Lyndhurst NJ

02/20/2021

An interesting article about Lyndhurst's past, in CBS News.

"Joe Cofone, a retired police officer and an unofficial town historian, said Lyndhurst could be considered a classic American suburb. "One of the best places you could ever imagine to grow up," Cofone said.

But America's suburbs have another story — less often told — about who could buy these homes and benefit from that boom-time economy and who could not.

"It's just a remarkable record of exclusion," David Troutt, a law professor at Rutgers University, said. "It is not accidental, America's suburbs, and it is not just a question of bad attitudes. It's a question about inequitable rules."

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the major federal programs that developed the suburbs and guaranteed mortgages were for Whites-only, first as a matter of policy and later in practice.

Read the rest, and watch a related video at :

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the major federal programs that developed the suburbs and guaranteed mortgages were for Whites-only, first as a matter of policy and later in practice.

02/24/2019

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR NEXT 24 HOURS : 25 TO 36 mph, with gusts upto 65 mph

Wind speeds are going to increase from Sunday 7:00pm (20 mph) & keep rising till Monday late evening to 32 mph. Short Wind gusts of up to 65 miles are expected, starting Monday morning.

The winds can blow down tree limbs, topple trees & break power lines - causing power outages in many areas. As the ground is still wet and soft from rain, trees and power lines are likely to topple more easily. Property damage can be a possibility at some locations.

Do not park your vehicles under trees. Ensure there are no loose items lying in your yard, that have the potential to blow away. Check your shed doors are securely closed. Be careful during Monday morning & evening commute. Rush hour commute can be affected with traffic jams caused by fallen trees & power lines, & disabled vehicles. Drive alert.

Some of the biggest dangers, during high wind gusts, is damage/injury from flying debris. Remove any lose debris from your yards, including light weight outdoor furniture, garbage cans, potted plants, children't toys.

Ensure you have flashlights, candles etc, in case a blackout occurs. Stay Safe!

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Read more at :

"Damaging winds expected to knock down power lines, trees across state"
https://www.nj.com/weather/2019/02/nj-weather-damaging-winds-expected-to-knock-down-power-lines-trees-across-state.html

02/05/2019

“RAIN TAX” to be imposed upon NJ Property Owners & Businesses. A new bill, already passed in the Senate and the Assembly & now headed to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk, calls for the power to collect a tax from properties, when it rains or snows.

The bill (S-1073) has been kicking around for years. Previously vetoed by former Gov. Chris Christie, it is viewed by proponents as a way of finally tackling what is projected as a $15 billion problem: fixing aging stormwater systems that exacerbate flooding and pollution across the state.

“Shame on us that we haven’t done this,” said Sen. Bob Smith, a Democrat from Middlesex and sponsor of the bill. More than 1,500 stormwater utilities have been set up in 41 other states to help local governments deal with the problem, he noted.

See :
‘RAIN TAX LIKELY TO BECOME REALITY IN NJ’
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/02/04/rain-tax-likely-to-become-reality-in-new-jersey/

"DOES ‘RAIN TAX’ HAVE A CHANCE OF STAUNCHING STATE’S STORMWATER RUNOFF?"
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/18/06/18/does-rain-tax-have-a-chance-of-taming-state-s-stormwater-runoff/

“MURPHY CLOSE TO SIGNING NEW TAX — ON RAIN !”
http://nj1015.com/murphy-close-to-signing-new-tax-on-rain/

Idea Is To Protect Garden State's Streams, Rivers And Bays From Potentially Toxic Storm Runoff From Salt And Lawn Fertilizers. New Jersey is already the state with the highest property taxes in the country.

See :
“NJ HIGHEST PROPERTY TAXES IN THE US, YET PROPERTY TAXES RISING AGAIN’
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-23/new-jersey-with-highest-property-taxes-sees-bills-rise-again

Yet, the state govts & municipal govts, instead of trying to help reduce this burden on home-owners, and encourage home ownership, are doing just the reverse. Property owners are going to be taxed even more, leading to even more property tax increases. “Gas Tax” has also been going up, making NJ one of states with the highest “Gas Tax”. ‘Cost of living’ is already one of the highest in the county.

No wonder, New Jersey is also the state from where people are migrating out the most.

See :
‘MORE PEOPLE MOVED OF OF NJ THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN US’
https://nypost.com/2019/01/02/more-people-moved-out-of-this-state-than-any-other-in-america/

In Lyndhurst, homeowners are going to see their property taxes go up because of the many recent disasters in local school district. First, there is the approx $5 million deficit, which will ultimately be borne by homeowners - by gradual property tax increases. Further, the new school being built, is expected to go far over-budget, as per the assigned State Monitor assigned, Mr.Tom Egan.

See :
http://FB.com/Lyndhurst07071/photos/a.295047560970627/571678193307561/

In spite of all these, Lyndhurst Schools are expected to continue to be poorly rated, with much higher than usual number-of-students-per-class. Millions of dollars are further going to be spent by Lyndhurst, on improving Stuyvesant Avenue area, further putting an upward pressure on Property Taxes.

See :
‘LYNDHURST CONSIDERS REDEVELOPMENT ZONE FOR STUYVESANT AVE’
https://goo.gl/kS4op3

All these factors are going to put a upward pressure on property taxes in Lyndhurst, and a downward pressure on home prices, & home owner-ship.

RENT Vs. HOME-OWNERSHIP :
This brings up the ultimate important question for those living in Lyndhurst, or even those living in other parts of NJ : Should you rent, or should you buy? ..... a part of the ‘American Dream’ was home-ownership, with a nice yard for the kids to play in, and a garage to park your cars inside. However, more and more New Jersey residents are opting to rent, rather than own. In the last ten years, there are fewer homeowners and more renters in New Jersey, according to an analysis of Census housing data. This trend is expected to further accelerate in the coming years.

See :
‘MORE & MORE NJ RESIDENTS ARE OPTING OUT OF HOME OWNERSHIP’
https://www.nj.com/data/2018/02/more_renters_fewer_homeowners_census_shows.html

01/25/2019

Apparently, contracts were given out without following proper authorization or procedures. Payment vouchers for plumbing & electrical work by two local contractors were examined & showed invoices seeking payment for work PRECEDED purchase orders. The district REGULARLY accepted invoices for electrical and plumbing work BEFORE purchase orders for the repairs were completed.

A private auditing firm is expected to release findings on Monday that may explain why the Lyndhurst School District has a nearly $5 million deficit.

Read More at the link below.

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A private auditing firm is expected to release findings on Monday that may explain why the Lyndhurst School District has a nearly $5 million deficit.

01/25/2019

Serious bus crash closes Rt.80 in Parsippany. Happened just before 8pm.
Multiple injuries & a fatality. Both : East & West bound lanes (Rt 80) closed near exit 43 : I-287.

UPDATE : (Jan 25) : The person killed in the accident has been identified as a 21 year old woman, Brianna Herrera, of Ozone Park, New York. She was a passenger in the bus.

Roughly 30 people on the bus.
People were lying across the highway.
20 injured, 2 critical.
MCI has been declared. (mass casualty incident)
NJ state police say the call came in around 7:45 p.m
The crash involved a bus and "several cars," police said.
This was a tour bus, originating in Binghamton, going to NYC.
Bus was a New York City-bound Adirondack Trailways bus travelling in the eastbound express lanes in Parsippany.
Bus struck a median and 3 other vehicle near exit 43.
Fatality was an occupant of the second vehicle.
Debris both sides of the road.

This post will be updated as more news comes in. Stay tuned.

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01/18/2019

State of Emergency declared by Gov.Murphy : Weekend Storm

“Please do not go out onto the roads during the storm,” the governor said. “We ask that you stay home so that road crews, whether state, county or local, could do their jobs.”
“If there is ever a weekend to stay in and binge-watch something, this may be it.”

- Commercial travel restriction on all roads north of I 95, but not including the Turnpike.
- 8 to 15 inches of snow possible. Flash Freeze expected.
- Sunday : temperature to drop to 4°, making the situation more critical. Extreme Icy condition will cause roads to become very dangerous. Ice weighing in on trees and power lines, will cause collapses of branches, and power lines.
- Avoid parking vehicles under large trees.
- Avoid driving on Sunday.
- Carry extra blankets and warm clothing in your vehicles, in case you get stranded.
- Power Outages expected.
- Snow will begin early Sat evening, then mix with some sleet and freezing rain before changing to rain later.
- Prolonged snow/ice well inland will cause significant travel problems.
- Flash Freeze expected on Sunday, as temperatures expected to drop to single digit & high winds - upto 30 miles per hour.
- Possibility that all bus service to be suspended at some point during the weekend. This could include service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

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Read more at :

"Phil Murphy declares NJ state of emergency" (The Record)
https://goo.gl/X2zp9V

"New Jersey Snow Totals, Town-By-Town" (Patch)
https://goo.gl/2jwsF2

01/18/2019

Lyndhurst School Plan A 'Disaster' : State Monitor (Mr.Tom Egan)
-The School improvements & upgrades are going to cost at least $5 million more than originally proposed.
- Egan halted further work on all schools in August 2018.

Mr.Egan expressed his views while addressing the Board Of Commissioners. He was appointed the 'State Monitor' to Lyndhurst after the discovery of $5 Million+ School Deficit.

More interesting details in the following article :

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/bergen/lyndhurst/2019/01/17/state-tells-lyndhurst-nj-school-plan-botched-underfunded/2605046002/

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01/11/2019

Lyndhurst BOE Meeting : Jan 7, 2019
Frank Ferrandino & Rick Pizzuti Sworn in (see 16:00 onwards)
Erin Keefe elected President of Board (see 27:00 onwards. 25 min onwards if you want to see the "interesting" pre-vote drama)

In brief, this is what happened :
Jim Donovan nominated Erin Keefe for the post of Board President.
Erin got 5 votes out of the 8 votes : The 5 votes were from Frank Ferrandino, Rick Pizzuti, Jim Donovan, “Chizzie” Vuono & Erin Keefe.
Jim Donovan got elected Vice-President of the Board.

Joe Abruscato nominated Chris Andrinopoulos for Board President & Susan Alcuri for Vice President. This pair got only 3 of the 8 votes, and so lost to Erin Keefe & Jim Donovan.

01/10/2019

IN MEMORY OF JOHN E. SAKELLARIS
=================================
(owner of the Lyndhurst Diner, Pan Gregorian Chairman, philanthropist, founding member of the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey .... & more )

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of John E. Sakellaris, founding member of the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey, owner of the Lyndhurst Diner for nearly five decades.

Mr. Sakellaris, a visionary and driving force behind the creation of the Hellenic Federation of NJ, passed quietly at home, on Tuesday, Jan 8, 2019. He was a longtime Chairman and co founder of the Pan Gregorian restaurant cooperative which helped unify the Greek American independent restaurateurs.

Mr. Sakellaris was born in Volada on the Greek Island of Karpathos and came to the United States as a very young man. He distinguished himself in his devotion to community involvement, both in the Greek community and beyond, serving as a role model to emulate.

He served as chairman of the Karpathian Federation raising considerable funds for the Foundation which was able to purchase the ‘‘Karpathian Home’’ in New Jersey. He has achieved success as a restaurant owner, first with the ownership of Al’s Diner in Jersey City followed by ownership of the Lyndhurst Diner in Lyndhurst NJ. As a founding member of Pan Gregorian Enterprises in New Jersey, Mr. Sakellaris was instrumental in the formation of the Hellenic Federation of New Jersey.

Throughout his life, John Sakellaris a man of deep Orthodox Christian values, remained engaged in the life of the church. John Sakellaris served the Greek Orthodox Church in many capacities, including his service as a president of the Association of Voladioton ‘‘Saint Anargyroi’’ and president of the parish council of Saint Demetrios Church in Jersey City. He was also a member of the Metropolitan Council of the Metropolis of New Jersey. For his selfless service, Mr. Sakellaris was awarded the title of Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. He received the Offikion Archon Ypomnimatographos by His All Holiness, Bartolomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch. Mr. Sakellaris has always altruistically and with great joy helped his fellow Greeks in many ways. Mr. John Sakellaris service and tireless efforts have touched the lives of the entire Greek-American community in New Jersey.

The Federation remains grateful for his efforts and owes him a debt of gratitude for the innumerable contributions to our community.

He is survived by his loving wife Zoe their three daughters, Vasilia with her husband Dimitri Logothetis, Irene and Evdoxia and three grandsons Emanuel, Yianni and Mihali. His memory is Eternal.

Wake Services Tuesday January 15 from 2 pm to 9 pm
Funeral Service Wednesday January 16 at 11 am
Both at St. George Greek Orthodox Church
Clifton NJ (http://www.stgeorgeclifton.org/)

===============

For more tributes to Mr.John E. Sakellaris, read the following articles :

Grandson’s Emotional Tribute to His Late Pappou, John Sakellaris :
https://www.thenationalherald.com/226315/grandsons-emotional-tribute-to-his-late-pappou-john-sakellaris/

Lyndhurst Diner owner John Sakellaris dies, remembered for big heart :
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/bergen/lyndhurst/2019/01/09/lyndhurst-diner-owner-john-sakellaris-dies-remembered-kind-heart/2524772002/

12/17/2018

NEW Lyndhurst Township OEM App : Download for FREE!
Changes to Nixle Texts as of Monday 12/7/18.

Message from Lyndhurst, NJ Office of Emergency Management:

click for more details : https://goo.gl/kCxEHa

Effective this Monday, December 17, 2018, you will no longer be able to receive SMS Text messages for Community and Advisory alerts from Nixle. These are the most common messages that are sent from our emergency services daily. You will still be able to receive these alerts via e-mail, and Severe Warnings will continue to come in both SMS Text messages and e-mail. For that reason, we urge you to download the NEW Township of Lyndhurst OEM mobile app to stay informed!

Mayor and Public Safety Commissioner Robert Giangeruso and the Lyndhurst Office of Emergency Management has released a new iPhone and Android mobile app to aid in emergency alerting and preparedness. This one stop shop, makes it easy for the public to stay connected and informed by Public Safety and Public Works officials during day to day incidents, happenings, and disasters.

In a day when nearly 80% of the U.S. population has smartphones, it’s estimated that more than 17,600 persons in Lyndhurst Township are using smartphones as their main means of communication. The Lyndhurst OEM mobile app is designed to keep Lyndhurst citizens, businesses, and visitors prepared for and alerted to emergencies. The new mobile app is available for download free of charge from the iPhone and Google Play (Android) app stores.

Emergency alerts (push notifications) are one of the most important aspects of the new smartphone app. Download the app to automatically receive Township related alerts, as well as alerts from the National Weather Service on the moderate to severe levels.

The app displays local weather, 7-day weather forecast, and radar.

Emergency Plan is a feature that will help you to create your own plan. This includes four sections: “My Info” is a shareable list to keep important family, medical, and insurance contacts at your fingertips; “Checklist” helps you determine what supplies you will need for an emergency; the “Preparedness” section is where you will find information on preparing for various kinds of emergencies. Lastly, under “During a Disaster” you will find the I’m Okay contact form, “Where am I” - a personal locator, a Damage Report form, and Tips to Stay Safe during emergencies.

Also included are Anonymous Tip Reporting, which goes directly to the LPD Criminal Investigations Division, 511 Traffic Information, Power Outages, the Special Needs Registry, and social media integration from our Police, Fire, EMS, and OEM. In case of an emergency, you can get directions to the nearest Shelters. Also, you can report Street light outages directly to the LPD Traffic Division in seconds. Lastly, you can link into the Municipal Court to pay your parking or payable moving violations.

To Download from the Apple App Store Free:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lyndhurst-township-oem/id1446890587?mt=8

To Download for your Droid from the Google Play store Free:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ocv.lyndhurstnjem

Address/Location
Lyndhurst, NJ Office of Emergency Management
367 Valley Brook Ave
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 201-804-2441

Effective this Monday, December 17, 2018, you will no longer be able to receive SMS Text messages for Community and Advisory alerts from Nixle. These are the most common messages that are sent from ...

12/11/2018

"NJ hates Christmas" : claimed a local newspaper story (see story here : https://goo.gl/xk3pnf ) that used Sarnoski's picture. Sarnoski is a retired Lyndhurst police captain, with 32 years on the job.

Friends & loved ones got very upset with the story that used his picture. "Ask any of the countless adults and children who’ve met him: You won't find a kinder, more giving and beloved Santa Claus than Joe Sarnoski of Lyndhurst."

For decades now, Sarnoski has made a minimum of 40 appearances a season as Santa, often visiting ailing or disabled children in hospitals and at their homes.

For many, Sarnoski is the face of Christmas.

Fore more, read the news story at the following link : https://goo.gl/d2zA2S

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12/03/2018

Even though it was raining slightly, a large crowd turned up. The line for 'Picture with Santa' was huge. Children from the Lyndhurst Band put up an awesome performance. The park was beautifully decorated. A few videos will be put up soon.

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