from 5 p.m Total snow and sleet accumulations between 5 and 8 inches and ice accumulations up to one tenth of an inch." Travel will become very difficult," states the weather service and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency Check local Department of Transportation information services for the latest road conditions Persons should delay all travel if possible drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you and allow extra time to reach your destination and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns Make sure your car is winterized and in good working order." Winter weather can make driving treacherous leading to over 6,000 weather-related vehicle fatalities and over 480,000 injuries each year When traveling during snow or freezing rain it's safest to assume that icy conditions exist on roadways and adjust your driving accordingly Be cautious of ice accumulating on power lines or tree branches which can lead to snapping and falling hazards opt for routes with fewer trees and power lines and immediately dial 911 if you come across one Here are additional winter driving tips from the weather service: When traveling out of town in hazardous winter weather inform your family or friends of your destination Ensure your gas tank is full and equip your vehicle with essential winter supplies such as a windshield scraper Inform someone about your situation and location Indicate that you need assistance by attaching a cloth to your car's antenna or mirror and make your vehicle more visible by using the dome light and flashers Keep an eye out for snow plows and allow them ample room to pass Only overtake a plow when you have a clear view of the road ahead check the latest road conditions to make informed travel decisions Stay safe on wintry roads with these valuable winter driving tips from the weather service and reduce the risk of accidents during challenging weather conditions Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service The losing candidate in this past November’s Passaic County sheriff’s election faces disciplinary charges from her employer for allegedly violating a prohibition against political activity by certain employees had worked in the Prosecutor’s Office for more than 25 years rising to the rank of captain in the narcotics task force saying she would use up various types of leave time for about a year staying on the prosecutor’s payroll before she would retire effective Feb bulletproof vest and key fob for the prosecutor’s offices on Jan Saracino announced she would be seeking the Republican nomination to run for sheriff the Prosecutor’s Office warned Saracino last May that her job precluded her from running for elected office asserting that the prohibition applied to her even though she was in the process of retiring Lawyers for the Prosecutor’s Office said the ban was part of a code of ethics designed to keep investigators and prosecutors away from political activity argued that she had stopped functioning as an investigator after she turned in her gun and other equipment in 2024 and stopped reporting for work The prosecutor’s lawyer argued that Saracino had remained on the county payroll when she was running for sheriff and as a result she was still subject to the ban on political activity Saracino’s lawyers said in letters to Prosecutor Camelia Valdes that the candidate refrained from campaigning for about a month during the spring while she awaited a resolution of the dispute and Saracino hit the campaign trail in the summer Three days after losing the November election Saracino was given notice of impending disciplinary action The prosecutor’s administrative investigation of Saracino has derailed her plans to retire as of Feb 1 and forced her to return to work in late November State pension boards don’t approve retirements for officers with open discipline cases DeMarco said he believes Valdes’ actions against Saracino were politically motivated an effort to help Passaic County Democrats by trying to keep her out of the election ended up winning by nine percentage points Saracino has been working as a captain in the prosecutor’s trial division as she awaits the outcome of the legal battle Saracino is asking the court to stop the prosecutor’s disciplinary proceedings Superior Court Judge Frank Covello conducted a hearing on the issue Friday afternoon and said he would render a decision soon 1 seed for the 50th Passaic County girls basketball tournament at the Monday 4 Eastside all received byes to the quarterfinals Reigning champ Wayne Hills was seeded 11th The Patriots defeated Eastside in the 2024 final a 159-game Passaic High School basketball team winning streak ended at the hands of the team from Hackensack High School with a 39-35 loss at the Hackensack Armory that winning streak has stood the test of time and is considered the longest by any basketball team in U.S nicknamed the "Wonder Team," didn't just win they crushed opponents and earned a national fan following along the way who was the point guard for the Wonder Team from 1920 to 1923 It's also a record that may never be transcended in any organized sport Unlike Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak Passaic's streak played out over six years two coaches and six different Passaic High School Basketball teams which at some point earned them the sobriquet "Wonder Team." It allowed Passaic to amass some truly one-sided scores such as when it overpowered Williams Prep of Stamford “Passaic hypnotized its opponents with its lightning and accurate passing,” Col a retired Army officer who played on the team told the New York Times in 1973 The Times interviewed Roosma after the announcement that the Wonder Team was to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Roosma and "Wonder Team" Coach Ernest Blood are enshrined in the Hall of Fame along with another teammate editor of the Basketball Encyclopedia and a former member of the Hall of Fame Honor Committee Blood compiled an amazing 200-1 record with Passaic and was the first high school coach to be inducted 1925 was noteworthy in that it saw the end of the "Wonder Team's" invincibility and the beginning of another Yankee great Lou Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp at first base and began his consecutive game streak The difference is that Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games for the Yankees was eclipsed by Cal Ripken the Baltimore Orioles' own Iron Horse in 1995 who ultimately played 2,632 consecutive games The closest to repeating Passaic's record came in 2011 when the University of Connecticut's Women's Basketball team won 111 straight between 2014 and 2017 111 was the same number of wins in the previous winning streak held by the Buffalo Germans More: Passaic High School's 'Wonder Team' still holds country's longest winning streak The game and the streakThe Wonder Team's loss was national news News of its demise was picked up by the Associated Press and appeared in print the very next day in papers from Maine to Oregon the Hackensack High school basketball team basks in the Nation's sporting spotlight as a result of its sensational 39-35 victory," The Bergen Record's William J the local boys outsmarted and outplayed the Wonder Team in every phase of the game." Passaic Daily News writer Wendell Merrill wrote "Thus came a day which was bound to come and which the faithful of Passaic dreaded." "There are no alibis to offer," Merrill added a determined lot of youngsters coached by J.W a Springfield College man who absorbed and perfected the Passaic style of play." It was the week before Christmas in 1919 when the Passaic High School boys basketball team took the court against Newark Junior College and began its historic march the Times wrote that the six Wonder Teams and their players scored many firsts in basketball: Robert Thompson was the first high school basketball player to score 1,000 points He played in 33 games during the 1921–22 season.The team's game with St was broadcast by Radio Station WBAN in Paterson possibly the first high school basketball contest ever heard on the air.The 150th game in the streak played with Arlington (Massachusetts) High School on Jan was filmed by motion‐picture cameras and shown at a Passaic theater five days later This is thought to be the first high school basketball contest ever filmed for public showing.The “wonder teams” averaged 59.5 points a game to their opponents' 20.2 during the 159 victories Twice the team defeated two opponents on the same day.Under Coach Blood an unabashed champion of Passaic's historic past said that it is a shame that the Wonder Team has largely faded from local memory "If somebody today was riding a crest of 159 straight victories there would be 60 busloads of media following the team," the historian said WAYNE – Her legacy was already second to none in Passaic County history Wayne Valley senior Sarah Rodrigues still wanted one more record and one more round of pancakes for good measure Competing for the final time at what she called one of her favorite club or high school meets Rodrigues went out in style Saturday by breaking the 50 freestyle record at the Passaic County championships The Texas commit now holds six of the eight individual records and seven solo titles – only one back of Wayne Valley's Meaghan O'Donnell for the all-time tournament lead she planned to celebrate with teammates at the Park Wayne Dinner with a hearty meal with bacon and hashbrowns It's a really good way to close my four years of high school It makes me so sad to think that I'm not going to be here next year." nothing could stop Passaic Tech in its chase to rule the pool for one more year The Bulldogs raced to their 10th straight county championship in boys swimming and the seventh in a row on the girls side The host school was led by another big meet from Marist-bound senior Tyler Roer The West Milford native hit the wall first in the butterfly and 200 freestyle before adding one more gold as the lead-off man in the 400 freestyle relay His speed was not the only reason why the Bulldog boys held off Wayne Hills Wins from first-time champions Jerry Bencosme and Avi Shah loomed large as well whose 12 race wins at the county meet ranks second all-time behind Wayne Hills' Taylor Adams "We needed to believe in ourselves that we could get it done today Mikey DeMarco and Alex Diaz – we all came together and talked to the whole team in the locker room and said that it's not going to be one person this year Passaic Tech girls coach Gen Wall called this her strongest team in eight years on the job and the numbers Saturday back it up Her squad won eight of the 11 races and broke its own tournament-record with 466 points One of the big heroes was junior Leah Ciabattoni who set a pair of personal bests as the champ in the backstroke and 500 freestyle It was a little bit of redemption for the Pompton Lakes native who was understandably slower at last year's meet while battling pneumonia "Each year we keep getting better and better," Ciabattoni said 1 team [in our section] right now when last year we were struggling to compete for three." The Passaic Tech girls showed off their balance with 1-2-3 finishes in the individual medley led by Julia Lo and 100 freestyle led by Charlize Macaranas Still with only five seniors on the roster Wall knows that her team isn't taking success for granted "These girls came out of it and said did we win the meet?" Wall said "They're not even really understanding how dominant we've been the last few years They go into every race looking to do their best and work their hardest." a trip to the record book was the culmination of their hard work who sacrificed a chance at a record-tying eighth solo gold in order to help her team in all three relays Townsend is only the second county champion from Passaic (male or female) and the first since Tianalee Bracho in 2016 Townsend didn't swim much breaststroke at all I don't think I ever broke a meet record before." 100 breaststroke: *MEET RECORD* Zariah Townsend PASSAIC — The city has created a rent stabilization ordinance to address a trend of rising rental costs In a city where about 70% of the population rents attempts to strike a fair balance between property owners and tenants and to protect the interests of both parties which the council unanimously passed on first reading "I believe it does not hurt investors but protects renters especially the most vulnerable," Lora said has a sunset provision and would expire in six years unless the council extends it "This is a response to the pandemic and to challenges to both tenants and landlords," he said In recent months, Lora said, it became apparent that the increase in rents had become a dire situation More: Clifton man charged in fatal 'red light' shooting alleges he was victim of attack "We are being inundated with constant complaints," Lora said "It is every day we are getting these complaints Individuals saying 'my rent went up double.'" Lora and his administration proposed the rent-leveling ordinance which would supersede the city's rent-control ordinance that ended in 1999 There are still some grandfathered rent-controlled apartments in the city The rent-leveling board that has been proposed would consist of three community members a landlord and either an expert or homeowner Lora said this is needed because while apartment owners often have the resources to take disputes to court Tenant-landlord court judges are likely to take seriously the recommendations of the rent-leveling board The mayor is particularly concerned that after the recent election considerable pressure and threats might be used against its most vulnerable residents The ordinance also would help protect property owners because rent control can be detrimental to property owners as well as the city Rent control can dissuade new construction and property improvements if the property owner perceives that it limits their ability to make a worthwhile profit "I am not for rent control for that reason," Lora said While some council members voiced concerns about the ordinance and how new investors might be discouraged from investing in the city Rent-Leveling Attorney Christopher Rodriguez assured them the ordinance does not pertain to new construction State law allows for newly constructed rental units to set their rate Rather it involves those with older units but also provides a mechanism to increase rates to make their case to the board for a larger increase "We know there are landlords that have dilapidated properties and want increases," Councilwoman Thania Melo said Lora said that before the passing of the ordinance he reached out to several of the city's property owners "I believe it does not hurt investors but protects renters," Lora said Attempts to reach some of the city's largest property owners were not successful The measure is currently scheduled for a second reading at the City Council's Jan Adamo wins sheriff post by big margin; GOP county commissioner trails by nearly 2,000 votes The big news in Passaic County is Donald Trump’s 6,534-vote win combined with the Democratic candidate for sheriff’s 14,022-vote victory and a lead in a race against the one Republican county commissioner Thomas Adamo will become the new sheriff after defeating Republican Maria Saracino incumbents Sandi Lazzara (86,832) and John Bartlett (85,732) lead Gallo (83,732) and two other GOP challengers Assad Mujtaba (81,917) and William Cytowicz (81,482) Gallo won in 2021 by unseating Democratic Commissioner Assad Akhter The sheriff’s office wasn’t expected to be on the ballot until 2025 but that changed earlier this year when five-term Democrat Richard Berdnik died in an apparent suicide The Democratic primary was one of the most dramatic this year: former Sheriff Jerry Speziale decided he wanted his old job back and recruited three county commissioner candidates to run alongside him turning the race into a battle over the future of the Passaic County Democrats The election took on statewide import: Passaic Democratic Chair John Currie while Speziale got some outside help from gubernatorial contender Steve Fulop It was Currie who ultimately emerged victorious Democrat Andy Kim carried Passaic County by two percentage points over Republican Curtis Bashaw At issue — how and where some toxic materials dredged from the river will be treated Michael Sol Warren | September 24, 2024 | Energy & Environment, Water The Passaic River is one the nation’s most toxic waterways tainted by the by-products of Agent Orange manufacturing and decades of industrial dumping leaving the lower 17 miles of the river marked for cleanup in the nation’s most complex environmental remediation effort But the bulk of that work still has not started almost 40 years after the river and surrounding areas were placed on the federal Superfund list Today the Environmental Protection Agency has split the challenge into four parts that it is trying to tackle separately but in concert with each other: the former factory in the Ironbound section of Newark that once produced the defoliant Agent Orange the upper nine miles of the river above that section and Newark Bay The EPA has completed interim work to entomb toxic material at the site of the former Diamond Alkali site in Newark some material near Lyndhurst was dredged up in 2013 The EPA has lurched forward toward cleanup in recent years, emphasizing a $1.38 billion plan to carry out an intensive remediation  effort on the heavily polluted lower eight miles of the river —  the stretch between Newark Bay and the Newark-Belleville border It’s that part of the river that contains the bulk of the contamination — the place where dioxin and heavy metals like lead and mercury settled into the mud long ago The EPA’s plan calls for this part of the river to be dredged from bank to bank ultimately scooping and sucking an estimated 2.5 million cubic yards of polluted sediment from the riverbed to the relief of community groups who have spent decades pushing for the river to be cleaned “It’s a plan that was supported by the Passaic River [Community Advisory Group] members an environmental justice advocate from the Ironbound neighborhood in Newark and a co-chair of the Passaic River Community Advisory Group Details of how exactly the dredging operation will be carried out have since been drawn up by Occidental Chemical, the company that today is ultimately responsible for conducting and funding the bulk of the work The EPA reviews and approves Occidental’s plan and maintains oversight of the cleanup The EPA approved Occidental’s final engineering design work in May although some parts of that plan may change based on legal agreements and the hiring of a contractor to lead the physical work if that contractor finds yet unconsidered issues almost all the material dredged up from the river will be sent to a temporary processing facility that will be built at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission’s sewage treatment plant in Newark roughly 1% of everything that is planned to be dredged up That material is “non-aqueous phase liquid,” or NAPL It’s an oily muck that ended up along the Harrison riverfront as a byproduct of processes at PSE&G’s former manufactured gas plant in the town but the related pollution on the river bottom remains NAPL cannot be treated in the cleanup process in the same manner as the rest of the dredge spoils because its oily nature would jam up the equipment used to process the rest of the sediment A separate temporary facility will be needed to handle the NAPL a place where the substance can be separated from water and then stabilized by mixing with Portland cement The EPA and Occidental have decided that the site of the former PSE&G gas plant is the most convenient and appropriate place for the NAPL to be dealt with The EPA has said it expects dredging up the NAPL will take about seven weeks and then that material would be processed at the facility over the course of about two months “We knew that there was going to be some needs around the staging of this The full extent of that and the nature of that is only now getting figured out because the company “Now we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of what it will take to actually do this bank-to-bank dredging.” who also chairs the Harrison Redevelopment Agency said the Passaic River cleanup is critical to the town’s long-term plans for its formerly industrial south end which has undergone a transformation in recent years He supports the plan to process NAPL at the PSE&G site “Most of the stuff that they’re taking out “I’m in favor of getting the river cleaned up and I’m in favor of getting the coal tar out of there.” and surrounding towns like East Newark and Kearny do not want the EPA to process the NAPL in what is now a residential area vacant plot of land bounded by the Passaic River as well as on the other side of Rodgers Boulevard are large apartment buildings that have opened in recent years as part of Harrison’s revitalization effort “EPA is thinking of Harrison as that contaminated community,” said John Pinho an attorney who grew up in Harrison and is opposed to putting the NAPL treatment facility at the PSE&G site “It’s no longer that contaminated community.” Pinho says the community would be better served if EPA put all the sediment processing facilities it needs for the river cleanup in industrial south Kearny “It will at least provide a buffer if something happens.” Roughly 100 people showed up to a community meeting about the Passaic River cleanup hosted by the EPA at Harrison High School last month Multiple speakers raised concerns that processing the NAPL at the PSE&G site could release pollution into the air and those fears seemed to be exacerbated when EPA and Occidental officials said the operation would be open-air EPA officials said such an incident is unlikely because the contaminants involved are not spread through the air but emphasized that air monitoring would take place as long as the NAPL treatment facility was in operation Many speakers expressed a general distrust of government environmental authorities stemming from what they described as negative interactions with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection over the nearby Keegan Landfill in Kearny Rancid odors from the landfill have been known to drift through Harrison and other nearby towns said she is sympathetic to the safety concerns raised at the Harrison meeting but noted that they echo concerns that Newarkers have had for decades through the campaign to get the river cleaned up She said it’s important to push the EPA to be as protective of communities as possible “We’re never going to get to a place where we can reclaim this place for our enjoyment and our kids’ enjoyment if we don’t start somewhere,” Baptista said who opposes the PSE&G site for treating the NAPL said he is also worried that using the PSE&G site for the Passaic River remediation will delay the momentum of redevelopment in Harrison He said PSE&G has made clear to the town that the land won’t be available for redevelopment anytime soon but Public Service told us that there would be no action that they’re not going to sell that property for at least 10 years.” Fife said They’re using it as parking for their cars and trucks Occidental has gone to court arguing that other companies responsible for fouling the river should have to contribute more to the cleanup and that legal fight has delayed the cleanup of the Passaic River’s lower eight miles The EPA does not yet have the legal agreements in place with PSE&G and Harrison that it needs to use the site for its NAPL treatment facility EPA officials have said they plan to hold more public meetings about the Harrison plan and the larger cleanup efforts Across the river in Newark, the EPA earlier this month proposed a final plan for the site of a former Agent Orange factory that was the source of the worst pollution The nearly six-acre site on the banks of the Passaic River at 80-120 Lister Avenue was home to the infamous Diamond Alkali plant which produced Agent Orange and other pesticides through the 1950s Other companies used the site for chemical production before and after Diamond Alkali until the earlier ’80s when dioxin pollution was found emanating through the site and into the surrounding neighborhood The EPA responded by demolishing the structures on the site and burying them at the location along with debris and material tainted by dioxin and other chemicals in a containment cell that was then covered by a thick A flood wall was built to guard against storm surge from the Passaic and a groundwater treatment system was created to prevent pollution from migrating off-site That interim solution to bury and contain the toxic material was completed in 2001 the site looks like nothing more than a big grey mound on the banks of the river in the shadow of the HelloFresh warehouse next door EPA reports in the years since have found the measures have been successful in keeping the pollution trapped in place Now the EPA was to make that interim plan permanent keeping the dioxin-tainted waste buried at the location in perpetuity while upgrading the groundwater treatment system and upgrading the cap and flood wall as needed Baptista said she and others had mixed feelings about the EPA’s desire to leave the toxic waste buried at the industrial edge of the Ironbound “I think that there is a frustration that this is going to be a graveyard while the community was looking at what could be the future uses of this,” Baptista said including plans that would have excavated at least some of the material and sent it elsewhere EPA officials speaking at a public meeting at the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Thursday said they believe these options pose unnecessary dangers to the public by opening the existing cap and also noted that a full excavation was deemed not possible because of how the flood wall is constructed the staff attorney for NY/NJ Baykeeper and the Hackensack Riverkeeper as well as the other co-chair of the Passaic River Community Advisory Group attended the meeting and said she thinks the EPA’s proposal is the right thing to protect public health “I think the plan that they’ve come up with is the most efficient for the community What we’re talking about is not a mild contaminant,” Langa said “So leaving it where it is and not re-exposing the community to something like that is more important than taking it away and facing the complicated decision of where to send something like that The EPA is accepting public comment on the proposed plan for the former Diamond Alkali site until November 12 Michael Sol Warren is a producer for NJ Spotlight News He can be reached at warrenm@njspotlightnews.org Passaic County officials confirmed the $5 million purchase of Bloomingdale's Spring Brook Acres a 100-acre tract of open space once slated for high-density housing The property known locally as "the horse farm," located at 335 Union Ave. will be added to the Passaic County Park System after skirting serious development pressure earlier this century half of the acquisition cost will be covered by a $2.5 million grant from the state’s Green Acres land preservation program The remainder is to be paid through the county’s Open Space Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund Officials said they plan to transform the once privately owned site into a public park featuring recreational amenities natural areas and space for community programs is expected to allow the new park to serve multiple towns “This is an incredible opportunity to create a place where residents can come together connect with nature and enjoy a variety of community programs,” said Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara the deputy director of the Passaic County Board of Commissioners and we look forward to engaging with the public as we plan its future.” County officials expect park development to take three to five years Public meetings will be held to gather input on how the park should be developed borders the Passaic County Community College Wanaque campus and lies across from Federal Hill and Dragonfly Meadows The latter are both preserved properties managed by the Passaic River Coalition While environmental advocates have long supported preserving the property due to its importance as a groundwater recharge zone others have raised concerns over the financial impact previously listed on the real estate market for $2.7 million in 2019 carried about $18,000 in annual property tax revenue for the borough Some local officials and residents have also questioned whether the county has the resources needed to properly patrol and maintain such a large area though the town's Planning Board did write county officials a letter of support for their plans to convert it to public parkland The site sits amid the development-restricted Highlands Preservation Area Prior to the Highlands Act's enactment in the early 2000s and even for a time after it was considered for large-scale housing projects more than 600 units were proposed as part of a new age-restricted community developer Charles Kushner proposed placing about 400 senior housing units there The plans drew strong opposition from local environmental groups including Skylands CLEAN and members of Bloomingdale’s Environmental Commission who warned development would damage natural resources and strain infrastructure State officials ultimately denied plans to build there local leaders and some state lawmakers backed a plan to lift Highlands Preservation Area regulations on the site clearing the way for upgraded water and sewer service connections and future development the proposal ultimately failed to receive adequate support at the state level A Passaic County man is accused of threatening and harassing flight crew and passengers on a plane that was headed toward Newark on Sunday was arrested for one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation Vaquero is accused of threatening physical violence toward a disabled minor and harassing a group of Jewish passengers according to a press release sent Monday by the Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey “We are committed to keeping the skies safe for flying and will prosecute those who criminally interfere with the professionals responsible for ensuring passenger safety," acting United States Attorney Vikas Khanna said Local: Here are the predicted snow totals by North Jersey town for the next storm Vaquero allegedly also threatened flight attendants who declined to serve him alcohol after the beverage service window closed Flight attendants alerted law enforcement upon landing and an announcement was made that the plane was awaiting the arrival of police Vaquero allegedly forced his way to the front of the plane banged on the flight deck door and verbally threatened to assault the flight attendants who tried to intervene He is accused of making threats to the captain while six inches from his face The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 Vaquero was released after he appeared before Magistrate Judge Stacey D No future court date was announced on the OAG press release 2025 at 7:00 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}(Credit: Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock)PATERSON NJ — An 18-year-old faces murder charges in the shooting death of a man in Paterson after officials say three people pulled up in a vehicle and began firing at him earlier this year said Paterson Police and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office a Hyundai Elantra pulled up near the intersection of Market Street and Pennington Street and three people with handguns got out of the car Officials said the trio began shooting at Abel Angeles-Vargas First responders took Angeles-Vargas to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center Officials said they identified Davon White of Paterson as one of the shooters and arrested him without incident on Monday Prosecutors plan to file a motion for him to be detained ahead of trial No other arrests were announced, and authorities said the investigation "remains active and ongoing." The Prosecutor's Office asks anyone who may have more information on the shooting to call their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or emailtips@passaiccountynj.org Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Passaic County voters have elected Democrat Thomas Adamo as their new sheriff in a closely watched special election to fill the role left vacant by the late Sheriff Richard Berdnik Adamo had 94,157 votes and his Republican opponent the chief of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and a veteran officer campaigned on his extensive experience within the department earning significant endorsements from top Democratic leaders Adamo's primary victory had been marked by an intense battle against former Sheriff Jerry Speziale known for his public profile and strong name recognition Despite Speziale's support from powerful unions and political figures Adamo ultimately won the backing of influential party members securing over 57% of the vote in a heated primary race a 25-year veteran of the county Prosecutor’s Office who ran on a platform of law enforcement modernization and public safety made history as the first woman to appear on the ballot for Passaic County sheriff Adamo’s win signifies continuity for the Sheriff’s Office after the death of Berdnik The election was a critical opportunity for Democrats to maintain control of the Sheriff’s Office a position Republicans held for 50 years before 2002