Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Jesse Smith is one of five swimmers competing in North Carolina this week for the YMCA Short Course National Championship
For the rest of the week, New Milford and Bergen County will be well represented as five members of the Ridgewood YMCA Breakers swim team dive into a national competition in North Carolina. Jesse Smith of New Milford along with several teammates previously qualified to compete in the 2013 YMCA National Short Course Swimming Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina. The National Championship is expected to include approximately 1,500 swimmers. Smith, a high school sophomore who holds the school record in the 200 individual medley, will swim the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley events at the Short Course Championships. He previously competed in the 2012 Long Course Nationals. Joining Smith at the …
Friday, April 5, 2013
SOD will host a public meeting on April 10 for all New Milford and River Dell residents
On Wednesday, April 10, SOD will be holding an open meeting and invites all interested New Milford and Oradell residents to attend. The meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm at the Senior Center on River Road. At that time we will be recapping the Board of Adjustment Hearings on granting variances to develop the United Water property. The Executive Board will discuss strategies for the final portion of the hearings. The public can now present its case to the Board and then the hearing will be open for comments from the public. Those residents who have been following the developments but have been unable to attend the Board meetings are welcome to come and participate on the 10th. With the end in sight it is imperative that we present a …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Jack Antonoff of the band fun. was recently granted the key to Woodcliff Lake
After winning a Grammy award for song of the year with his band fun., New Milford native Jack Antonoff was recently granted the key to Woodcliff Lake during a ceremony at the Tice Senior Center, according to a northjersey.com report. The honor was the first in the borough according to Woodcliff Lake Mayor Jeffrey Goldsmith. The 29-year-old guitarist who was born in Bergenfield, previously lived in New Milford and attended Solomon Schechter and public schools before moving to Woodcliff Lake. Fun. won the Grammy for their hit song We Are Young, which peaked at number one on the "Billboard Hot 100" list and has been featured on both the popular T.V. show Glee and a Chevy Super Bowl commercial. The band was nominated for a total of six …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
During this week's Board of Education meeting, four teachers were honored as Teacher of the Year
The Greek philospher Socrates once said that "Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel," and New Milford schools are gifted with some of the brightest flames as the district honored its four Teachers of the Year and District Teacher of the Year this week. This year's honores are Nora Aivers (NMHS), Stacey Calise (Gibbs), Pamela Krause (DEOMS) and Dora Oliviero (Berkley). Oliviero was also named District Teacher of the Year. "Every year at this time we have the priviledge to publically announce and recognize four individuals, four teachers that have dedicated years to not only their profession of teaching but the children of New Milford," Superintendent Michael Polizzi said. Aivers, who teaches mathematics and AP …
The proposed United Water property hearings before the New Milford Zoning Board of Adjustment is closing in on its final meetings
After over 30 regular and special meetings before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the hearings for the proposed development of the 13-acre United Water property is nearing a close. Development attorney Andy DelVecchio called two of his three final experts last week and is expected to conclude his presentation on April 9. The proposed mixed-use development includes a 70,500 sq. ft. supermarket, a 4300 sq. ft. bank and a significantly pared down housing component--24 units down from an original 221 units. "I'm getting close to concluding direct presentation for the application," DelVecchio said. At the last Zoning Board meeting, he called forth supermarket architect Thomas Ashbahin and engineering expert Michael Dipple. According to Ashbahin…
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
New Milford council candidates filed their petitions to run in the June primary.
Sitting Councilmen Dominic Colucci and Diego Robalino have filed to seek reelection this November against Democratic challengers Ira Grotsky and Thea Sirocchi-Hurley. All four filed their petitions prior to the 4 p.m. deadline Monday for the June 4 primary election. Colucci and Robalino were both elected in Nov. 2010 and officially took office in January 2011 after ousting Michael Putrino and Arthur E. Zeilner for a Republican majority. The Democrats regained control on the dais after the election of Putrino and Austin Ashley in 2012. Colucci is the liaison to the Department of Public Works, Fire Department and Buildings and Grounds Committee while Robalino serves as contact for the Drug and Alcohol Municipal Alliance and Board of …
Monday, April 1, 2013
Over concerns of a "perceivable conflict" Vice Chairman Ron Stokes stepped down from the remaining United Water hearings
With the United Water hearings at the Zoning Board of Adjustment winding down, Vice-Chairman Ron Stokes stepped down late last week from the dais to avoid any potential "perceivable conflict". Stokes decision came following a closed session discussion after concerns raised by Hekemian's attorney, Andy DelVecchio relating to New Milford School Superintendent Michael Polizzi letter to the Board. "I have stated before that I could make a fair decision, but based on several decisions that the perception of possible conflict is reason to step down I don't see how I could sit here with a perceivable conflict," Stokes said. He is the Buildings and Grounds Supervisor for the New Milford Schools. "Therefore I will step down." According to Board …
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Berkley was ranked 504th in the state while Gibbs followed at 620
Berkley school came out just slightly ahead of Gibbs in a listing of elementary schools in the state in 2011-2012, according to school ranking website schooldigger.com. Drawing from performance data from the New Jersey Department of Education, Berkley was ranked 504th out of 1,254 elementary schools in the state. Gibbs followed in at 620. Gibbs fell 41 spots in the rankings from the previous year, while Berkley rose 129 positions from the prior year. Third and fourth-grade students from the two schools showed high proficiency in mathematics, ranging from 81 to 84 percent on average in the ASK evaluation tests. Language arts proficiency for both was between 66 to 71 percent. Gibbs students averaged a 147 on the combined ASK tests, with …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Days before Easter, the St. Joseph School eighth grade students performed the annual Passion Play
St Joseph School eighth graders offered their annual Passion Play for students and their families. The play tells the story of Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem through his Last Supper and finally to his death on a cross.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Bergen County Superior Court Judge Joseph Conte issued a one-page decision denying Councilwoman Hedy Grant's lawsuit to remove Marc Leibman as Borough Attorney
A Bergen County Superior Court judge has ruled against Councilwoman Hedy Grant's lawsuit to remove Marc Leibman as borough attorney in a March 19 ruling. The decision came days after attorneys for Grant, Leibman, Mayor Ann Subrizi and the borough argued before Judge Joseph Conte the merits of Grant's lawsuit. Conte's one-page decision stated that Grant's Order to Show Cause "seeking temporary restrains and the invalidation of the appointment of municipal attorney is hereby denied." Grant's lawsuit, which was filed in February, called for the court to invalidate the appointment of Borough Attorney Marc Leibman on the basis that his prior representation of Councilman Austin Ashley regarding the potential development of the United Water …
Nick Besink
6:17 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2013
Please keep me in the loop for all that is going on; From hearing dates to SOD happenings. I have been recording the Board meeting when I can, but can use a little help with this. I am the chairman of OPTV in Oradell and have been airing the public meetings when I can on OPTV. Any correspondence can be e-mailed to OPTV@oradell.org or OPTV@aol.com Nick Besink more ›