Woman Hit By Train, Bogus Bomb Threat, School Performance Top This Week's News

Woman Hit by Train in Westwood

One woman was in the hospital after being hit by a train at the Westwood Train Station Wednesday afternoon, NJ Transit spokeswoman Courtney Carroll confirmed.

Train 1621 was headed from Hoboken to Spring Valley when the woman made contact with it "for reasons unknown," Carroll said. The woman was transported to an area hospital, but details of her condition were not immediately available.

The Westwood K-Mart was evacuated for about an hour Wednesday afternoon while police searched the store for a bomb, according to Westwood Police Det. Sgt. Rod Fortunat.

The store received an anonymous call at about 2:24 p.m. saying that "something was going to go boom" in the store, according to Fortunat. The caller was not specific about the type of bomb or its location, he said.

Police evacuated the K-Mart and other nearby stores while the Bergen County Police Bomb Squad and K-9 Unit searched the site. No explosives were found and the stores reopened.

Test scores at Westwood Regional Schoolscontinued to rise last year, but the percentage ofWestwood Regional High School students taking the SAT, PSAT and AP tests fell below state goals, according to the 2011-2012 School Performance Reports released by the Department of Education last week.

Pascack Valley High School's Academic Achievement 'Very High'

More than 90 percent of Pascack Valley High School students passed the HSPA test in math and language arts last year, according to the 2011-2012 School Performance Reports released by the Department of Education last week.

Student Growth 'Very High' at Westwood Middle School

Westwood Regional Middle School test scores have improved more compared to more than 90 percent of their peer schools, according to the 2011-2012 School Performance Reports released by the Department of Education last week.

Beverly Adler is getting ready to close her Westwood store, Arts & Ends, for the last time this May.

Arts & Ends has changed a lot since it opened 40 years ago. Originally an art store, Adler began selling some handmade jewelry and clothing. As trends changed and her customers began asking for designer brands, Adler continued to transform the store into the modern clothing shop it is today.

Adler calls it retirement, but really it's just another change. She will be taking over the gift shop at HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley when the hospital opens June 1.

Assemblyman Schroeder Sued by Albany Company Over Loan

A recent lawsuit filed against Robert Schroeder alleges the state assemblyman failed to pay back a $100,000 loan last year.

According to the complaint filed March 15, Dolpack, LLC of Albany, N.Y. loaned Schroeder $100,000 in June 2012 with an agreement that he would pay back $120,000 July 23 that year.

On July 27, the parties agreed to extend the maturity date of the loan to August 28, when $135,000 would be due, instead, according to the complaint.

Schroeder was  just days later on August 3.

Westwood Council Approves 'Tough' $16.8M Budget

The Westwood Council unanimously approved a $16.8 million budget that includes a 1.97 percent tax increase from last year during their meeting Tuesday night.

The average borough homeowner with a property assessed at $398,000 will see an increase of $84 in municipal taxes. The total tax levy is increasing by $244,889 according to borough CFO Durene Ayer.

Skateboarders Damage Westwood Park Benches Again

Seven memorial benches, dedicated by local families to deceased loved ones, were damaged this week, according to Westwood Councilman Peter Grefrath.

It was the second time skateboarders damaged benches in Veterans' Memorial Park this year.

Temporary Cell Tower Up at Hillsdale DPW Yard

A new temporary cell phone tower was installed at the Hillsdale Department of Public Works yard last week.

The 125-foot-tall tower contains antennas for MetroPCS, according to Borough Administrator Jonathan DeJoseph.

Hillsdale will receive $30,000 per year for hosting the tower on borough property, according to DeJoseph.