By Ray Smith / Reporter

WALLINGTON (Sept. 2, 2010) — Municipalities throughout New Jersey are certainly not immune to budget cuts. With the development of a large municipal public safety complex in East Rutherford, some towns are wondering if cutting costs could be achieved by combining municipal courts.

At the Thursday, Aug. 26 Wallington Borough Council meeting, the five council members in attendance voted unanimously to authorize a municipal court feasibility study.

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EAST RUTHERFORD (Sept. 2, 2010) — Century 21 Gold Advantage is pleased to welcome Michael Gonnelli to its East Rutherford office. Gonnelli has six years of experience in the real estate field and most recently worked for another local Century 21 office, therefore making him a huge asset to Century 21 Gold Advantage.

“I am so pleased to announce that Michael has joined our team,” said Jane Frank, who owns and operates Century 21 Gold Advantage. “We believe his experience will greatly enhance the services we provide to our customers in the Meadowlands area including Secaucus, the town where Michael specializes.

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RUTHERFORD (Aug. 25, 2010, 3:20 p.m.) — The storied history of The Leader Newspaper, South Bergen’s premier weekly publication, has seen a full suite of improvements and enhancements throughout its more than 100 years of publishing. For several years, it has lived up to its motto of being “The Pulse of the Meadowlands” for the local area.

Now, the newspaper, which serves eight communities in southern Bergen County, is ready to take a bold step into the 21st century media marketplace — and it has a few new friends to help it along the way.

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By Andrew Segedin / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 26, 2010) — Window browsing down Park Avenue in East Rutherford, one may have no idea what to make of it — a predominantly empty store front with a collection of drums, crystal bowls, chimes and synthesizers lining the back — nothing but open space in between. Most may very well shrug and walk on, but for those who step inside the Self Awareness & Transformation Center they’re in for as unique an experience as they’re likely to find anywhere in the area.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 23, 2010, 5:20 p.m.) — It has been bandied about as a transportation concept since at least 2003. On Sept. 7, that concept becomes policy.

That is when New Jersey Transit buses 163 and 164 in East Rutherford and Carlstadt will travel along new routes, going to and leaving the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.

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By John Soltes / Editor in Chief

HACKENSACK (Aug. 19, 2010, 10:55 a.m.) — If it were up to most of the public officials in the South Bergen area, housing would be taken off the suggestion list for the future of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. But, realistically, is “a mini-city with 5 million square feet of housing” an option for the tract of land in the eastern portion of East Rutherford?

Jon F. Hanson, who heads Gov. Chris Christie’s advisory commission on gaming, sports and entertainment throughout the state, recently spoke of the financial advantages of adding a housing component in the Meadowlands, according to news reports. His comments, and the conceptual plans to privatize some of the public assets at the complex, such as the racetrack and IZOD Center, prompted Bergen County Freeholder Bernadette McPherson to draft a resolution calling for the abandonment of “any plan for housing in the Meadowlands.”

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 19, 2010) — Seriously underperforming students, failing to maintain certain academic standards, can expect a longer school day for at least some of the 2010-11 school year.

The concept is called “academic probation,” and affected students will eventually have to attend an extra ninth “tutoring” period, starting at 2:30 p.m. It will last 27 minutes.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 19, 2010) — Some residents, already stung by high estimated tax bills issued for the proposed 2010 budget, complained recently that last year’s revaluation results only add to the pain. About 50 East Rutherford residents, predominantly an elderly audience, bemoaned the revaluation and proposed spending plan during an Aug. 10 special meeting lasting about an hour.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 19, 2010) — For the 2009-10 state High School Proficiency Assessment, Henry P. Becton Regional High School saw the most students achieve “proficient” status in language arts and math since 2005, the district’s regional curriculum director reported.

The findings, released by Melissa Varley, appointed to the post last year to better align curriculum between Becton and its two sending districts, have given school board members reason to hope tools implemented under her watch for improving HSPA performance are working. Passing HSPA is required for graduation.

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By Ray Smith / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 19, 2010) — Though the controversial personal seat licenses and high prices may keep some longtime season ticket holders home this season, there are many in the South Bergen area who will continue to cheer on Big Blue and Gang Green in their new state-of-the-art stadium this fall.

The Leader recently took a trip to see the new stadium in action at the United States vs. Brazil soccer match. Now the newspaper is ready to share with its readers the ins and outs of a trip to the New Meadowlands Stadium.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (Aug. 9, 2010, 1:15 p.m.) — A Hasbrouck Heights political activist, who has battled authorities over Teterboro Airport plane noise for years, is insisting a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official recently assured her Henry P. Becton Regional High School will not lose a $16.6 million soundproofing grant.

Carol Skiba, a former Democratic councilwoman in her community, told The Leader that Ralph Tragale, the agency’s government and community affairs manager, offered his guarantee after the Teterboro Airport Noise Abatement Advisory Committee’s July 28 meeting.

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By John Soltes / Editor in Chief

(Aug. 6, 2010, 9:15 a.m.) — The state Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought watch for the northeastern section of New Jersey, including Bergen County and the Meadowlands. Officials are asking locals to voluntarily conserve water due to continuing hot and dry conditions and increasing concerns about reservoir levels.

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By Andrew Segedin / Reporter

(Aug. 5, 2010) — The New Jersey School Boards Association and local boards of education are working out guidelines to bring school policy up to date with modern technology.

In the wake of incidents involving alleged inappropriate student/teacher conduct across the nation — including this year’s high-profile case in East Rutherford involving a 29-year-old math teacher — schools are under pressure to define and enforce new regulations. Modern technologies such as e-mail, text messaging and social networking sites make the task all the more complicated.

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By Andrew Segedin / Reporter

(Aug. 5, 2010) — Deer have been spotted in Lyndhurst, bears have made their way into Bergen County and a family of turkeys achieved cult status in Rutherford. The apparent spike in wildlife has left locals curious as to where their new neighbors came from and what brought them here.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (July 30, 2010, 10:30 a.m.) — After only 15 months in the position, Robert Anderson has resigned from the school board overseeing Henry P. Becton Regional High School, citing personal reasons.

In a press release the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional Board of Education issued Monday, July 26, the district announced Anderson, "due to a change in personal circumstances," departed effective Aug. 3. It immediately launched a replacement search.

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (July 29, 2010, 4:25 p.m.) — In a development that at least caught some borough officials "off-guard," the state moved recently to finally erect an approximate 800-foot long guardrail parallel to Riggin Field, off Route 17 South, ending a frustrating delay lasting well over two years.

"According to one of our engineers, the guide rail was installed Thursday evening (July 22) at Route 17 and Riggin Field," Fran McCrory, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman, stated in an e-mail to The Leader.

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By Andrew Segedin / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (July 29, 2010, 9:45 a.m.) — Tragedy struck in East Rutherford Wednesday, July 21 when a 41-year-old Carlstadt resident was fatally struck by NJ Transit Train 1266 between Paterson and Central avenues. Now, while details of the accident are sorted out, NJ Transit takes on the challenge of helping its crew cope.

“Any fatality on the railway has the potential to have a major impact on those on board,” said NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel. “(In the event of such a tragedy) the crew is immediately released and a relief crew is brought in. Not because the previous crew had done anything wrong, clearly, but because of the sort of emotional toll they take on.”

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By Chris Neidenberg / Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (July 27, 2010, 4:50 p.m.) — It’s a process that has taken more than two years, but Councilman Joel Brizzi estimates finishing a brand-new 44-space municipal parking lot, between Boiling Springs and Park avenues, is less than a month away.

“I would say it should be prepared for vehicles to use in less than 30 days,” Brizzi, police committee chairman, said after the council’s July 20 meeting. “We really only have to put in the centralized parking meter to complete the site, but we also have to adopt an ordinance covering the fees and rules for use.”

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