Week in Review: Bank Robber Nabbed, Oradell Opts for Reassessment

Following a weeklong investigation into the ,  arrested Darrel Johnson, 29, of Englewood late Wednesday at a Hackensack apartment. Johnson, who has been charged with one count of robbery, was remanded to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Following in the footsteps of neighboring municipalities like River Edge, Cresskill and Dumont, the borough of Oradell has ordered a reassessment to stave off more tax appeals.  of Glen Rock, which performed the reassessment for the other towns was hired on Tuesday night to compile updated housing value results for $71,000.

For the past few months, Oradell's neighbors in New Milford have been battling plans for a near the Hackensack River and New Milford High School. On Tuesday June 12, members from appeared before the Oradell Mayor and Council urging them to educate both themselves and their residents about the potential impacts the development could have on Oradell. Attorneys for New Milford Redevelopment Associates, whose managing director is Peter Hekemian, called Mark Sussman, an expert in appraisals and land valuations, to testify whether the during the most recent Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing.

Earlier in the week, the to suspend the appellate court's ruling that the governor did not have the authority to dismantle COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) because it is an agency that was created by the legislative branch. On Tuesday night Oradell's Borough Planner Joe Burgis updated the governing body on their Affordable Housing requirements and a timeframe for when more information could be available.

John Downey was recently named the 6th cross country coach in program history on Thursday afternoon at Bergen Catholic. As the head coach at, his program has captured state championships in three of the past four seasons, and have emerged as the most dominant girls cross country program in Bergen County. Downey will remain as the head coach at IHA while serving in the same capacity at BC.

For over 40 years the graduating class from the has been treated to a picnic lunch and the exploits of Caryl Green and her Happy Times Children's Theater. This year was no different but the Nursery School received an added bonus as a parent collection donated over $2,000 towards the purchase of new technology. The Nursery School will use the donation to implement an Imac computer and several Ipads into the school's daily lessons starting next fall.

Rather than seek a potential Department of Transportation grant to complete the Kinderkamack Road streetscape, the borough of River Edge has switched gears and will now begin working on a Safe Routes to School application this fall instead.

River Edge officials are drafting a resolution outlining a Complete Streets Policy, which if adopted could better position the borough to gain grants to finance road improvements. The resolution will outline policies for public transit, pedestrians and cyclists.

The River Edge Borough Council approved awarding a contract to Brinkerhoff Environmental Services, a Manasquan based company for the first phase of an environmental study planned for the former American Legion building on Continental Avenue. The study will be performed to determine whether the former American Legion building in River Edge suffers from any environmental concerns before moving forward with the building's demolition, including the presence of asbestos, lead paint or an underground storage tank at the site.