By John Soltes / Editor in Chief

RUTHERFORD (March 10, 2010, 2:30 p.m.) — A painting that was once displayed in the house of William Carlos Williams, the famed Rutherford poet, will eventually find its way to the new World Trade Center construction in downtown Manhattan.

Eyvind Earle, the nephew of Williams and a prolific American artist in the 20th century, painted “View Under the Bridge,” a gargantuan oil on canvas that depicts a scene from the streets of New York City.

“Its height just kind of takes over,” said Daphne Williams Fox, who loaned the piece to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. “We talked to different museums. We talked to different galleries. But they didn’t have the space or height.”

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By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter

(March 10, 2010, 1 p.m.) — Candidates for the area’s boards of education have filed petitions to run in the April 20 election.

In many municipalities, incumbents have chosen not to seek re-election, leaving at least one seat open for a newcomer.

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Burglary

LYNDHURST — Two apartment burglaries were discovered at the 600 block of Ridge Road, Monday, March 1. Residents of one apartment reported a damaged door lock and forced entry into their residence. While the incident was under investigation, pry marks were found on another door. The victims are compiling a list of missing items; the investigation is ongoing.

NORTH ARLINGTON — A burglary was reported to police Feb. 25 at 12:03 p.m. at a home on the Belleville Turnpike, off Morgan Place. The victim, who left the residence at 10 a.m., returned to find that her dressers and jewelry boxes had been tampered with and approximately $1,000 worth of jewelry and a Dell laptop were gone. The investigation is ongoing.

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Photo, Lyndhurst Police Department

LYNDHURST (March 11, 2010) — Three Lyndhurst police officers were promoted to the rank of detective during a ceremony Monday, March 1.

Vincent Auteri, who has been with the department since 1999; Anthony Preite, with the department since 1989; and Ronald Guirland, with the department since July 2000, all moved up in rank.

All three men have been praised by residents for their police work, and they all have specialized training and experience, according to Police Chief James O’Connor. Pictured left to right are O’Connor, Preite, Auteri, Guirland and Commissioner of Public Safety Robert Giangeruso.

By Victoria Seetaram / Reporter

RUTHERFORD (March 11, 2010) — Serving approximately 1,030 commuters on an average weekday, the glorious Rutherford Train Station is no stranger to riders shuffling their way to New York City. The architecturally unique station has been a neighborhood staple for more than 100 years.

The structure, listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places, was originally used to load and unload freight in the 1800s. It serviced the Erie Railroad, which became a productive line that stretched from Paterson to New York City. The first wooden building was built in 1866.

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By John Soltes / Editor in Chief

(March 11, 2010) — The Chieftains’ new album “San Patricio” is not your grandfather’s Irish music. The songs and instrumentals on this lengthy effort are inspired by the San Patricios, a small battalion of Irish soldiers who fought with the Mexican army against the United States in the mid-19th century.

Coupling the traditional Irish sounds of The Chieftains’ catalogue with Spanish-language lyrics and a Mexican sentimentality, “San Patricio” proves to be a completely unique experiment that redefines the power of lyrical storytelling.

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By Victoria Seetaram / Reporter

RUTHERFORD (March 11, 2010) — Prospective pub crawlers are not the only ones excited for St. Patrick’s Day this year. Anyone who has attended Greg Canning’s eighth-grade social studies class at Pierrepont School in Rutherford knows that March 17 is a day to remember.

As a kickoff for their own cultural presentations, which will occur later this month, and to correct the many stereotypes and misconceptions that exist about St. Patrick’s Day and Irish traditions in general, Canning dresses in a complete kilt outfit and explains the differences between Scottish dress and Irish dress, as well as the history of kilts in Ireland and around the world.

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(March 11, 2010) — Hoboken’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicked off the Irish-American holiday Saturday, March 6, but the festivities are just beginning. You want corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and, of course, Guinness? The celebration will continue this week and next week in local eateries as the holiday fast approaches.

Featuring an authentic Irish setting, East Rutherford’s Blarney Station Restaurant and Pub is a favorite local hot spot and, according to employee, Jim Wood, “St. Patrick’s Day is definitely our biggest day of the year.”

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By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (March 11, 2010) — Two local roads will be repaved by Bergen County this year. Orient Way in Lyndhurst and Locust Lane and Locust Avenue in East Rutherford have both been included in the county’s 2010 plan for road improvements.

The streets are among 18 chosen by the county for repaving this spring, according to Sheri Hensley, Bergen County communications director. The total cost for the projects, approximately $6 million, will be paid using funds provided by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

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By Jennifer Vazquez / Reporter

(March 11, 2010) — The idea of what a cheerleader is and does has changed considerably over the past few years. Long gone are the days when the majority of the public saw cheerleaders solely as a group of girls showing team spirit at school games while performing somewhat simple and bubbly routines. There is a new type of cheer team that is becoming more and more prevalent — competitive cheer teams.

The Carlstadt-East Rutherford competition cheering teams are proud to be part of the ever so growing world of competitive cheering.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (March 11, 2010) — While it may have been called “Shadow Day,” Becton Regional school district officials assured its main purpose was helping “shed light” on the high school’s offerings for eighth graders making the building their new home in 2010-11.

Principal David Mango said that, for the first time, the district decided to hold an event showcasing the high school for eighth graders in the borough and Carlstadt, to make the transition seem a bit easier for incoming students.

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By Jennifer Vazquez / Reporter

NORTH ARLINGTON (March 11, 2010) — The severe winter weather that Bergen County has been hit with this season is no match for the newly installed storm water sewer system running under Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington.

This area has been subject to much flooding over the years, especially during rain storms and the winter months. The flooding, which included Rutherford Place, a residential area, has been a long-running problem for the borough.

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By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter

RUTHERFORD (March 11, 2010) — The creation of a layoff plan for the police department is not the only police-related issue facing Rutherford’s governing body. A two-and-a-half-year contract dispute between the borough and local police officers’ union remains in arbitration.

Until the arbitrator renders a binding decision on salary increases and benefit costs, budgeting for the police department is a high-stakes guessing game.

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LYNDHURST (March 11, 2010) — In a mission to raise hope and funds for the hungry and to increase awareness of the issue of hunger, 43 ShopRite stores participated in a six-week contest during September (National Hunger Awareness Month), sponsored by ShopRite and General Mills. ShopRite associates raised nearly $500,000 toward fighting hunger in their local communities.

To recognize their effort, 86 ShopRite associates, selected by their peers, will represent their stores on a special-edition Cheerios box (available at ShopRite stores in March). Each store was also awarded $1,000 to donate to a hunger charity of its choice.

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The Leader / Staff Report

RUTHERFORD (March 9, 2010, 9:20 p.m.) - Democrat John Parnofiello has defeated Republican Todd Hennessey for the contested seat on the Rutherford Borough Council.

According to unofficial results from the borough clerk, 1,758 people voted for Parnofiello, while 1,495 voted for Hennessey. Last November, the two faced off and came within one vote of each other. Legal challenges led to the calling of this special election, held today, March 9.

Approximately 30 percent of registered voters in Rutherford turned out. Nine provisional ballots have still not been counted, but Parnofiello's victory would still stand no matter their outcome.

By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

(March 9, 2010, 3:30 p.m.) — School district number crunchers across New Jersey are bracing for potentially deep cuts from the new administration of Gov. Chris Christie. He has warned as much as $485 million could fall by the wayside for 2010-11.

As a result of Christie’s arrival, and the new Republican governor’s determination to close an initial estimated $2.2 billion budget deficit, school officials are planning contingencies for worst-case scenarios.

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By John Soltes / Editor in Chief

TETERBORO (March 8, 2010) — Say hello to Delilah, Trooper and Willie — three special-needs dogs who are, for all intents and purposes, doting sweethearts with that indescribable ability to make their human counterparts fall in love with them. Consider yourself warned of their cuteness.

Delilah is a friendly and eager-to-please pit bull terrier who has vestibular disease, which has caused non-progressive paralysis on the right side of her face.

Trooper lives up to his name, having survived the streets of Elizabeth for more than two years with a broken leg. He lost that leg recently, but is on the mend.

Willie is a bit different.

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The Leader / Staff Report

HACKENSACK (March 8, 2010, 11:20 a.m.) — In Bergen County Superior Court, Carlstadt Mayor William Roseman declined a plea deal today, March 8, deciding instead to head to trial and face charges of stealing medical and prescription plan benefits for his ex-wife, Lori Lewin.

Roseman, wearing an olive green jacket and orange tie, appeared before Judge Patrick Roma. The mayor's attorney, Ed Cillick, maintained that Roseman continues to plea not guilty. Lewin was also present in the courtroom.

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By John Soltes / Editor in Chief

CARLSTADT (March 11, 2010) — FBI agents recently arrested three officers with the New York Police Department for their alleged involvement in the robbery of a Carlstadt-based perfume distributor on Feb. 9, in which 11 hostages were held with their hands bound behind their backs.

The officers, 25-year-old Richard LeBlanca, 28-year-old Kelvin Jones and 24-year-old Brian Checo, were charged along with five other co-conspirators, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The criminal complaint filed against the suspects stated that the target of the robbery was hundreds of boxes of high-end perfumes and fragrances from a warehouse used by In Style USA, Inc. at 700 Gotham Parkway in Carlstadt. The price of the perfumes was valued at approximately $1 million.

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