Ambulance Crash, Dunkin Donuts' Return, Superintendent Search Top This Week's News

Westwood Ambulance Collides With SUV

A Westwood ambulance and a SUV collided on Broadway near the Westwood Plaza late Thursday morning.

The ambulance was headed north to a mutual aid call in Hillsdale, Police Chief Frank Regino said. A River Vale resident in a Nissan SUV was driving down Lake Street toward Broadway and reportedly accelerated to make it through the intersection before the traffic light changed, he said. 

The driver of the SUV was hospitalized with minor injuries, Regino said. No one in the ambulance was injured.

Dunkin Donuts Returning to Washington Township

An applicant has filed to open a new Dunkin Donuts in the Washington Town Center strip mall, replacing one which previously closed.

Keith Rasquinha, who originally ran the Dunkin Donuts there, has proposed to open a new Dunkin Donuts in the 1,332-square-foot space between BK Tae Kwon Do and Wing Lee Kitchenin the mall, near its former location between Subway and Dairy Queen.

Westwood School Board Searching For New Superintendent

The Westwood Regional Board of Educationmade their first step in the search for a new superintendent during their meeting Thursday night.

The board decided that they would seek quotes from both the New Jersey School Boards Association and some private firms for assistance in their search, according to Board President Roberta Hanlon.

Washington Twp. Police Salaries Approved by Council

The Washington Township Council voted unanimously to pass a new salary ordinance for the Police Department during their meeting Monday.

The council had approved a new agreement with the PBA at their previous meeting. The salary ordinance set the salaries as agreed to in the new contract, which retroactively takes effect as of January 1, 2012 and lasts through 2014.

Patterson Street Apartment Hearing Delayed

A hearing for a proposed 57-unit apartment building on Patterson Street in Hillsdale, originally scheduled for Wednesday night, was held until March because of an error with the application.

Ira Weiner, an attorney for the developer, said that there had not been enough copies of the plan distributed to the borough for the Hillsdale Planning Board, which will be hearing the plan. He asked that the board hold the hearing until their March 19 meeting.

Westwood Resident Wins Environmental Stewardship Award

Westwood resident and Zoning Board member Matthew Ceplo was recently picked by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Board of Directors as the winner of their 2013 President's Award for Environmental Stewardship, according to a post on the group's website.

Sheriff's K-9s to Chase Geese From Memorial Field

The Bergen County Sheriff's Office was "very willing" to use Memorial Field in Washington Township for their K-9 teams' training and exercise, township Administrator Catherine Navarro-Steinel said Monday.

Township officials said they hope the dogs will scare off the droves of Canada geese that gather at the field. Councilman Fred Goetz said he had seen 97 geese there before the snowstorm last week and counted more than 100 at the field previously.

Hillsdale Completes Property Revaluations

Property inspectors and appraisers have completed their property revaluation of Hillsdale, according to borough Tax Assessor Patrick Wilkins. 

The last of the notices with the new property values went out last week and all residents should receive theirs by Friday, Wilkins said. Property owners can schedule appointments with the appraisers to discuss their assessment if they believe there is an error.