SADDLE RIVER − The 14th-annual Susan Zabransky Hughes Memorial 5K Run/Walk will take place starting from Zion Lutheran Church 7 to 11 a.m Saddle River Police Department advises the run will close down East Allendale Road between East and West Saddle River roads to Upper Cross Road in neighboring Upper Saddle River for the duration of the race Parking for participants is available at Rindlaub Park south of Borough Hall and at Wandell Elementary School across the street at 97 E "A hard closure will take place on East Allendale Road beginning at 8 a.m.," a borough traffic notices advises there will be no traffic allowed northbound on the upper portion of West Saddle River Road and southbound on the upper portion of East Saddle River Road." The notice advises residents that contractors or visitors expected from 7:45 to 10 a.m be advised of alternate routes or times to ensure smooth traffic flow during the event The run honors former resident Susan Zabransky Hughes who died of cervical cancer at age 46 in July 2011 The event is hosted by the Run for Sue Committee which has raised more than $2.6 million since 2011 in support of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation Participants may pre-register on line for the event at runsignup.com, or starting 7 a.m. Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church, 90 E. Allendale Road. There is a $35 per person registration fee. Donations to the foundation may also be made at hackensackmeridianhealth.org No pets are allowed on the course per its terms and conditions This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Aging can come with mysterious aches and pains A stiff knee or a tight lower back can seemingly pop up out of nowhere for the over-50 set When 53-year-old Andrea Loberbaum of Upper Saddle River suddenly felt intense back pain three years ago she assumed it was due to her age or overexertion during a tennis or golf game I started doing what I would normally do for back pain—certain stretches and exercises—but it wasn't getting better driving and even sitting at her desk to work a colleague asked me if I had ants in my pants because I couldn’t sit still,” she says I just can’t get comfortable.’” “I’d had such a great experience with Dr I’d follow him anywhere,” she says After physical therapy alone proved ineffective which confirmed his suspicion: Andrea’s back pain was not because of her spine but because of a tear in her gluteus medius tendon in her hip I tell people when I believe I can help them and when I think they should consider surgery of some sort,” Dr “I actually referred her to a hip preservation surgeon in the area to discuss possible surgical options.” The hip preservationist told Andrea that a full gluteus medius tear is rare and is usually only seen in professional hockey players and middle-aged women who had given birth Andrea did not want to deal with not being able to bear any weight for three months so she opted for a less-invasive option and one that she was already familiar with Cherian had injected her with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for her tennis elbow which had since resolved with the help of physical therapy Andrea says she was happy for the alternative but still nervous about the procedure I knew there would be a little pain from the actual injection for a bit but I was more afraid that it wasn't going to work and I'd have to have surgery,” she says Here’s how PRP works: The clinician will draw a tube of blood from the patient which spins the blood separating it into various components The platelets are then mixed into a blood plasma liquid base and injected directly into the area of the injury Cherian used an ultrasound to guide where the medication needed to go in Andrea’s hip and within three weeks she started to see improvement even though it could take six to twelve weeks for some patients.Now she’s regularly hitting the gym three times a week something she wasn’t able to do before “I have had less back pain for the last year than I've had the last 20-plus years,” she says “I still have a little weakness on that side While some patients may need a repeat PRP injection Cherian thinks that Andrea won’t need another active lifestyle and it doesn't seem like she's looking back,” he says “We're really happy with our outcome here.” The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician Always consult your physician for individual care tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID 22-3474145) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law She was a relentless and committed optimist she was a cherished member of her Thrive Senior Living Community and a devoted parishioner of The Church of the Presentation where she found strength and joy in her faith Mary was also a long standing member of The Ridgewood Country Club where her primary goal was reaching the nineteenth hole Minnesota to Robert and Agnes Little and raised with her four brothers in a close-knit community where she attended Holy Name Church and St while working at Sears in downtown Minneapolis and throughout their marriage created homes and communities in Minneapolis where they were known for marshalling the annual St they forged strong relationships at every stop with faith and family at the center mixed with plenty of fun and friendship for balance and leaves behind a legacy of love through her family She is survived by her children: Tricia Whipps She was a devoted and proud grandmother to Matt and Hilary Whipps She was also blessed to be a great-grandmother to Noah Whipps and unwavering love for her family and friends will be deeply missed by all who knew her Her legacy and her unrelenting positivity will live on in the hearts of those she touched Visitation will be held on Friday from 3 PM - 7 PM at Van Emburgh-Sneider-Pernice Funeral Home A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday 2025 at 10 AM at Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River Interment will follow at Ascension Cemetery in Airmont Memorial contributions can be made to the Church of the Presentation or to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF).  Image: djcodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net The 2023-24 school year is complete and students have settled into summer vacation mode Hired in March, Siegel started his new assignment as superintendent of the Mountain Lakes School District on Monday. A resident of Wayne, Siegel comes from the Upper Saddle River School District where he served as superintendent for the past six years I recognize the importance of sustaining an elite public school district in which our board of education and students prioritize education," Siegel stated on the district website "That high expectation is what motivates and excites me stepping into this role." His five-year contract was approved in March calling for a first-year salary of $228,000 with annual increases reaching $256,616 in the 2028-29 school year Siegel was collecting an annual salary of $187,408 in Upper Saddle River looking in on summer sessions and "hiring staff Mountain Lakes superintendent's new priorityHis early priorities will include negotiating a new send-receive tuition rate for students from neighboring Boonton Township which has raised tensions between the two towns' school districts Siegel comes from a district similar in economic demographics to the one he now runs Mountain Lakes and Upper Saddle River are largely wealthy residential communities that land near the top of the New Jersey list of highest median incomes Three schools cover grades K-8 while the district sends its high school students to Northern Highlands Regional in Allendale The Mountain Lakes School District includes the high school Briarcliff Middle School and the Lake Drive School a regional school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students that serves 12 counties Siegel was hired after a superintendent search committee was formed late last year to recruit a replacement for Michael Fetherman The former superintendent oversaw a major expansion of Mountain Lakes High School and led the district through the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 during his five-year term Prior to his five years in Upper Saddle River Siegel was the K-12 director of curriculum instruction and assessment for Bergen County's quad-districts (Allendale Upper Saddle River and Northern Highlands Regional.)  He holds a doctoral degree from Teachers College at Columbia University through the Arts & Humanities Department Siegel also is familiar with the character of "Laker" life that is integral to the identity of Mountain Lakes borough a planned community founded in 1910 and crafted around seven lakes "I appreciate the special and unique qualities of being part of a 'lake' community as I grew up and now raise my family in a different 'lake' community (Pine Lakes in Wayne)," he wrote in his statement to the community I had the opportunity to meet many stakeholders from the Mountain Lakes School District at scheduled meetings and even through some unexpected encounters," Siegel stated after his appointment "Both of these qualities consistently marked these interactions: the drive for learning and connection to the community." More: When will Route 15 reopen? Work on temporary bridge reaches a milestone Upper Saddle River has embarked on its own search for a new superintendent Applications were due to the search committee last month Lauren Schoen has been hired as interim superintendent at a per diem salary of $825 Schoen most recently served as an interim superintendent in West Orange Her career also includes superintendent posts in Rochelle Park Fort Lee and the Ramapo-Indian Hills High School District William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com Twitter: @wwesthoven 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 Hearts broke across North Jersey on Christmas Eve as news spread of the passing of Craig Parrella a retired Upper Saddle River Police officer and former United States Marine Former Upper Saddle River police officer and US Marine Craig Parrella shared the news of his passing in an emotional Facebook post on Tuesday "Craig was quite simply one of the best people I ever knew," she writes I have loved him since I was 22 years old and will love him until my last breath "Craig gave me a love and adoration that most people don’t find in their life time I was lucky enough to experience what true love really was." spent nearly three decades in law enforcement and instructor at the Bergen County Police Academy Parrella transitioned into real estate after retirement. A man of many talents, he often shared his passion for music, posting videos of himself playing guitar on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook The news of Parrella's passing sent shockwaves through the community especially when they were younger," he said in a Facebook post last November they have become outstanding young adults!" Parrella noted their academic excellence before concluding: "More importantly UPPER SADDLE RIVER — A year after the borough opened its 9-acre $8.6 million Lake Street sports complex local officials returned this week for dedication ceremonies "We wanted to memorialize all of the hard work and effort that went into realizing the sports complex and officially naming it and dedicating it to the residents," Mayor Arman Fardanesh said Tuesday "After seeing how much use the complex gets on a daily basis we recognized the value that it brings to residents and our community." Fardanesh said some additional project details "will be coming later next year," which will include grandstands and scoreboards A black plaque with gold-raised lettering reads: "Upper Saddle River Sports Complex Dedicated to the Residents of Upper Saddle River 2023." The plaque also lists names of council members and complex committee members The complex is on part of the former 48-acre Pearson Education Campus at Lake Street and East Crescent Avenue intersection Ground was broken in December 2021 on the field site The remaining 39 acres are being developed and will have a 208-unit townhouse complex RIBBON CUTTING Artificial turf fields 'outstanding' at Upper Saddle River's new sports complex offset by a $1.6 million grant from the Bergen County Open Space Floodplain Protection & Historic Preservation Trust Fund It includes two multipurpose fields with ballfield overlays Among those present for the ceremony were Council President Jon Ditkoff Richard Lyons and Joanne Florio; committee members Steven DiMartino Ditkoff said the borough expects "there will possibly be more grants towards the scoreboards bleachers and press box," and that open space funding will be used to pay down principal and interest on the debt He said grants are also expected to finance the installation of charging stations in the parking lot Rose and Roger shared a friendship that began when Rose threw a snowball his way during a Brooklyn snowstorm in the winter of 1948 He often said that he knew then he would marry her someday Roger relished being a kid in Brooklyn…playing stickball or rooting against the neighborhood kids whenever the Yanks took on the Dodgers Roger loved accompanying his dad on outings around town with his elder brother Tommy The two boys learned pool at their father’s pool hall—Roger played plenty Roger graduated from Boys High School and attended St earning both his Bachelor’s and his LL.B degree Roger was honorably discharged from service in the USAR Standby Reserve in September 1962 1956 and the couple started their family in Brooklyn John’s law school friends established a law firm in downtown Brooklyn Roger was a brilliant trial lawyer and practiced in state and Federal courts throughout New York City much favored by The Hartford Insurance Company Roger’s connection to Brooklyn also helped him develop a wide-ranging practice for many in the community—including more than a few former jurors who had seen him in action He inspired all four of his children to attend law school Roger maintained a law practice until 2020 having been joined along the way by daughter Elaine Roger realized a dream of seeing the name “DeBerardine” repeated on the firm’s letterhead Roger and Rose moved their family to the quiet town of Upper Saddle River The 90-minute commute to and from Brooklyn did not deter Roger from being home for dinner with his family every night even if it meant recording dictation late into the night at the dining room table after his children were asleep Roger loved the Upper Saddle River community and soon became an active and respected leader serving in both the USR Parent Teacher Organization and on the USR Board of Education (1973 to 1982) he held leadership positions and used his legal talents to negotiate faculty contracts and develop school policy Roger later became a USR Councilman in 2004 and again from 2009 to 2020 Environment” for his involvement in efforts to preserve USR’s clean water table Other areas of service included the USR Planning Board (2004-2020) the Council Liaison for Historic Preservation and the Contract Negotiations Committee he was honored by the Mayor and Council for his years of community service and volunteerism A believer in the power of both local government and community Roger joined with others to explore a lack of USR community recreation opportunities for families and A bond issuance enabled the purchase of land and the development of what was to become the Saddle River Valley Swim and Tennis Club Roger served on its Board for over two decades The SRVSTC became a vibrant and welcoming fixture in the community—it still provides families and neighbors a place to gather and engage in summer exercise and friendly competition It is responsible for teaching countless children (and adults!) how to swim and play tennis Roger’s service commitment to Upper Saddle River was also recognized by the Saddle River Valley Lions Club when he was inducted as a Lion in 2015 “being actively involved in public service has always been a part of my life it is a personal value in which I strongly believe so becoming a Lion seemed an especially good way to continue helping others and Roger’s wisdom and “can do” spirit extended to how he interacted with both extended family and friends and a loyal friend who counseled many over the years He was a modern-day Renaissance man…at home in Yankee or Giants stadium or the Metropolitan Opera House Long before the Met included opera subtitles you could find Roger on the train reading the libretto to whatever opera was next up in his subscription He could speak as enthusiastically about watching Joe DiMaggio play as about experiencing Pavarotti sing or Julio Bocca dance His early days in NY clubs like the Copacabana gave him finesse and grace and he and Rose were always among the first on the dance floor and the last to leave he could still marvel his grandchildren reciting epic poems by heart family vacations weren’t complete without a visit to some monument His children lost count of the Presidents’ homes visited over the years Roger and Rose enjoyed travel after their children were grown Their photo albums from this period reflect wonderful memories of recreation and camaraderie visiting friends in Steamboat as well as entertaining both family and friends at their vacation home in the Adirondacks Family vacations gave way to wider travel and exploration of art they especially treasured those times when they traveled to Italy play in the snow or teach whoever was next in line how to swim or dive In addition to his children and grandchildren Roger is survived by his sister-in-law Kathleen Policano Micheline DeBerardine and Cara Williams DeBerardine He was predeceased by his beloved parents D.Thomas and Rose his brother-in-law Charles Policano and sister-in-law Lorraine his brother-in-law James Policano and nephew James Matthew Policano Roger lived a beautiful life and leaves a legacy of wisdom The impact of his infinite character and big heart will live on in those blessed to have known him Roger “really had a wonderful life.” A Catholic Mass in celebration of Roger’s life will be held on Monday November 25th at 10am at the Church of the Presentation Interment will follow at Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah the family would be grateful for contributions to Good Shepherd Volunteers (www.gsvolunteers.org) the Guild for Exceptional Children (www.gecbklyn.org) or to a cause of your choice for protecting the environment UPPER SADDLE RIVER — The borough will celebrate its 130th anniversary with the revival of its Upper Saddle River Day on Sept community spirit and local history is being undertaken by the nonprofit USR Cares with proceeds to help the Upper Saddle River Volunteer Ambulance Corps buy a new ambulance and USR Cares started an Oktoberfest in 2017," USR Cares President Louisa Quarto said "This year the mayor asked that we host a USR Day instead." Mayor Arman Fardanesh promoted the event to "celebrate Upper Saddle River's robust history." "This will showcase our community organizations and give back to those who contribute so much to our residents," the mayor said CROSSROADS CHANGE Mahwah amends Sheraton Crossroads property development plan. See what's changed will conclude with a family-friendly movie at 6:30 p.m SADDLE RIVER — Do a police sergeant's changes to a patrol officer's incident report deserve a 90-day disciplinary suspension or a dismissal of charges What do the six charges filed against the department's only female officer in March 2024 regarding an October 2023 incident have to do with the Notice of Tort Claim she filed against the borough and department in July 2023, accusing her employer of "harassment and wrongful mistreatment"? Those questions are at the heart of rare public disciplinary hearings requested by 12-year member Sgt. Diana Golonek in response to charges filed against her by the 16-member department Almost 13 hours of testimony was heard on Tuesday and Wednesday as all involved did not testify at the two hearings Saddle River police officers' testimonyFive officers testified during the first two days of hearings the officers responded to questions with a uniform low-key — at times barely audible — manner about events leading up to the charges against Golonek At issue is documentation of the department's response to what was relayed by a dispatcher as a "commitment call" for assistance on Oct transporting a patient from Brighton Gardens an assisted living/memory care facility on Boroline Road Police Officer Gregory Bulick initially responded to the call Golonek dispatched him to a building inspection while she temporarily assumed supervision of the call Bulick returned to Brighton Gardens and the two went to headquarters to file a report Bulick testified that on returning to the station he ran into Detective Michael Cooper with whom he had recently completed field officer training According to testimony by the two officers they chatted briefly about the call and Cooper made casual mention that a "firearms check" was required for commitment transports and that Bulick "should" include one in his report Golonek viewed Cooper's suggestion as an attempt to "countermand and second-guess" her instructions as Bulick's squad leader and Cooper's superior Golonek confronted Cooper in the squad room in what several officers characterized as a profanity-laced yelling match in which Golonek was the "aggressor." Testimony shows Cooper either placed or threw down policy guidelines regarding firearms checks he had looked up to assist Bulick on a table and left the room declaring that Golonek was creating a "hostile work environment." Local: Saddle River Inn among top 100 restaurants in the country. See what diners had to say Bulick said Golonek made some changes to his initial incident report with his knowledge and agreement Cooper said he also took it upon himself to review Bulick's report to see if the firearms check was included According to Internal Affairs supervisor Detective Sgt their computer program indicated that Golonek stayed after shift for 1½ hours "improperly" referring to her body camera footage to "add quotes attributed to the patient" when Bulick was not on the scene Department attorney Raymond Wiss said Golonek in a "purposeful clandestine" move changed the call description from "commitment" to a less-serious "medical transport," and removed references to the firearms check Cooper said he subsequently rechecked Bulick's report noted that it looked "drastically different," and told Bulick who said "he was not aware of the changes." Cooper reported the changes to then-Lt Giannotti testified he checked the department's audit log to confirm date stamps on "substantial changes to the report" by Golonek after Bulick's shift ended and reported the changes to Police Chief Jason Cosgriff and he agreed Golonek's changes were "factual and correct." However several officers testified that the changes were made without Bulick's knowledge and approval failing to attribute her observations to herself or issuing a separate supplemental report confined to her experiences on the call Cosgriff referred the incident to Internal Affairs Sgt who testified he considered the changes "grossly improper" and that they "did not follow regulations" and constituted an attempt to "falsify records" so serious that he referred the case to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office to see if it qualified for criminal prosecution The Prosecutor's Office declined to become involved Passaretti contended he "never found evidence of changes being made" by other supervising officers to subordinate officer reports without their knowledge While Golonek and Cooper were investigated for the squad room incident charges were filed against Golonek five months later on the report editing incident incapacity and disobedience of rules and regulations and five violations of department rules and regulations regulations and department procedures.Performance of duty.Obedience to law and rules.Reports.All other conduct.Testimony by Cosgriff Golonek and her witnesses is expected at the Feb SADDLE RIVER — The borough's school district has hired its next superintendent of schools principal of the Birchwood Elementary School in Dover and coordinator of the Rockaway Township School District Macones will take over as superintendent of the 115-student preschool-to-grade-five school district effective on July 1 The announcement was made by Board of Education President Emily Kaufman at Tuesday night's meeting where Macones' contract was formally approved Macones succeeds Gina Cinotti, who retired in August 2024 Richard Freedman has been serving as interim superintendent for the district since then "With over two decades of experience in education Macones is a passionate and innovative leader dedicated to fostering a thriving school culture where students Macones earned her bachelor's degree in communications from William Paterson University She holds a master's and a doctorate in educational leadership from Centenary University Macones previously served as principal of Liberty Township Elementary School 2015 to 2018 as a teacher at Valley Road School in Stanhope 2007 to 2015 and as a teacher at Memorial Park Middle School in Woodland Park 2002 to 2007 Macones joins the district after its board signed a $4.5 million, five-year middle school education agreement in November to continue sending approximately 54 students from sixth through eighth grades to Ramsey's 654-student Eric S. Smith Middle School An additional 100 high-school students attend Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale or Ramsey High School on a send/receive basis the study failed to take into account that its middle school students were previously housed in a separate building on the Wandell School campus until May 1998 when the building was declared unsafe and torn down Some parents pressed to have their children switch to middle school in Upper Saddle River which send their students to Northern Highlands and coordinate curriculums none of the three elementary districts joined the long-term study The board was left to debate whether it could duplicate Ramsey's educational In response to a question at February's board meeting Kaufman advised "that after the August meeting the board halted the middle school exploration process." Last sentence added to reflect the middle school study was halted SADDLE RIVER — Pre-leasing registration has begun for the 112-unit affordable housing project on Choctaw Trail The project, called Residences at Choctaw, is still under construction. Registration is being taken at the development's residencesatchoctaw.com website. Notice of the housing is also posted on the borough website, saddleriver.org There has been a "tremendous amount of demand" for the housing senior vice president of The Michaels Organization "We've had 1,300 pre-applications submitted we have to weed through who is income-eligible," Lubonski said Lease signing is being held off until the project's permanent power source is confirmed "We have to be very careful to make sure the buildings are going to be delivered and folks can actually move in within 120 days or the income levels go stale," Lubonski said Monthly rentals for the affordable units are listed at $662 to $1,391 for a one-bedroom unit $795 to $1,690 for a two-bedroom and $918 to $1,928 for a three-bedroom applicants must meet 60% median income limits for the area per household: The project was approved in January 2022 by the borough with little opposition because of its isolated location off East Allendale Road It is not the first affordable housing project for the borough There is senior housing on Wolf Run off Boroline Road the borough has not been quick to embrace the concept of affordable housing with a median income of $226,750 and a median home price of $4.1 million on minimum 2-acre lots on five sites in a February 2020 agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center It took 19 hearings over 14 months to get its affordable housing plan approved in December 2021 the affordable housing hearing for neighboring Upper Saddle River took 45 minutes the Choctaw site is the only one to be built The borough was assigned an additional 249 affordable units when fourth-round assignments were made by the state Department of Community Affairs in July A proposal to build 60 townhouse units, eight affordable, on the former 10-acre estate of actress Rosie O'Donnell on East Allendale Road was in hearings from November 2021 to April 2022. It was dismissed by the Planning Board in a dispute with developer Michael Kasparian over variance and waiver issues The hearings were so contentious that Mayor Albert Kurpis declared at one that residents knew more about traffic patterns along East Allendale Road than the borough's own traffic expert UPPER SADDLE RIVER — It was a winding path that led the Rev Leah Ennis-Gasero straight to her new parish as the first female minister of the 240-year-old Old Stone Church Ennis-Gasero was installed Sunday as pastor of the Dutch Reformed congregation ending a three-year gap since the departure of her predecessor the Rev who had served the congregation since 2000 "Many ministers retired during COVID and have not been replaced since then," said Peter Freeman "We were looking for the best available candidate." who served as head of the church's search committee said a three-year gap between pastors is no longer unusual because of the shortage of new people entering the ministry "It gave us time to develop a good church profile which we posted on the website of the Classis of Greater Palisades Whether we preferred a male or female minister never came up at all The irony at the end was that Pastor Leah had previously served us as a supply minister while a student." Loudon said Ennis-Gasero is starting in her ministry part time but "as the need grows we will extend her time with us." New York and graduated from Hope College in Holland and New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 2013 She was ordained that same year by the Classis of Greater Palisades She also serves as an applied behavior analyst therapist with Therapy Associates "The big challenge is how to bring history to the future," Ennis-Gasero said "I am looking forward to building conversations and reestablishing the church with the community The pastor and her husband Matthew Gasero are expecting a son this winter She also has a son Zechariah with her previous husband a Midland Park councilwoman who is an elder with the church said Enhis-Gasero has been "welcomed to our pulpit with open arms." "The Old Stone Church is excited to have the Rev Leah Ennis-Gasero accept the call," Peet said "The church is a welcoming congregation who is open to all who are seeking to hear the word and to share the love and grace of God." Formally known as Saddle River Reformed Church Worshipping at Old Stone Church the congregation was founded in 1784 as a partner of the Old Paramus Church with the Reformed Church of America including gallery pews where enslaved and indentured servants sat Stephen Goetschius led the church to baptize and receive free and enslaved African Americans as full members in the 1800s The church is located at 481 E. Saddle River Road at the intersection of Old Stone Church Road in Upper Saddle River. For more information visit oldstonechurchonline.org chain-reaction crash resulted Saturday night when police say a Range Rover lost control and rear-ended two police cars and a vehicle stopped on the shoulder of Route 17 south near East Allendale Road Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of Joseph Ford Ford was charged with driving while intoxicated Saddle River Police Officer John Latka was conducting a motor vehicle stop in a marked patrol vehicle along the shoulder of Route 17 south with assistance from Allendale Police Officer Mark Dunn Jr Both cars had their emergency lights activated which in turn caused the chain-reaction crash involving the stopped vehicle and Latka's vehicle 'Blond stupid squad': Saddle River woman cop sues department, borough for discrimination The driver of the Range Rover fled the scene on foot but was apprehended by officers from surrounding agencies who responded to the crash The crash caused serious bodily injury to Dunn and injuries to Latka and an occupant of the SUV All the injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment of their injuries which were deemed to be non-life-threatening The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit responded to the scene A joint investigation revealed that Ford was intoxicated and operating his vehicle at a high rate of speed Ford also was charged with several counts of assault by auto and several other motor vehicle offenses Ford remains hospitalized and in custody pending a first appearance in state Superior Court in Hackensack Musella said responding departments included the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office The Paramus and Woodcliff Lake Police Departments participated with the county Fatal Accident Investigation Unit task force UPPER SADDLE RIVER — "Grandma's Matzoh Ball Soup" is delicious and has helped 10-year-old Rachel Simon win a national writing award from the General Federation of Women's Clubs Rachel received her award at a ceremony with the Women's Club of Upper Saddle River on the eve of the Rosh Hashana Jewish New Year on Tuesday While a fourth grader at Bogert School last spring Rachel's enthusiasm for a family recipe tradition won local and state-level awards before capturing the national title which was announced at the Federation's Chicago convention in July The soup is a tradition during the Passover when matzo flatbread replaces yeast-based starches for seven days in recognition of the unleavened "bread of haste" prepared by Jewish slaves when fleeing Egypt during the Exodus formed into pingpong-ball-sized spheres and boiled in vegetable-laced broth The soup is an accepted part of Jewish celebrations throughout the year including Rosh Hashana and the upcoming Yom Kippur Day of Atonement on Oct Rachel's composition recalls her first attempt at assembling the matzo balls from the "gooey mixture" that "felt like sticky slime" when she volunteered to help in the kitchen with mother Ellen and grandmother Karen Ginsberg cement-like mush and plopped them into a pot full of boiling hot soup," Rachel wrote the delicious smell of matzoh ball soup began to waft through the house Surrounded by family pictures on the dining room walls Rachel felt she was "surrounded by all the lovely memories of past holidays" as the soup was placed before her "I paused and thought about all the generations who had come before me and how they had eaten the same soup as I was about to eat," Rachel wrote "And as I opened my mouth for the first bite I thought about how I would do the same with my children and grandchildren one day Bogert School Principal Dave Kaplan said the school is "extremely proud" of Rachel's accomplishment "To be the only national winner from New Jersey is an impressive accomplishment and the entire school community is excited that her exceptional writing ability has been honored," Kaplan said " I want to also thank the Upper Saddle River Women’s Club for providing this opportunity for students who choose to pursue their love of writing."  Rachel's essay can be read on Page 14 of the federation's 2023 Writing Contest Winners at gfwc.org five-year middle school education agreement has been reached between the Ramsey School District and its send/receive partner in Saddle River Ramsey Schools Superintendent Andrew Matteo announced the new agreement which replaces a 10-year contract between the two districts that expired on June 30 The district now receives 54 Saddle River students in grades six through eight at Eric S A separate agreement to continue educating an estimated 10 high school students from Saddle River in Ramsey "has not been finalized," Matteo said The new agreement was expected as an interim solution The Saddle River district had a $78,000 study done in April on the costs and benefits of ending the 25-year practice and educating its middle school students locally the Saddle River board emphasized that this was a long-range study not intended to disrupt the current negotiations "The Board of Education did have an environmental study completed to determine if it would be possible to expand within our current footprint," Saddle River school board President Emily Kaufman said Monday "The board did consider placing a non-binding referendum question on the ballot for this November In response to public input and after careful consideration the board decided to withdraw the non-binding question resolution." the board is "very happy with our five-year contract with Ramsey and is focusing on our superintendent search." Superintendent Gina Cinotti announced her retirement from the district in August Ridgewood's interim Assistant Superintendent Richard Freedman is serving as interim of the 125-student K-5 Wandell School Saddle River has been sending its high school students to Ramsey for decades the separate 76-year-old middle school "yellow building" on the southeast corner of the East Allendale Road campus was declared unsafe because of asbestos and structural concerns and was shut down Middle school students started busing to Ramsey that September SUPERINTENDENT RETIRES Saddle River school superintendent retires after one-year state suspension of credentials state Education Commissioner Leo Klagholz announced that students from Saddle River would be allowed to choose whether to attend Ramsey High School or Northern Highlands Regional High School in neighboring Allendale shared with Upper Saddle River and send/receive students from Ho-Ho-Kus five chose Ramsey and the remaining 20 chose Northern Highlands with 90% of Saddle River's 99 high schoolers now attending Northern Highlands Parents have questioned whether their students would be better prepared to join Northern Highlands if they switched to one of its participating grade schools or returned to Saddle River where they could more closely align the curriculum with the high school The three grade schools were invited to participate in the Saddle River study Northern Highlands Superintendent Scot Beckerman said this spring that there were "small differences" among the four sending districts even though Ramsey does not officially coordinate curriculum with Highlands and its grade schools MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDY Saddle River exploring future options for its middle school students "Ramsey seems to be closely aligned enough with our Physics First approach since they do Algebra I in eighth grade," Beckerman said Also giving the Saddle River board pause in reclaiming its middle school students is whether the district can afford to duplicate the course offerings and extracurricular activities of the larger school districts The preliminary study did not take into account the previous presence of the separate middle school building The consultant's recommendations assumed that the current Wandell School previously housed all eight grades and could accommodate them again with minor tweaking SADDLE RIVER — The borough has brought back its five-year deer culling program a year after it put it on pause The council voted this week to resume its agreement with United Bowhunters of New Jersey for the 2024-2025 hunting season Mayor Albert Kurpis declined to explain its renewal earlier this week The program was initiated in 2018 and quickly followed by protests from various animal rights groups The program also raised public safety concerns as deer caused accidents on roadways and damage to the community's landscaping The Animal Protection League of New Jersey contended that accidents went up during the culling Borough data shows the number of deer killed has steadily declined from 138 in the 2018-2019 season to 50 in 2022-2023 A league representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on restarting the program The 2023-2024 hunting numbers were not immediately available resident Henry Senger asked for a stay in the vote at Monday's council meeting contending there have been 80 police reports filed in connection with the deer hunting police assistance was requested to help search for or retrieve wounded or dead deer on properties that do not allow hunting Police reports also say residents found arrows on their properties from nearby hunts "There have been no increases in deer-related car accidents in our area," Senger said "This fact challenges the notion that deer population control through hunting is an urgent necessity for public safety." The program has cost the borough an average of $5,517 per season mostly for the rental of refrigerated trailers to house dressed carcasses a culling program at its 38 parks totaling 9,000 acres The Saddle River Inn was the only North Jersey establishment to make the list which is compiled annually by examining reviews from the online restaurant reservation service was the other Garden State locale to appear in the top 100 OpenTable's website described the Saddle River Inn as a "romantic BYOB set inside an elegantly restored barn serving upscale French-American cuisine." Customer reviews on the site praised everything from the food and service to the overall atmosphere in the restaurant Anyone planning to visit the Saddle River Inn should be aware that children under 10 are not permitted to dine, according to the restaurant website The eatery also requires patrons to abide by a dress code "First time there and everything was perfect," one reviewer wrote "Everyone was very nice and the waiter thoroughly explained the menu and specials Food came fast and was delicious all around Those dining during the holidays are in for an extra treat "The Christmas holiday decorations adding [sic] an extra layer of magic and charm to the already stunning ambiance," wrote one December reviewer was festively decorated for the holidays," wrote another One reviewer shared their "no fuss" experience with adjusting their order "I ordered the the side artichokes as an appetizer; and as I am unable to have cheese The OpenTable list was generated from more than 14 million verified reviews from Oct It was sorted alphabetically by state and restaurant name rather than in any ranked order Staff writer Jessica Presinzano contributed to this report A 22-year-old Upper Saddle River man has been arrested in connection with a robbery last spring in Allendale and about $900 in cash from inside his apartment Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Hendley pointed his gun at another victim who was unrelated to the incident but happened to be in the area of the apartment complex Hendley was later arrested for an unrelated incident and on May 21 was charged in connection to this robbery while jailed detectives learned that Verdugo was Hendley's driver He also tried to sell proceeds from the robbery Verdugo was arrested and charged with armed robbery 11,800-square-foot home is breaking records in one Bergen County town 6.5-bathroom brand-new property at 17 Harvey Ln. in Upper Saddle River sold for $4.75 million this week with Tony Nabhan of Keller Williams City Views was originally listed for $3.5 million during the design phase After the property owner added an in-ground pool a garage bay (bringing the total from three to four) and a walk-out finished basement This is the fourth home in USR that closed with Nabhan for over $4 million and is the most expensive home ever sold in Upper Saddle River The second most-expensive home ever sold in Upper Saddle River was at 30 Yeoman Dr., which went for $4.7 million in November 2022. Before that, the record was held by 59 Eagle Rim Road, which went for $4.25 million in December 2021 According to Redfin the housing market in USR is hotter than its been in years where the median residential listing price is $1.4 million A former assistant treasurer working for Upper Saddle River is accusing the borough of firing him for a younger employee a 54-year-old Oakland resident who filed a lawsuit in Bergen County Superior Court last week said he was hired in July 2017 as an assistant treasurer with Upper Saddle River mayor and borough administrator are all named in the lawsuit in addition to Upper Saddle River The borough did not immediately respond to a request for comment met with a vendor named UGI Energy Services around April 2023 Smyrychynski said the vendor submitted bills and invoices to the prior chief financial officer who no longer worked with the borough and they were assigned to Smyrychynski to process The lawsuit said UGI Energy Services didn't submit supporting paperwork with their bills Smyrychynski told them they were already paying PSE&G for the same services and that the payment of the bills was "not authorized" and it was a "duplicate bill." Lawsuits Residents accuse Bergen town of infringing on free speech with summonses over lawn signs Smyrychynski said he reported the billing issue with the chief financial officer and that the vendor sent an email with the conversation Smyrychynski heard Preusch tell other borough employees that he was going to serve him with a Rice Notice because he refused to process the bill A Rice Notice is a required notification for when a town employee's employment will be discussed Smyrychynski said he continued working as the assistant treasurer until August 2023 when he was suspended without pay pending the outcome of a case filed against him in Oakland Municipal Court The suit said the dispute in Oakland was between Smyrychynski and FedEx and didn't involve Upper Saddle River The lawsuit said Smyrychynski's attorney sent a letter to the borough in September 2023 that the Oakland Municipal Court matter had been resolved through a conditional dismissal and asked that Upper Saddle River reinstate his client Smyrychynski said the borough didn't respond to the attorney's letter and failed to respond to a second letter sent in January Smyrychynski received a notice in May from the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits that his health insurance benefits would end on May 31 after his termination with the borough Smyrychynski said he received a letter the next day from the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits saying his benefits would be retroactively ended on April 30 The lawsuit claims Smyrychynski never received a Rice Notice from Upper Saddle River notifying him that his firing was being considered and received no communication that the borough was firing him The suit accuses the defendants of violating their duty by failing to notify Smyrychynski of the meeting regarding his termination in advance of the meeting Smyrychynski said the borough replaced him with a younger employee Smyrychynski said the borough and other defendants unlawfully terminated him violated the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act and violated the state's law against discrimination The suit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages prejudgment interest and any other relief the court determines and was the only child of Frank and Mary O’Bosky NJ through high school where he attended Arts High School He received a full scholarship to Johns Hopkins University He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology at Rutgers University and then graduated from Loyola School of Dentistry He later served in the Navy as a dentist and met his future wife where Claudia was teaching music at North Charleston High School He later attended Columbia University to study orthodontics where he established his orthodontic practice They later relocated to Upper Saddle River O'Bosky devoted his life to caring for and treating his patients while also raising his children he continued to refine his artistic talents through various media He pursued studies at the Art Students League He will be dearly remembered by his family and the community as a dedicated and affectionate father A mass will be held at the Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River followed by a committal service at Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah friends may make a memorial contribution to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org) or Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org) The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's ResearchP.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown MD 21741-5014.Web: https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate Operation Smile3641 Faculty Boulevard, Virginia Beach VA 23453Tel: 1-888-677-6453Web: http://operationsmile.org SADDLE RIVER —Two Saddle River Day School seniors are wrapping up a three-year quest to organize support for orphans in India Through their student chapter of the HELP Foundation Co-presidents Devraj Dhupar of Upper Saddle River and Sahil Polepalle of Scarsdale organized fundraising for an Indian orphanage through candy and bake sales inspired by the experiences of their India-born parents and families "My family has been involved in HELP Foundation since I was in elementary school," said Sahil whose aunt Sunitha Polepalle sits on the board I wanted to see what could be done with my own initiative I got together with Devraj the summer before freshman year and we talked about how the foundation was starting to expand into high schools We felt it would be a good way to do community service." Sahil and Devraj proposed the new club to the school including a trip to the orphanages in India "India is fighting an education access crisis which is the root of many of its social challenges," Devraj said "Many children in India have no real chance of obtaining an education I saw this as a way to make a difference." Youth services pose an overwhelming challenge for India whose 1.4 billion residents include an estimated 31 million orphaned or abandoned children according to the United Nations Children's Fund  Only 370,000 of them live in orphanages or adoption centers The Marlboro-based HELP Foundation has supported more than 500 orphans and destitute children in nine India centers since its founding in 1994 with chapters in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New York. The students connected with residents of the Balgram orphanage near Pune, Maharashtra, one of 18 institutions under India-based Social Action for Man Power Creation "We organized a Zoom call to introduce ourselves to the children and visited the orphanage in December 2022," Sahil said "We learned about how the orphanage functions interact with the kids and learn how similar their lives were to ours." Support for the children is not a nickel-and-dime operation "It takes $10,000 to support one child with food shelter and education through age 18," Devraj said "So far our chapter has supported four orphans." Devraj and Sahil hope to continue fundraising with a bake sale for students in November They are also in the process of choosing new officers to continue their work after they graduate "We want to increase the scope by getting more community groups like the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to join in the fundraising effort," Sahil said More: Scientists say the earthquake that shook NJ in April was unusual. See what they found Saddle River Day Upper School Head Shai Zacaraev has supported the students' efforts for the charity "We are all very proud of Devraj and Sahil for the effort they put into opening a local chapter for the HELP foundation," Zacaraev said "Their commitment to supporting education for students on the other side of the world is an ideal we hope more young people will strive for." For more information on the HELP Foundation or to donate, visit helpfoundation.org Saddle River councilman will challenge Auth and Azzariti in primary Saddle River Councilman Jon Kurpis joined the race for the Republican nomination for State Assembly in the 39th district today becoming the second person in two days to announce their candidacy in what is expected to be the first lineless GOP primary in 2025 The decision of Kurpis, the Saddle River Republican municipal chairman and the 39th district GOP vice chair, comes one day after former congressional candidate Frank Pallotta entered the race Both incumbents – Robert Auth (R-Old Tappan) and John Azzariti (R-Saddle River) – are expected to seek re-election “If there isn’t going to be an Auth-Azzariti unity ticket I don’t need an exploratory committee to determine my position and I’m loaded for bear,” Kurpis said “My track record with America First Republicans and residents of the 39th legislative district along with my ability to fundraise on a massive scale make me an extremely competitive entrant if not a favorite given that the unfair line practice is now gone.” the son of Saddle River Mayor Albert Kurpis sought the Republican nomination for Assembly in 2021 on a ticket with Azzariti Auth and DeAnne DeFuccio (R-Upper Saddle River) Kurpis sought party support for the seat but withdrew after Republicans backed Azzariti    It’s unclear whether Azzariti will run with Pallotta and I am committed to fighting the good fight all the way to Trenton and beyond,” stated Kurpis “I will never put aside my America First values once I get to Trenton GOP gubernatorial candidate Jon Bramnick on visits to Bergen County “The loser Bramnick wing of the NJ GOP is now on notice because I’m fighting on behalf of the common man and woman and will think nothing of running sell-out Republicans over to help the people,” he said Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Bergen County clerk's office released the unofficial results of how each district in the county voted in the 2024 presidential election but some mail-in ballots still need to be accounted for and may not be registered until the next coming days Bergen County has 684,900 registered voters 449,181 voters made their voices heard on election day as they casted their vote in the presidential election Trump received 47.43% of Bergen County votes which came out to 210,870 Third party candidate Jill Stein and independent Robert F received a small portion of votes in Bergen County Five other candidates also collected less than one percent of votes in Bergen County More: See how North Jersey towns voted in 2016, 2020 elections with our interactive maps UPPER SADDLE RIVER — The borough's new mayor is Arman Fardanesh Republican municipal Chair Ken Gabbert said Monday Fardanesh succeeds Joanne Minichetti, who resigned the position on Oct. 17 citing complications with the Lake Street sports complex and personal family demands Fardanesh will be sworn in later this week Fardanesh joined the Borough Council in May 2021 succeeding Councilwoman DeAnne DeFuccio when she resigned to accept the position of assemblywoman in the 39th District He was serving on the finance committee and emergency management council Fardanesh's life of public service began at age 6 when he competed with the Saddle River Valley Swim and Tennis Club He would later serve as a lifeguard and swim instructor before becoming the club's aquatics director Fardanesh joined the borough's rescue squad as part of the Explorer Program He joined the Upper Saddle River Ambulance Corps at 16 eventually rising through the ranks to captain He is a graduate of Northern Highlands Regional High School He continued his service at the University of Delaware as chief of Aetna's campus response team managing five squads that answered 10,000 calls a year while earning a degree in biological sciences and medical humanities MINICHETTI RESIGNSSaddle River council president resigns as cost of covered bridge doubles to $1.45M Fardanesh worked as a dispatcher for the borough's Police Department and joined the Fire Department He is a member of the borough's Board of Health and head swim coach for the Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan swim team He is a nationally registered emergency medical technician a first aid instructor and training center faculty member with the American Heart Association and an American Red Cross water safety and lifeguard instructor UPPER SADDLE RIVER — After working on it for 35 years resident Robert Santomarco insists his two-room Christmas village scene is still a work in progress "It's new every year to keep the interest going," said Santomarco a retired graphics designer for Colgate-Palmolive Santomarco starts setting up the village in October and occupies the family room and great room until mid-January It's fresh in my mind every year," Santomarco said "I take the houses and figures out of boxes and use the boxes as the bases so they're easy to find later I have two large bags of styrofoam for support and for a while there are cotton balls everywhere." The village has four sections that flow into one another accompanied by an early-1900s Vermont scene Santomarco estimates there are 150 to 200 buildings and a thousand figures but said he has lost count Santomarco's Christmas village is part of a long tradition of Christmas scenes and Nativities Francis of Assisi staged the first Nativity scene in 1223 the traditional manger scene has expanded to include figures from a nearby village engaged in daily occupations The Italian figures around the base of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Christmas tree date from the 1700s interest has grown in portraying non-religious holiday scenes from glitter-encrusted cardboard houses in the 1950s to a booming business in villages with an endless variety of themes Santomarco said he makes up his own themes creating story vignettes related to family photos of their faces are imposed on the plastic figures so there's a scene where she's shooing the bears away who are in the trash," Santomarco said "There's a scene of my granddaughter Taylor and her boyfriend being chased at her college by a dean with a ruler Former Police Chief Pat Rotella said he was glad to be portrayed on a motorcycle to distinguish him from patrolmen on bicycles." said her role in this seasonal drama is largely confined to "following him around with a dust buster" as her husband spreads cotton and styrofoam dust everywhere while setting up the village but he'll look at a scene I set up and say 'that doesn't tell a story' or 'why did you put that there,' so I leave it to him Smaller buildings and figures are placed farther back and higher up to enhance the feeling of perspective and distance "I used to have a Woolworth's store but took it out when they went out of business," Santomarco said "I've gotten rid of the commercial buildings." Small children are carefully escorted in for a look then carefully escorted to safer regions of the house "It's very delicate; one touch and it falls down," he said In case two rooms of Christmas is not enough there are wreaths and mechanical Santas standing sentry throughout the house Santomarco concedes that his enthusiasm for his project is a puzzlement to some who would say "look me up in an asylum some place," but he looks forward to the process all year "I'll go in at night and just sit there gazing at it," Santomarco said UPPER SADDLE RIVER — Time to play ball — of one kind or another Residents could not wait for last week's ribbon-cutting to begin using the $8.6 million One Lake Street Sports Complex at the corner of East Crescent Avenue "The fields are done and ready," said Borough Council President Jonathan Ditkoff who serves as liaison to the Recreation Commission children have been playing on them since last weekend We are a couple of weeks from completion of four pickleball courts and two scoreboards will likely be done by next spring."  Mayor Arman Fardanesh pronounced field conditions "outstanding" after playing soccer on one of the artificial turf fields Sunday with fellow residents "This new complex is a wonderful added benefit to our community and the state-of-the-art sports complex will provide our athletes an incredible space to practice and compete in a variety of sports," Fardanesh said "I commend the recreation committee and the entire project team on bringing this vision to life in record time at a very low cost to our taxpayers of $42 per year for the median home in the borough." Property bought for $2 millionGround was broken in December 2021 on the 9-acre site part of the 48-acre former Pearson Education campus The remaining 39 acres north and east of the fields are being developed with a 208-unit townhouse complex Included in the design are two multipurpose fields with ballfield overlays former Mayor Joanne Minichetti balked when estimates for the complex's construction came in at $8.25 million $2.5 million more than the bond initially approved by the council and she cited the cost hike in her resignation last October GROUNDBREAKING Upper Saddle River to break ground on 9-acre sports complex with pickleball court MAYOR RESIGNS Upper Saddle River mayor resigns, citing mounting project concerns and family who had been appointed to the council in May 2021 was named to fill Minichetti's seat for the year remaining in her term In the June primary he was chosen by Republican voters to run for a new mayoral term this November after a 293-235-vote victory over five-term Councilwoman Joanne Florio Grants are also expected to finance the installation of charging stations in the parking lot Courts are due to be open within the next two weeks Residents and non-residents will have to apply to the borough for permits to use them UPPER SADDLE RIVER — Getting from East Saddle River Road to West Saddle River Road is now a little easier … sort of Lake Road opened to through traffic after Thanksgiving following a two-year closure to fix a 10-foot-long bridge over the West Branch Saddle River. However the Hillside Avenue bridge over the same waterway on the borough's northern border — a mile away — remains closed a year later Little bridge repairs come with big price tags and complicated approvals "We have to seek out grant money," Minichetti said "The Lake Road bridge required $500,000 in grants and some of it got swept away during Hurricane Ida. The Hillside Avenue Bridge will cost $750,000 to replace." Borough Engineer Kevin Boswell said the Lake Road project "effectively became two projects when Hurricane Ida hit" on Sept "The first project was the default completion of the bridge contract," Boswell said. "All but the final restoration/plantings are done." was "the Hurricane Ida emergency response." "We are addressing NJDEP questions relating to the work performed to date and will likely be adding additional landscaping and some other improvements before that is completed," Boswell said referring to the state Department of Environmental Protection. "Both efforts are expected to be completed in the spring." IDA DAMAGE: Hurricane Ida one of the deadliest storms to hit New Jersey The waterway passes under five east-west roads in Upper Saddle River: Hillside Avenue is the farthest north The bridge under Old Stone Church Road was swept away during flooding in June 2011 and was reopened to traffic in October 2012 Police Chief Patrick Rotella said the two recent bridge closures have had a surprising impact on traffic on other east-west roads: "There may be a tiny increase in traffic but their speeds are lower," Rotella said.  Ramapo Police Chief Martin Reilly could not be reached for comment on the impact the Hillside Avenue closure has had on traffic in neighboring Airmont through which Hillside Avenue passes before connecting with East Saddle River Road. Hillside has been a popular shortcut for truck traffic trying to avoid congestion on Route 59 and the New York State Thruway to the north contributing to the damage on its tiny 5-foot-long expanse Local: Upper Saddle River to break ground on 9-acre sports complex with pickleball court "We tried putting weight limits on traffic but the drivers ignored the signs or told us their GPS was directing them to take that route," Rotella said.  Minichetti said Lake Road residents were "ecstatic" that the Lake Road bridge is reopened. However at least two residents say they would have preferred that the road remained divided Lake Road becomes an alternative route to the Sherwood Road rear entrance for the borough's youth football field off Hess Court routinely clogged with traffic during the fall but I kind of liked it when it was closed," said Lake Road resident Marilyn Wolf. "It was peaceful. And we don't know if the large rocks they've put along the river bank will eventually slide down and obstruct the water." said he also preferred the quiet of living on a dead-end street and remained concerned about how much flooding would be controlled and two others built next to me are higher," Rehain said. "During the Ida storm and all that water will go right through the little bridge It's going to be a disaster when the next storm hits." Marsha Stoltz is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today Email: stoltz@northjersey.com Twitter: @marsha_stoltz After almost a decade of being stuck in the court system, the case of a former Upper Saddle River man accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old friend of his daughter has finally been resolved Louis Tantillo appeared before state Superior Court Judge Gary Wilcox on April 3 The prosecutors and defense attorneys were originally planning to discuss a second trial but instead told Wilcox they had come to a resolution Tantillo will be required to undergo three years of pretrial intervention asked Wilcox to reduce it from 36 months to 18 months Wilcox told Cohn he could file a motion for pretrial intervention to be terminated early he is required to continue to attend therapy The victim's mother told NorthJersey.com her daughter Bergen County news Bergen County's new tech high school breaks ground; to open in 2025 but after two weeks of testimony and two days of deliberations the prosecutors told the court they planned on going to trial again He had been charged with two counts of sexual assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child The charge was amended to third-degree endangering the welfare of a child and he was admitted into pretrial intervention If Tantillo were to violate pretrial intervention the original indictment would return to the trial calendar whose name is being withheld by The Record and NorthJersey.com to protect her daughter's privacy said this case was "frustrating" because it took so long but her daughter wanted to prevent the same thing from happening to another young girl It took three attempts for the state to indict Tantillo on the charges after previous indictments were dismissed by two judges for being too vague about when the incident allegedly occurred The victim's mother stressed that the deadlocked jury doesn't mean Tantillo is innocent "A hung jury does not define your innocence," she said Air quality Bergen County gets an F for air quality, leads NJ in smog days She said no one would submit themselves to almost a decade of court proceedings if they were lying about a sexual assault taking place According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Network only 310 in every 1,000 rapes are reported to police and very few perpetrators are arrested and convicted and serve jail time The victim's mother said her daughter wishes he had been found guilty She said her daughter has been through a lot and it was devastating to see that not all the jurors agreed on a verdict The victim submitted a victim impact statement Wilcox said that because it wasn't sentencing there wasn't a right to a victim impact statement The mother said her daughter was disappointed that she wasn't able to read the statement aloud The victim's mother said it took her daughter a long time to tell authorities what happened to her "My daughter has been through a tremendous amount," she said "I don't think I would have done what she's done I don't think I could have had the strength and the stamina to have done what she's done." 2023 at 9:51 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}At the scene crews found heavy smoke and a fire that spread to several levels of the home NJ - A multi-level blaze that tore through a Bergen County home Saturday evening is currently under investigation the Upper Saddle River Fire Department responded to a home on Carlough Road for a structure fire A second alarm was later issued to bring the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid Association to the scene The fire is under investigation by the Upper Saddle River Bureau of Fire Prevention You can view photos from the scene below: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. 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UPPER SADDLE RIVER — A two-year dispute over building violations at several Jewish facilities under construction on the borough's northern border generated a public pledge Thursday from the mayor and council to pursue remedies The dispute primarily concerns the clearing of a 19-acre wooded site for an Orthodox Jewish cemetery recently opened at 44 Hillside Ave and the construction of an 18,520-square-foot mikveh on 3.7 acres across the street from the cemetery at 79 Hillside Ave Both have been cited by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation for failure to engage in runoff containment practices during construction the concerns have widened to include a claim of insufficient on-site parking for the cemetery forcing cars onto the shoulders of narrow Hillside Avenue and funneling traffic onto Upper Saddle River side streets Residents are also questioning how the owner has gained approval to install three wells on the site to service the mikveh when their application to connect with Veolia (formerly Suez) Water is pending They are also seeking information on how the facility's discharged water will be handled The borough water supply is largely provided by well systems and residents claim that filling one swimming pool empties the aquifer serving the Hampshire Hill area That has lead to questions about the impact of the mikveh Upper Saddle River Mayor Arman Fardanesh told 24 residents at the meeting that White Plains attorney Michael Burke has again been retained to address "water and sewer issues" for the borough and that they are meeting with its water-impact committee and elected officials next week we will have a meeting with both New Jersey and New York legislators to include members of this council as well as Mike Waller from New York state to discuss the ongoing issues that impact residents," Fardanesh said We are working round the clock and taking this issue very seriously." The $14.5 million, 52-room Ohel Sarah or Hillside Mikveh is scheduled for completion in September 2024. The mikvehohelsarah.com website says the Orthodox community has "outgrown" its existing Mikveh of Rockland County on Viola Road in Monsey The Har Shalom Cemetery is being billed as the largest Shomer Shabbos-owned cemetery in the United States described as containing anywhere from 10,200 to 20,000 plots bodies are buried unembalmed in a shroud in a pine box with a hole in the bottom to facilitate "going back to earth." Residents say their concerns are not fueled by bias but rather concern for the environment and aquifer they refer to two cemeteries east of the Har Shalom site as "clean" — even though one of them is the Jewish Gates of Zion Cemetery which follows the same burial rules — because Har Shalom bodies are "buried without a proper enclosure." Local: Saddle River affordable housing plan OK'd. Here's what judge said of residents' objections Burial of unembalmed bodies is not prohibited in New York or New Jersey and in fact is gaining in popularity as part of the "green burial" movement on the premise that embalmed bodies may be leaching more chemicals into the groundwater than naturally decaying bodies The Green Burial Council notes that "embalming does not remove toxins from anywhere in the body" and cremation has no environmental benefits "It's an old thing that's new again," said Jeff Vander Plaat of Vander Plaat Memorial Home in Paramus Among the cemeteries performing green burials is Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah one of 11 Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark with New Jersey’s first Catholic Natural/Green Burial Section Patrons can choose from "dark," "medium," or "light" green options from burial in a shroud to burial with environmentally friendly embalming chemicals and a decomposing casket Residents argue that the Har Shalom cemetery land has been made additionally "porous" and susceptible to seepage by the wholesale removal of the site's foliage fluffing up what they estimate to be 15 feet of top soil so remains can seep down to the aquifer more quickly executive vice president of the Cemetery Association of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey said he's never had a complaint about seepage or water contamination in 20 years of overseeing its 18 burial sites in Bergen and Passaic counties "When you dig a grave you're loosening the soil Old Paramus Reformed Church in Ridgewood oversees the adjacent 22-acre 18,600-plot Valleau Cemetery just off Route 17 south Rob Miller says his church doesn't do "green burials" but that a vault is primarily required to stabilize the ground as soil settles after burial In his 2022 book "Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries," author Greg Melville points out that the U.S is one of the few countries in the world embalming its dead — a practice left over from the Civil War to preserve bodies for long-distance transport dead people went into the ground "au naturel." Melville says that while research on how cemeteries contaminate groundwater is "surprisingly scarce," there are indications that the contamination is more likely coming from bodies that are embalmed with a cancer-causing combination of formaldehyde methanol and ethanol — an average of 3 gallons per body "There are many potential fixes for the creep of graveyard ooze into our aquifers," Melville said "The easiest being to stop injecting the dead with chemicals." Editor's note: Here is the link to an update on this story. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/upper-saddle-river/2022/10/18/joanne-minichetti-resignation-upper-saddle-river-nj-acting-mayor-jonathan-ditkoff/69571200007/ UPPER SADDLE RIVER — Citing unexpected cost hikes on a proposed sports complex and the need to spend more time with her "growing family," Mayor Joanne Minichetti resigned her post on Monday In a letter addressed to Borough Clerk Joy Convertini and Republican Committee Chair Kenneth Gabbert Minichetti cited a $2.5 million bid hike over the original estimated $5.5 million cost of the Lake Street 9-acre sports complex and said she was "unwilling to add this to an already very long list of responsibilities."   "We all know that there are inevitable hiccups that accompany any project "The bids have already come in at over $2.5 million over the bond that the council had initially secured." Bids came in at $8.25 million Minichetti also mentioned that her family "continues to grow," with adult children residing in Florida could not be reached for immediate comment on the procedure by which her replacement would be chosen Council President Joanne Florio could not be immediately reached for comment Minichetti joined the Borough Council in 2007 and was elected to her first term as mayor in 2012 She was in the third year of her third four-year term as mayor COMPLEX GROUNDREAKING:Upper Saddle River to break ground on new sports complex During that time she has served as president of the Northwest Bergen Mayors Association and later as president of the Bergen League of Municipalities She served as a Planning Board Class 3 member and as liaison to the Youth Guidance Council the Historic Preservation Commission and the Board of Health Minichetti previously was president of the Upper Saddle River Board of Health and served on the Northwest Bergen Health Commission She authored the monthly borough bulletins and Facebook and Twitter pages and started the Swiftreach 911 resident notice system BRIDGE REPAIRS:Little bridges present large repair challenges for Upper Saddle River the 30-year resident served as a Girl Scout leader and president of the PTO and she was a founding member of the Upper Saddle River Educational Foundation Minichetti maneuvered through a variety of challenges during her terms in office which hit three months into her third term HOUSE FIRE:Fire destroys Upper Saddle River home "I realized it was for the best that I had run again as I had experience in dealing with large-scale emergencies at that point," Minichetti said working with USR Cares to help our seniors vaccine appointments and Covid tests and organizing weekly food drives were all part of my commitment to the community." Minichetti said she plans to remain chair of the Upper Saddle River Allendale Coalition intended to "prevent and reduce substance abuse and promote understanding of the mental health and wellness needs of our youth." "I am especially thankful for the volunteers who make our community so special," Minichetti said "I thank everyone for all of the tremendous support I have been blessed with for the last 30 years." a significantly expanded and renovated Dutch Colonial on East Saddle River Road Built with cut brownstone block and dating back to the 18th century 825 East Saddle River Road is one of just a handful of Ho-Ho-Kus homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places better known as the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern Called the Terhune-Hopper House of Ho-Ho-Kus — not to be confused with the Terhune-Hopper House in Upper Saddle River — 825 East Saddle River Road is linked to some of the first European settlers in the area Oldes and Terhune families among its colonial-era founders the home contains nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms The latter is a converted barn that holds a loft kitchenette and laundry room as well as two showers and accompanying changing rooms contains nearly 10,000 square feet of living space It also has modern climate control and smart home capabilities There's been a lot of owners that have lived here throughout the years and everybody did a little something to modernize it." The oldest part of the Terhune-Hopper House visible in the rectangular block with the shuttered window to the right of the front door according to its filing with the National Register of Historic Places Updated and upgraded over more than two centuries the home was added to the National Register in 1983 along with more than 200 other "Early Stone Houses of Bergen County" in a thematic listing The county's early stone homes are relevant for the regional architectural style associated with Dutch culture which was given new life in the 20th century as the Dutch Colonial Revival style the home retains classic Dutch Colonial features: cut sandstone a gambrel roof and sweeping overhangs above porches The stone homes are also significant for their connections to the early Dutch English and Huguenot settlers who built them The construction of the original footprint of the Terhune-Hopper House is credited to the Terhune family and the home spent at least two generations under their ownership The Terhune family arrived in Pre-Colonial America from Holland in the 17th century after leaving France to pursue their religious beliefs as Huguenots according to various Bergen County histories Other past owners of 825 East Saddle River Road included Peter D a Bergen County court justice in the mid-1800s one of the original township committeemen in Orvil Township Orvil Township was dissolved just 33 years later after being torn apart over its brief history to create Allendale Some of it later once again became part of Ho-Ho-Kus the Terhune-Hopper House was owned by Cornelius H As president of the Van Vlaanderen Machine Company of Paterson he ran one of the world's largest suppliers of dyeing and other textile machinery in the first half of the 20th century The company started in 1903 in a one-car garage Van Vlaanderen's father Peter rented for $1 a month according to an October 1921 report in Success magazine Its first product was a device used to measure fabric on a loom it had 300 specialty machines and mechanisms in its catalog Peter Van Vlaanderen estimated roughly 85% of the machinery used to dye moray and print flowers on silk in the states was made by his company The company helped pull high-quality silk dyeing and manufacturing from Europe into Paterson it could not stop Asian silk manufacturers from ultimately decimating the domestic industry and the company transitioned to making printing presses and graphic‐arts equipment in the second half of the 20th century The Upper Saddle River grade school district is the latest among the four attending Northern Highlands Regional School District to elevate school security with an armed guard Class III special law enforcement Officer Philip Tangel was sworn in by Mayor Arman Fardanesh this month "The Upper Saddle River district has one retired police officer on staff and the special law enforcement officer is now the second officer for the district," said Schools Superintendent Brad Siegel The Upper Saddle River district is assuming the cost of the officer The swearing-in follows an uptick in armed school security hires in several districts The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School district voted in January to follow the lead of its three-grade school districts in approving a $115,200 Class III special law enforcement officer package for its two buildings in its 2024-2025 budget The Upper Saddle River 1,115-student district's three grade schools are clustered across the street from each other about 400 feet north of the borough police station on West Saddle River Road They include the K-2 Robert Reynolds building the adjacent grade 3-5 Edith Bogert building and the grade 6-8 Emil Cavallini Middle School across the street Upper Saddle River grade school students attend Northern Highlands' Allendale campus along with students from Allendale with send/receive students from Ho-Ho-Kus and Saddle River Security measures among those other schools include: a New Jersey School Boards Association task force said a school resource officer was the "preferred model for a law enforcement presence in a school building." This was defined as a full-time police officer trained to protect children staff and property in New Jersey public schools Because some districts could not afford a full-time officer who required health care and pension benefits a Class III special law enforcement officer position was introduced in 2016 They are retired law enforcement officers under age 65 who had served as full-time police officers in New Jersey within three years of appointment and who were trained as school resource officers Class III officers have full police powers and are permitted to carry firearms but may be hired only in a part-time capacity and they are prohibited from receiving pension or health care benefits complaining about taxes is a tradition almost as common as listening to Bruce Springsteen or going down the shore in the summer But even in a state that consistently ranks among the highest taxed in the country some municipalities are more expensive compared to the New Jersey average North Jersey has a number of especially costly towns, according to the most recent tax data available in 2023 from the state Department of Community Affairs The 20 most expensive municipalities listed include seven from Bergen County The highest property tax rate, by far, belongs to Tavistock in Camden County. The tiny borough, with a population of just nine in the 2020 census more than $13,000 above second-place Millburn in Essex County can take some solace in knowing that their taxes are not as high as many of their counterparts in nearby counties Wayne represents the highest Passaic tax rate at $13,139 good for just 91st on the overall state list For local residents who believe their taxes are high compared to neighboring towns or who just want to sympathize with higher-paying property owners here is a list of the North Jersey municipalities with the largest average tax bills in 2023 Firefighters called for additional tankers to bring water to a house fire in a remote area Friday morning Upper Saddle River firefighters found heavy flames coming from an attached garage, ABC7 reported An aerial view showed firefighters trying to prevent the blaze from spreading There were no injuries reported as the fire fight continued A private investor has acquired a 75,000-square-foot office building at the northern edge of Bergen County in a newly announced transaction by The Wellington Co the brokerage firm said it represented Sherbrooke Holding Company LLC in its sale of 600 East Crescent Ave The buyer paid an undisclosed price for the four-story property which is just east of Route 17 and minutes from other major highways shopping and banking options and has 300 surface parking spaces “Although the office market is still rebounding from the impacts of COVID-19 well-located properties like 600 East Crescent Avenue remain in high demand,” Johnson said “We are pleased to leverage our local office market expertise to help secure a buyer in this transaction.” 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 Restaurant chain Bojangles has opened along a major commercial corridor in Piscataway as part of a previously announced deal brokered by The Goldstein Group 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 UPPER SADDLE RIVER — James Meisterich was an Army veteran an educational innovator and the first principal of the Cavallini School the 87-year-old was on hand as a section of the Cavallini School library was dedicated in his honor.  Principal James McCusker unveiled a plaque in the library's "Courageous Change Makers" section on behalf of the Board of Education for Meisterich. The new section highlights "people who embody integrity self-sacrifice and demonstrate the power of the individual." the section will include books that highlight individuals who had the courage to make a difference even if the current poplar opinion may not have been supportive," McCusker said "It's been 25 years since I was back in the building," Meisterich said in a pre-ceremony interview SPORTS COMPLEX: Upper Saddle River to break ground on 9-acre sports complex with pickleball court Meisterich joined the district in 1955 as an eighth-grade teacher in Bogert School when it served grades 6 to 8. He became principal of Cavallini when it opened as the new middle school in 1969 and served there until his retirement in 1996 he spent all day in one classroom with 30 eighth-grade students. No breaks What Meisterich developed over time now sounds familiar: the concept of timed class periods and student movement between teachers on individual subjects over the course of the day. He called it "a classroom within a classroom." Local: He wanted to give away his 5-acre estate in Upper Saddle River. Why has he had no luck? "I spent most of my career in the upper elementary grades," Meisterich said. "Kids will always be kids and have the same types of problems. But this was 1969. The whole country was in a big social upheaval and a lot was being thrown at that age group." Meisterich felt the sharing out of subjects among four teachers "working together as a team" gave the students "more help and support." mental health and a feeling of security in the school," Meisterich said. "The kids felt more secure in that environment." Meisterich said the dedication left him "a little choked up." "To have this happen now is a real boost for someone my age," Meisterich said "To be remembered enough to have this happen means a lot."