Local Mom's Marrow Donor, Memorial Scholarship For Girl Top This Week's News

Hillsdale Mom Finds Bone Marrow Donor in Germany

A bone marrow donor drive held in Westwood in January didn't find a match for , but a suitable donor was found for her in Germany.

Takla Farag, the mother of a student at Meadowbrook Elementary, was diagnosed last December with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a cancer which affects bone marrow cells, overwhelming healthy blood cells and making them unable to fight infections.

A 39-year-old German woman found through the program Be The Match agreed to donate stem cells from her marrow for Takla Farag's treatment for AML. She received the donated cells via an IV March 13 after a courier brought it over from Germany.

Westwood Group Plans Scholarship in Elizabeth Fasciano's Memory

A new committee in Westwood is creating a scholarship to honor the memory of Elizabeth Fasciano.

Elizabeth was just 7-years-old when she died after a long battle with cancer earlier this year.

Joseph Abou-Daoud, the executive director of the Westwood Chamber of Commerce and a member of the new committee, said they were inspired by Elizabeth because of how hard she fought against the disease. She was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was 13-months-old.

"There should be no reason this community doesn't remember her forever," Abou-Daoud said.

Westwood Regional Schools Closing on Primary Election Day

Westwood Regional students won't have to go to class on June 4, when primary elections are held in schools.

The district had two leftover snow days, so students will have off May 28 and June 4, Interim Superintendent Rory McCourt said Thursday. All after-school activities will still happen as scheduled.

Officials had previously discussed moving the polling locations out of schools for security reasons, but the county refused, according to district Business Administrator Keith Rosado.

Flood Effects Are Concern With Patterson Street Apartment Plan

A plan for a new 57-unit apartment building on Patterson Street in Hillsdale would require 1,040 truckloads of fill to raise the portion of the site where the building and parking lot would sit.

Richard Eichenlaub, an engineer for the project, testified during a Hillsdale Planning Board meeting Wednesday that retaining walls would be built as part of the plan, ranging from 2 or 3 feet in height at the front end of the property and rising to 8.5 feet at the rear. They would need 18,977 cubic yards of dirt — 16,581 of which would be imported — to fill the area, he said.

Hillsdale Mayor Reaffirms Opposition to Pascack Valley School Split

Hillsdale Mayor Max Arnowitz said Tuesday that the borough and River Vale "have commited 100 percent to fight" a proposed splitting of the Pascack Valley Regional High School District.

Arnowitz's comments followed a Woodcliff Lake Council meeting Monday at which a retired CPA recommended Woodcliff Lake attempt to withdraw from the regional district, NorthJersey.com reported.

James Kirtland, the CPA who helped prepare a study for Woodcliff Lake examining the possible effects of their proposed withdrawal from the district, said there would be "substantial overall financial and educational benefits" if Woodcliff Lake and Montvale pursued a separate regional district or had a sending-receiving relationship without Hillsdale and River Vale, according to the article.

Councilman Hopes Armrests Will Stop Skateboarders

Westwood officials are taking new measures to prevent skateboarders from damaging benches in Veterans' Memorial Park.

The borough will install armrests in the middle of the memorial benches to stop skaters from sliding their boards along the seats, Councilman Peter Grefrath said this week.

Grefrath previously reported that benches in the park had been damaged, then reported more damage after they had been repaired.

Washington Township Council Approves $12.3M Budget

The Washington Township Council voted unanimously to approve a $12,393,000 annual budget during their meeting Monday night.

The average township homeowner with a property assessed at $534,000 will see a $31 tax increase, as well as a $20 increase for school taxes. The effect of the county's budget on local taxes was not yet available.

Hillsdale Council Approves $12.5M Budget

The Hillsdale Council voted 5-1 to approve an amended $12,569,669 budget during their meeting Tuesday night.

The budget includes a 1.9 percent tax levy increase, which equates to a $57 increase for the average borough homeowner with a property assessed at $469,400. Some homeowners may see an even higher taxes if their home's assessed value increased after the recent revaluation, Councilman Larry Meyerson said. School taxes will also be increasing by a combined $228 for the average borough homeowner.

NJ Transit Plans Work at Westwood Station

NJ Transit is planning work to improve the Westwood Train Station.

The station's plaza will be undergoing concrete repairs, according to an advisory posted on NJ Transit's website.

The platform will remain open during the work, which is expected to start May 20 and will likely take about two weeks to complete.