Lawsuit Against Assemblyman, Supreme Court Decision, Police Promotions Top This Week's News

Assemblyman Schroeder Faces Another $300K Lawsuit

Another civil lawsuit has been filed against Assemblyman Robert Schroeder of Washington Township.

Harrington Park resident Phillip Corvelli alleges in a complaint filed in Hackensack April 30 that he made three loans to Schroeder totaling $245,000 in May and June of 2012.

Corvelli is seeking more than $339,000 for the loans, interest and his court costs.

Supreme Court Decides With Hillsdale on 'Golden Orchards' Project

The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously decided Monday to uphold a contested 2007 decision from the Hillsdale Planning Board to approve a proposed housing project near Pascack Road.

Caliber Builders, Inc. applied to the Board to build "Golden Orchards," a single-family age-restricted housing development, on a property off Ell Road. The site is located mostly in Hillsdale, with a small portion in Washington Township. They received approval in 2008.

The project was opposed by the nearby Northgate Condominium Association because of the public notice for the Planning Board's hearings about the project, which incorrectly named the site's lot numbers. They brought the issue to court after the Board gave its approval.

Westwood officials are reconsidering making a change to the borough Police Department's promotion rules, just months after the Council voted against it.

Currently, an officer must have a degree to be promoted, and officials voted to keep that rule last December despite the recommendation of the police committee to remove it.

Councilman Robert Miller, the chair of the police committee, brought the issue up again at a Council meeting last week. According to Miller, the borough's labor attorney has deemed that the current rule is "noncompliant" with Title 40A, the state laws which govern municipal government operations.

Westwood School Board Seeking Public Input on Superintendent Search

Westwood and Washington Township residents can provide their opinions to the school board via an online survey about the next superintendent of Westwood Regional Schools.

"The new Superintendent will need many skills and attributes that will make that person successful in the position, but we are asking that you identify for us the most important ones that in your opinion will be critical for that person to possess," board members wrote in an email announcing the survey.

The survey is online here. It will stay up until June 7.

Hillsdale Police Department's Twitter Among Most Popular in U.S.

The Hillsdale Police Department has one of the most-followed Twitter accounts among similarly-sized agencies across the country.

The account, @HillsdalePDNJ, is ranked sixth in the country among law enforcement agencies with between 16 and 25 sworn officers, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police's Center For Social Media.

Former Gov. Christie Todd Whitman urged attendees at the Bergen County Women's Republican Club's 90th anniversary celebration Wednesday to vote for minorities, women and Gov. Chris Christie. 

"We need people with different life experiences, with different ways of thinking, to be at that [decision-making] table," Whitman said during her keynote address at Seasons in Washington Township.

Whitman, New Jersey's first and only female governor, said she supported more women and citizens from minority groups running for office and also voiced support for Governor Christie in his run for re-election against Democrat Sen. Barbara Buono.

Local Man's Catch at Yankee Game Makes ESPN

Pascack Valley and Northern Valley residents who watched the Yankees game Thursday night may have spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

Northvale resident Kyle Folkers — who didn't play baseball past rec leagues — made it on TV diving over seats at Yankee Stadium to catch a ball hit by Chris Stewart during the game against the Mariners. The catch was also featured on ESPN's "top 10 plays" and was compared to Derek Jeter's famous 2004 catch against the Red Sox in which he ran up into the stands.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime catch," Folkers said. "It's a great feeling."

'Taste of Westwood' Tickets Available

The fifth annual Taste of Westwood is scheduled for June 9 at the Westwood Library.

Tickets cost $50 and are available here on the library's website.

The annual fundraiser "makes a big difference" for the library's budget, according to Urbiel.

State Awards $150K Grant to Westwood For Road Project

The New Jersey Department of Transportation has awarded a Local Aid grant to Westwood for a project on Pascack Road.

The road, located off Sand Road, is currently in "pretty bad shape," according to Mayor John Birkner. The plan is to repave the road, and also to replace the subsurface and fix some drainage issues.

The DOT gave the borough a $150,000 grant, though the whole project is expected to cost more than $300,000, according to Birkner.