Educator's Battle With Cancer, Luring Connection, Sober Home Controversy Top This Week's News

Immaculate Heart Students Support Vice Principal During Illness

Current and former students of Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township have banded together over the past few weeks to support the school's vice principal during her battle against ovarian cancer.

Boy Connects Bergenfield Luring Report to Westwood Sketch

A 12-year-old boy told authorities a man tried to lure him into pick-up truck in Bergenfield Monday and picked out the man shown in a sketch developed after a reported Westwood luring attempt, police said. 

Sober Home Near School Worries Hillsdale Residents

A proposed sober living home near George G. White Middle School has some Hillsdale residents concerned about children's safety.

"Something like this doesn't belong next to a school," Mayor Max Arnowitz said.

The home's owner, Donna Lally, said she understood the concerns but hoped that her neighbors would come around. She described the home as "sober living for executive men." The residents would all be 28 or older and voluntarily pay to stay there. There would be no court-ordered residents and the facility does not use government funding, according to Lally.

Test Scores Rise at Westwood Regional Schools

Westwood Regional students continued a trend of improvement on standardized tests last year, according to a district report.

Westwood had a greater percentage of students pass tests in every grade level and subject on NJASK and HSPA tests last year compared to the District Factor Group (DFG) total, according to District Testing Coordinator Rory McCourt.

Washington Township's Longtime CFO Retiring

acqueline Do, Washington Township's current CFO and a longtime employee of the town in various positions, is retiring as of November 1. Do has worked for the township for more than 50 years, during which time it grew from a rural community to the more densely-populated suburban town it is today.

The Washington Township Fire Department will now be better prepared to handle cardiac emergencies on the spot thanks to the donation of an AED from LifeSavers, Inc. Bob Stickel, the company's president and a township resident, said his family donated the AED "in honor of our dedicated firefighters."

Swiftwater Firefighter Training Delayed Until 2013

Swiftwater training for Pascack Valley firefighters, which had been scheduled for this weekend, will not take place until next spring at the earliest, according to Hillsdale Deputy Fire Chief Jason Durie.

The training will prepare firefighters to deal with rescues during so-called "swiftwater" conditions, such as those in the Pascack Brook during heavy rainstorms.

N.Y. Jets Pick Nielsen as "Coach of The Week"

The New York Jets picked Pascack Valley High School football Coach Craig Nielsen as their most recent "coach of the week."

The award is given to tristate area coaches who both teach the fundamentals of football and motivate their players to achieve, according to the post announcing Nielsen's award on the Jets' website. In addition to the prestige of being recognized by a NFL team, Nielsen was also awarded $1,000 to benefit the school's football program.

Pascack Brook Cleaned by Volunteers

A team of volunteers from Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics' Woodcliff Lake office joined a crew from the Hackensack Riverkeeper to clean trash out of the Pascack Brook Tuesday.

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