Monday, January 2, 2012
Over 400 runners came out Sunday morning to complete the Fair Lawn 5K Run / 3K Family Walk. An additional hundred-or-so family members, friends and support personnel stood by at the finish line.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Sam Leigh
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Monday, January 2, 2012
The weather Sunday morning--50 degrees and clear skies--could not have been better for the over 400 runners and walkers that came out for the annual 1st Day 5K. Participants gathered at Memorial Middle School near the hockey rink and waited for the pace car to sound its siren. "The weather is perfect," said a stretching Dave Gendell, of Wayne. "I went out dancing last night but wouldn't have missed the first great run of 2012 for anything." Gendell joined the rest of the group just before the siren sounded, starting the race. A little over 16 minutes later the front runners sprinted out the last remaining steps to the front of Memorial Middle School. Bill, of BestRace.com, provided logistical support and tallied results as runners crossed …
Saturday, December 31, 2011
A breakdown of the year's news by month
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
- Zak Koeske
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Saturday, December 31, 2011
In the past 12 months, Fair Lawn has endured historic natural disasters, faced a slew of lawsuits from police officers and elected a Republican council for the first time in over a decade. The year ahead should usher in a wave of significant changes to the borough, but let's look now at the year that was 2011. January The new year started with a number of appointments, including a new mayor, a new fire chief and Fair Lawn's first-ever town crier. Deputy Mayor Joe Tedeschi began the new year by touting the $1.3 million in savings the borough had accrued since it switched from private insurance to self-insurance. Policemen's Benevolent Association President David Boone questioned the merit of the switch to self-insurance and Tedeschi's …
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Vote in the poll.
Just because it's traditional to circle a walking track in a counterclockwise direction, is it necessarily safe to do so day after day? That’s what Parks and Recreation superintendent Jim Graff had to consider when confronted by a few residents who suggested the Community Center purposely alternate the direction walkers are instructed to ambulate each day. Jogging day after day in the same direction around the track, they argued, can overburden one side of your body and lead to injury. Stuart Kramer hadn't even considered that possibility until last December when he tore both menisci in his right knee. He'd gone 40 years running outdoors without incident, but his first year inside at the Community Center did him in, he said. When health …
Monday, December 19, 2011
In the video that accompanies this article, Wayne Robbins speaks with Steve Weinstein about his time in office.
When borough council re-organizes on Jan. 3, it’ll mark the end of an era. It’ll not only be the first time in over a decade that Democrats have surrendered control of council, it’ll be the first time in over a decade that Steve Weinstein, one of the Dems’ most well-liked and respected representatives, won’t have a seat at the dais. Weinstein, who’s sat on council since October 2001, including three years spent as Fair Lawn’s mayor, chose not to run for re-election this November. “All the nights out and the days, early morning meetings…after a while, it takes its toll on your family,” Weinstein said of serving on council. “It was time to take a little bit of a step back.” That said, walking away from politics wasn’t an easy decision for …
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Jerzey Tat, located at 16-23 River Road, had its grand opening ceremony Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Jerzey Tat, located at 16-23 River Road, had its grand opening ceremony Wednesday. Fair Lawn's newest tattoo parlor opened for business in late November. Mayor Lisa Swain, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Berowitz and Chamber Board Member Jack Donohue attended Wednesday's ribbon cutting to welcome Jerzey Tat owner Bruce Walker and his wife Chrissy to the neighborhood. The parlor employs three tattoo artists -- Alec Albert, Jr. (who does all-around custom work), Steven Ortiz (who does urban artwork, graffiti style) and Georgia Mollica (who does water colors and portraits). At the moment, Walker is apprenticing to become a full-fledged tattoo artist.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Governor calls on the Legislature to take action during the remaining 30 days of session
Gov. Chris Christie urged the Legislature on Thursday to pass his plan to eliminate vacation and sick time payouts for retiring public employees. Joined by Bergen County mayors at the armory in Teaneck, Christie said the payouts amount to a “a going-away present to public employees who had the great good fortune of not being sick.” Liabilities for unused sick and vacation day benefits total more than $825 million statewide, Christie said. Bergen County alone owes its 2,754 employees more than 470 years worth of unused time, and the county's budget puts the cost at $54.2 million. Fair Lawn owes its borough employees $1.64 million in combined unused sick and vacation days, which amounts to about $133 per taxpayer, according to data from the …
The 2nd Annual Adopt-A-Soldier Platoon Dinner was held Wednesday at the American Legion on River Road
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Zak Koeske
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Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Pasta Dinner at the American Legion Wednesday night was a Who's Who of Fair Lawn dignitaries and servicemen and women past and present. The event was put on by Deputy Mayor Joe Tedeschi (Cook), American Legion Commander Albee Palmieri (Cook) and Councilman-Elect John Cosgrove (Master of Ceremonies) who teamed up to offer a pasta dinner and raise funds for the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Program. The Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Program was founded in 2003 by Fair Lawn resident Alan Krutchkoff and his wife, Mary-Edna, as a way to provide support and boost morale for military units overseas and their families back home. The program collects non-perishable food items, toiletries, small electronics and other items for the …
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Police Chief Erik Rose and Captain Joseph Cook face multiple lawsuits filed by borough police officers who seek punitive damages for an array of complaints
Fair Lawn council is expected to vote Tuesday in favor of shielding Police Chief Erik Rose and Capt. Joseph Cook from liability in three lawsuits filed against them by two borough police officers. In addition to being sued in their capacity as borough employees, both Rose and Cook also face personal suits from Sgt. Michael Messina and Lt. Robert Kneer that seek punitive damages for harassment and retaliatory tactics, among other things. A fourth lawsuit, filed by 31-year Fair Lawn police veteran Hiram Taylor on Nov. 18, also names Rose and Cook as defendants, but is not included on Tuesday’s agenda. Mayor Lisa Swain said that’s because borough manager Timothy Stafford only learned of the additional lawsuit Monday when it was reported in …
Thursday, December 1, 2011
How do you think the borough should handle disposing of loose leaves? Vote in the poll, or tell us what you think about the issue in the comments below
The extensive cleanup efforts required in the wake of October's freak snowstorm have kept borough loose leaf pickup two weeks behind schedule. The delay has meant an extended stay for the towering piles of leaves left at curbsides all over town, which some residents have said pose a safety hazard. "As mayor, I've gotten a lot of complaints about the leaves," Lisa Swain said at Wednesday's Green Team meeting. "I think there has got to be something done about the leaves." Swain's sentiment was echoed by other Green Team members, who ran off a series of concerns they had about the leaves that ranged from their potential to stimulate asthma attacks -- if leaf decomposition leads to mold -- to their ability to spark fires, via contact with a …
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Residents interested in serving on a board or commission should complete the Fair Lawn Citizen Leadership Form available on the borough website
In recent months, Fair Lawn's Zoning and Planning Boards have come under fire from residents for granting variances and approving developments some felt were not a fit for the town. The issue came to a head at October's council candidate forum, when Republican council candidates repeatedly took the boards to task for allowing "overdevelopment," to occur in Fair Lawn, specifically citing the approval of a "McMansion" on Fair Lawn Avenue and a mixed-use building going up on River Road by the Chase Bank. On the other hand, Democrats, including Mayor Lisa Swain, have repeatedly defended the boards, which are bipartisan and composed of volunteers from the community. Whether you've been pleased or displeased with the boards' decisions of late, …
Marty Cone
11:05 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I believe an odd and even day plan would work. On the odd days, one can walk clockwise and on the even ,counterclockwise. more ›