By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (Sept. 5, 2008, 12:15 p.m.) — A 17-year-old male from Little Falls died Sept. 4 following an all-terrain vehicle wreck in the Meadowlands portion of Lyndhurst. The accident occurred at approximately 5:45 p.m.; the victim was pronounced dead at the scene roughly one hour later.

The young man, whose name was not released as of press time, was riding the four-wheeler in an isolated area east of Schuyler Avenue. A 16-year-old Parsippany female accompanied the rider to the area, but was not on the quad at the time of the accident, according to authorities.

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By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr.
New Jersey Sport/Action

WOOD-RIDGE (Sept. 5, 2008) —  Life is funny.

Despite the fact that Wood-Ridge finally has an all-weather, artificial turf field, the opening day games for the Junior Blue Devils youth football organization (the Little Devils) have been postponed anyway.

Why? Because the locals are on the road, slated to play on Saddle Brook's grass fields, and Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hannah is on the way.

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(Sept. 5, 2008, 9:25 a.m.) — The Republican National Convention came to a close recently, with high profile speeches by presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AL). Palin's addition to the ticket, only a few days ago, has added a new dynamic to the race. In her speech, she spoke about energy independence, executive responsibility and the attributes of her running mate.

Now, with nearly a week to digest McCain's pick, do you think it was a good choice?

Vote in the new Leader poll: Do you think Sarah Palin was a good pick for McCain's running mate?

By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (Sept. 4, 2008, 11:05 a.m.) — The driver of a red flatbed Freightliner tow truck spent the early morning hours of Sept. 3 trapped in his vehicle after he lost control of the truck and jumped two guardrails — eventually landing in an overgrown patch at the bottom of an embankment in Lyndhurst, according to authorities.

Lyndhurst Police found the 43-year-old male driver soon after 7:30 a.m., when they received a tip about the possibility that an accident had occurred. The man may have been in the ditch for seven or eight hours, police reported.

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Photos by Jeff Hollis

(Sept. 3, 2008, 12:15 p.m.) — Thousands spilled out onto the streets of Rutherford Sept. 1, for the 33rd-annual Labor Day Street Fair. Several elected officials, from both the local area and state, were among the throngs along Park Avenue.

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By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

RUTHERFORD (Sept. 4, 2008) — Rogue landscapers who dump leaves from other towns onto the streets of Rutherford are under fire from the borough’s governing body as the council recently voted “yes” to a licensing requirement for professionals who want to wield leaf blowers and weed eaters.

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(Sept. 4, 2008) — Patty Kehlbeck, Beatrice Young and Joyce Roche, all of Clifton, attended the New Jersey Veterans for McCain Rally at the Carlstadt American Legion Hall in Carlstadt Aug. 27. At the event, several prominent Republicans spoke, including Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, U.S. Senate candidate Dick Zimmer and state Sen. Kevin O’Toole (R-40).

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Photo by Jim Merklinghaus

(Sept. 4, 2008) — East Pierrepont Avenue residents Rostyk Fedorko (left) and his brother Nazar (right) have taken to the business world early in their lives. Rostyk is entering first grade this year at Washington School in Rutherford, and Nazar is only 4 years old. Taking advantage of the warm summer weather, the boys set up shop on their front lawn to sell tomatoes for $1 each.

By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

RUTHERFORD (Sept. 4, 2008) — Besides being a pediatrician who made house calls and practiced medicine at 9 Ridge Road in Rutherford, William Carlos Williams was also a poet — writing his spare, image-filled lines in the attic of the same home.

The borough’s “most famous resident” (christened so by the symposium created in his honor), was born 125 years ago this Sept. 17. Today, the work of the so-called father of American modern poetry survives, thrives even — especially in his hometown.

September, proclaimed a month of honor for Williams by the borough council, will give those enamored by his poetry and life’s work, a chance to reflect on the iconic man himself.

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By Alexis Tarrazi
Senior Reporter

CARLSTADT (Sept. 4, 2008) — Ripped and tattered cardboard boxes are piled high and line the walls of a cramped room in a building operated by the  Carlstadt Department of Public Works. Filled with important borough documents, the boxes continue to pile up with resolutions, budgets, agendas and other significant records that are required by law to be stored.

“The documents date back to when documents were invented,” Councilman Joe Crifasi said with a laugh. “We have to keep papers for everything, and it piles up.”

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By Chris Neidenberg
Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Sept. 4, 2008, 4:45 p.m.)  — Five businesses have reached agreements in ceding portions of their properties for the Route 120 expansion project in East Rutherford and Carlstadt; three others face condemnation, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

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By John Soltes
Editor-in-Chief

NEW YORK (Sept. 4, 2008) — During the bombastic encore at a recent performance of “Fela!,” the new off-Broadway musical that chronicles the life of Afrobeat progenitor Fela Kuti, Bill T. Jones emerged from the back of the theater, where he had been sitting all night.

He traveled, black-rimmed glasses perched atop his nose, to the stage’s edge, clapping, swaying and rollicking to the infectious beats in the air. His effusion was equally matched by the audience members, who answered Jones’ enthusiastic response by standing and dancing as well.

Jones’ energy that night was only outpaced by the sweat-drenched actors on stage, who had just finished a nearly two-and-a-half-hour resurrection, exploring the life-affirming struggles of the late Kuti, a musician and activist who popularized the amalgamation of jazz, funk and African rhythms known as Afrobeat.

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(Aug. 29, 2008, 10:15 a.m.) — The Meadowlands Sports Cup is here!

Leader Newspapers and Haley Chiropractic of Lyndhurst bring you the best of the best in the South Bergen coverage area. But enough about us, it's time for you to get in on the action.

Awards will be given to Outstanding Team Performance and Outstanding Performer.

Here are the nominees...

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By Alexis Tarrazi
Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (Aug. 28, 2008, 1:40 p.m.) — The local crusade of Lorraine Colabella, the former Lyndhurst resident who is suffering from incurable multiple myeloma, recently spread to the national level when the National Disease Cluster Alliance shined its spotlight on her personal cancer cluster study.

Acting as a guide, the alliance hopes to steer Colabella’s study in the right direction, by gaining attention and educating the people involved, according to Floyd Sands, director of field operations for NDCA, a nonprofit organization that helps disease-impacted communities.

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By Alexis Tarrazi
Senior Reporter

NORTH ARLINGTON (Aug. 28, 2008, 10:30 a.m.) — Because the Passaic River is slowly eating away at North Arlington’s river bank, the high school’s football and baseball fields are subject to constant flooding during heavy rains. The nearby field house is even in jeopardy of becoming part of the river.

“It has been flooding for years,” said George McDermott, president of the North Arlington Board of Education. “When the water rises, you can sometimes see fish on the field.”

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By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

(Aug. 28, 2008) — The state Department of Education recently implemented a new nepotism policy, barring boards of education from hiring the relatives of board members or administrators. Local school districts have responded in kind, by considering changes to their existing policies.

However, the changes may become downright necessary, as districts have until Oct. 1 to comply with the state’s rules or they may face a loss of financial aid.

The state prohibition defines “relative” broadly — beginning with spouse, and meandering through a laundry list that includes grandparents and step-siblings.

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By Alexis Tarrazi
Senior Reporter

WOOD-RIDGE (Aug. 28, 2008) — A spree of burglaries have plagued the quiet Borough of Wood-Ridge over the past month, as one or more burglars prey on summer vacationers’ vacant homes, according to Police Chief Joseph Rutigliano.

“The summer is usually a good time to hit a home because (burglars) know that people are away,” Rutigliano said. “They don’t want a confrontation. They want a home that’s vacant.”

In the span of a single month, four residents have come forward as victims of burglary.

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By Alexis Tarrazi
Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (Aug. 28, 2008, 5:15 p.m.) — They themselves may not have been repeat offenders, but the women arrested for prostitution-related charges Aug. 26 in Lyndhurst worked for massage parlors that knew the police process all too well.

“We have legitimate masseuses in town, and we certainly will not condone this type of activity,” Lyndhurst Police Chief James O’Connor said.

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By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

RUTHERFORD (Aug. 28, 2008) — Over the last few months, Rutherford has racked up some large bills. Whether settlements related to tax appeals or the legal expenses in dealing with the police officers involved in the 2005 bounty hunter incident, Rutherford has some drain on its budget.

At the very least, Rutherford is on the hook for $531,000, with more likely to come, according to Chief Financial Officer Ed Cortright.

That’s a lot of cash, and Mayor John Hipp doesn’t think the borough’s taxpayers should be required to fund the settlements and associated legal fees all at once. Instead, pending  council approval, the borough will ask the state’s permission for an emergency appropriation, enabling the issuance of a loan that will be repaid over the next three to five years, Cortright explained at the Aug. 19 mayor and council meeting.

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By Susan C. Moeller
Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (Aug, 28, 2008) — Aging is no picnic for people, and it’s not a walk in the park for pets either.

For starters, dogs age seven times faster than people. But, up until now, that accelerated pace toward senior status had a perk for dogs and cats in Lyndhurst — animals aged 10 or older received a discounted rate on their license fees.

Now, the board of commissioners has proposed a change to the health department’s rates, eliminating the senior pet discount and simultaneously raising all of the township’s animal licensing fees.

The board is also considering a $10 late fee for anyone who fails to license their pet by Jan. 31, and $100 if pets aren’t licensed by March 1.

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