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Wednesday, 17 November 2021

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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 28

ON THE INSIDE With Essex-Hudson Greenway soon a reality, questions remain: Who maintains & keeps it safe? See Page 5

BELLEVILLE • BLOOMFIELD • EAST NEWARK • HARRISON • KEARNY • LYNDHURST • NORTH ARLINGTON • NUTLEY

VETERANS HONORED

By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com

ocal communities paused at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month to honor the nation’s veterans. In Kearny, it was the traditional ceremony. In Belleville, meanwhile, it was an elaborate celebration, which included speeches, the remembrance of a local Vietnam veteran who recently died and a special fundraising 5K walk/run. nnn

Belleville has always looked to Veterans Day to recognize those from its tight-knit community who have valiantly and selflessly served the country. This year, the community paused for a moment to remember the sacrifice

and service of Michael Donnelly, a In top photo, taken by Kearny Councilman Peter Santana, members of the fire and police departments Vietnam War veteran who died Aug. 7. and assembled veterans prepare for a photo about to be taken by Barbara Goldberg, the town Friends, family members and neighphotographer. In bottom photo, Belleville dignitaries gather for the township’s annual service. bors gathered for a street dedication on Riverdale Avenue in honor of Donnelly, who had both legs amputated after being diagnosed with Type II diabetes because of Agent Orange exposure. Donnelly died at home on Riverdale Avenue at 75, with his wife, Joyce, by his side. Donnelly was remembered as being Belleville, through and through. He grew up playing Little League baseball and graduated from Belleville High School. After serving his country, he and Joyce settled in Belleville to raise their three daughters — Maureen, See VETERANS, Page 3

Kearny boys wins thrilling state sectional soccer title By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com

2021 NORTH JERSEY SECTION 1, GROUP IV CHAMPIONSHIP

he Kearny High School boys’ soccer team captured the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV championship last Thursday in thrilling fashion, when senior forward Aiden Mansilla’s goal in the 10th minute of overtime gave the Kardinals a 2-1 victory over West Orange, giving the Kards their first state title since 2017. The Kardinals (20-1-1) moved on to the overall Group IV state semifinals against Elizabeth, the Section 2, Group IV champions, in a match that was scheduled to be played at Kearny Tuesday night. If the Kards emerged victorious against Elizabeth, then they would face the winner of the South Jersey

■ BOYS’ SOCCER (1) Kearny (2)West Orange * in overtime

Group IV semifinal between Toms River North and Freehold Township for the overall Group IV state crown Saturday at Kean University in Union. The time of the Group IV finale has yet to be determined.

The Kardinals will be shooting for a record 33rd state championship dating back to 1922. Kearny head coach Bill Galka felt that he had the makings of a solid team when the season kicked off in

2 1

September. “We had a lot of seniors coming back,” Galka said. “We were hopeful that this was the year. We had a lot of experience, a good veteran group.” But the Kardinals, the top seed in the section, didn’t have an easy road to secure the state sectional crown, considering that they had to defeat perennial state powers Montclair and West Orange to get there. The North See KARDS, Page 9

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KPD: Man reportedly urinates on his wife, sent to the county By Capt. Tim Wagner Kearny Police Department

criminal restraint and simple assault. The husband was also later charged with refusal to allow a biological sample for a DNA database when he refused to submit to a cheek swab at police headquarters. The husband was remanded to the county jail, South Kearny.

On Nov. 4 at 9:40 a.m., Officers Ellesse Ogando, Esteban Gonzalez, Det. Mike Andrews and Sgt. Phil Finch responded to a report of a domestic dispute between a husband and wife at a private home. They nnn spoke to a 47-year-old woman who On Nov. 4 at 10:04 a.m., a reported she was nude in her locked concerned citizen called police bathroom getting ready for work describing a man whom they saw when her 45-year-old husband advertising@theobserver.com 201-991-1600 holding a silver handgun while began trying to unlock the bathroom driving a blue, two-door Infiniti near r: Client: door from the outside. The husband Belleville Turnpike and Schuyler eventually unlocked the door leading Avenue. The caller recorded half the to a verbal argument. license plate characters and gave The argument escalated when them to a dispatcher. the husband allegedly held the wife Det. Andrews found the suspect down on their bed and urinated on and the Infiniti in the 7-11 parking lot her. at the described street corner. he allegedly dvertising: After Herethis, is the updatedsexually template with aDriver new photo ofO.Jarlynn Hyde: Wallard Green, 47, of assaulted her. Kearny, denied having a handgun Officers arrested the husband, or owning the Infiniti. The New charging him with sexual assault, Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission

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disagreed with Green with respect to ownership of the Infiniti. Seeing a suspicious bulge in his pants, Det. Andrews frisked Green for weapons and found 18 bottles of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana in his pocket. However, he did not find a gun. Det. Andrews arrested Green on charges of possession of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. Green was remanded to the Hudson County jail. His car was impounded at the police garage. The next day, Judge John Young approved a warrant to search the Infiniti. Dets. Andrews, Dave Bush, Tim Castle and Sgt. Neil Nelson searched the Infiniti and located inside of it 216 heroin folds stamped “Shop Rite,” 116 heroin folds stamped “Milk & Honey,” 21 heroin folds stamped “Gorilla Pimp,” two wax folds stamped “House Wins,” two heroin folds stamped “White Castle,” a heroin fold stamped “Live High,” 10 bags of cocaine, a plastic container of crack cocaine and three hypodermic needles. Following the search, Green’s charges were amended to include possession of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin and intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. nnn

Police Beat On Nov. 4 at 9:21 p.m., Officers Bryan San Martin, Pedro Pina and Ryan Wilson were dispatched to the Walgreens at 465 Kearny Ave., where a 15-year-old town boy reported his bicycle had been stolen while he was inside the store at about 1 p.m. that day. The bicycle was a blue Trek mountain bike worth approximately $300. The enterprising youth reviewed store surveillance footage and identified the alleged bike thief as a high school classmate. Shortly thereafter, Officer San Martin found the classmate allegedly depicted in the video, Anton A. Walker, 18, of Kearny. Officers arrested him near Town Hall and their follow-up investigation led to the location of the stolen Trek bicycle. They charged Walker on a summons with theft. He was later released. nnn

On Nov. 7 at 11:58 a.m., Officer Anthony Nunez investigated a call of a suspicious person behind a parked car near the old Boonton Line See KPD, Page 15

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

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Photo by Kevin A. Canessa Jr.

Following Kearny’s 2021 Veterans Day remembrance, the mayor and Town Council gathered with Kearny’s Len Twist, who dresses each year as a World War I soldier. From left, Councilmembers Sue McCurrie, Gerald Ficeto, Peter Santana, Mayor Alberto G. Santos, Twist and Councilmembers Carol Jean Doyle, Albino Cardoso, Marytrine DeCastro and Richard Konopka.

VETERANS

Continued from Page 1 Trecia and Susan. “We celebrate the great sacrifice made by Michael Donnelly and we recognize his courage in the face of enormous challenges,” Mayor Michael Melham said. “There are countless others in Belleville and beyond who have also served our country. To them, this is a time to say ‘thank you.’ We pause to remember you on Veterans Day, but you are never far from our thoughts every day of the year.” The street dedication kicked off a day of events commemorating Veterans Day, a federal holiday observed each Nov. 11, with parades, ceremonies, speeches and concerts nationwide. Belleville’s annual Veterans Day Parade ended near Union and Tiona avenues, where there was a ceremony near the Veterans Memorial. The memorial is inscribed

with these words: “My stone is red for the blood they shed/ The medal I bear is my country’s way to show they care/If I could be seen by all mankind maybe peace will come in my lifetime.” The day ended with the Veterans Day 5K Run/Walk, which raised about $4,400 to be donated evenly to four local veterans groups. Earlier this year, Belleville was recognized as a Purple Heart municipality, honoring and remembering military personnel wounded or killed in combat with hostile forces. The Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 366 relocated from Clifton to Belleville and is headquartered at American Legion Post 105 on Washington Avenue. nnn

In Kearny, a larger-than-usual crowd gathered for its celebration, led by Keith McMillan, commander of the Joseph E. Frobisher Post 99. A cannon was shot off, members read a special war poem and several spoke

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— including WFW Commander Jennifer Long and Mayor Alberto G. Santos — Council President Carol Jean Doyle and Joann Carratura placed a wreath at the Great War monument and Councilman Gerald “Jerry” Ficeto offered a prayer. In his speech, the mayor recalled the dedication of the aforementioned monument, which occurred before thousands of people assembled and in the presence of Gen. John J. Pershing. Kearny lost 61 men, mostly all young, in World War I between 1914-1918, which, in total, claimed more than 116,500 American lives. “That war, led to this day, Nov. 11, as a day of remembrance,” Santos said. “So, at this very spot, essentially a century ago, there were thousands of people here, for the dedication of this monument.

And there were many names, of the 61, you are familiar with. “Walter Howell Jr., who lived on Chestnut Street — and now we have Howell Place in Kearny in his honor — he was killed in action at 21 years of age. We go there so

often, Benjamin Elliot Gunnell, who lived on Elizabeth Avenue, was also 21 when he was killed in action. Clarence Jacobus, killed in action, lived on Kearny Avenue, he was just 19, and was only serving his fifth month when he made the ultimate sacrifice.”

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IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION Opinion....................................................................................Page 6 Sports......................................................................................Page 9 Health & Wellness Directory...............................................Page 11

Obituaries...............................................................................Page 12 Classiﬁeds ....................................................................... Pages 16-17 Business Directory.............................................................Page 19

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

New Kearny schools’ BA is just 27 By Ron Leir For The Observer

ince Michael DeVita left the Kearny Board of Education as the overseer of its fiscal books in August 2016 for a similar role in Cedar Grove, he’s been replaced by a parade of interim overseers. But that situation finally changed in July when the Kearny Board of Education appointed 27-year-old Juan Faciolince as school business administrator/board secretary. And that hiring bodes well for the stability of the town’s school system since, despite his youth and limited experience in the field, Faciolince’s quick rise in the district speaks well of his ability to quickly adapt to more difficult tasks. It’s a trait Faciolince has displayed since arriving in the U.S., with his parents and two older brothers, from his native Colombia in 2005, initially settling in Ridgefield Park where the young man earned kudos as a varsity high school soccer standout. In 2016 he completed his bachelor’s

Juan Faciolince degree in accounting at Berkeley College — earning a 3.85 GPA in the process — and initiated a series of steps that would, ultimately, land him on a path that combined his background in finance with an educational setting. That groundwork may have been partly paved his family — his grandmother was a teacher in Colombia and his mother worked as a financial assistant. After securing his degree, Faciolince began working for the Passaic County Educational Services Commission, which provides assistance to local

school districts. In that capacity, he did a five-month stint as assistant accountant with Fairfield public schools, followed by a short stretch as a payroll clerk in Ringwood. Then, in July 2016, he was recruited by DeVita in Kearny to fill a vacancy as a part-time accountant and bookkeeper. He was promoted to full-time accountant in June 2017 and continued in that role through August 2019. In September 2019, he was upgraded to comptroller/assistant board secretary when Ronald Smith had just

taken over as interim Kearny school B.A. “He (Smith) pushed me to go back to school for a degree in educational leadership to qualify me as a school business administrator,” Faciolince recalled. And he did, completing the program at Kean University in one year, taking classes at night while continuing to work in Kearny during the day. In February 2021, he was named assistant B.A./board secretary after receiving a provisional license from the state Department of Education and, five months later, he was appointed B.A./board secretary at $140,000 a year, pending completion of state monitoring. (The DOE has designated Anthony Dragona, Union City schools B.A., to review Faciolince’s performance.) Upon successful completion of the monitoring, the DOE will issue a standard school administrator’s license to the B.A. candidate. “Kearny has been such an amazing See FACIOLINCE, Page 15

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

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WHO’LL KEEP IT SAFE? Gov says he’ll pay for greenway, but offers nothing about safety & maintenance, worrying Santos By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com

espite several reservations from Kearny’s mayor and residents, the State of New Jersey will purchase nearly nine miles of former railway — spanning two counties and eight municipalities — in one of the most highly populated regions of north Jersey. Under a framework announced last week by Gov. Philip D. Murphy, the state will purchase the 135-acre property. The Essex-Hudson Greenway Coalition — comprised of the Open Space Institute, the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance — has been advocating for the project, which will create a green space solution that will provide walkers, runners, cyclists, hikers and others with a linear park and multi-use trail connecting Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Belleville, Newark, Kearny, Secaucus and Jersey City. “Today’s announcement by the State of New Jersey completes the first major step in making this greenway a reality. We commend Gov. Murphy, all the local leaders and elected officials who recognized the extraordinary

potential of the greenway and our coalition partners — New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition and the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance – who have been key partners in growing support for the Greenway,” Kim Elliman, president and CEO of the Open Space Institute, said. The land purchase will cost the state $65 million. In July 2020, the Open Space Institute (OSI) reached a preliminary purchase and sale agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway for the property in Essex and Hudson counties. The proposed greenway will follow the right-of-way of the eastern portion of NJ Transit’s former Boonton Line. Passenger service was discontinued on this portion of the line in 2002. Following termination the commuter service, limited freight service continued until the last rail customer ceased operations in 2015. The greenway will span an average of 100 feet. The governor, meanwhile, was in Bloomfield Friday, Nov. 12, to make the grand announcement. His words weren’t exactly music to the ears of Kearny Mayor Alberto G. Santos, though it appears most other commuSee GREENWAY, Page 14

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Thoughts & Views EDITORIAL

That day the Kearny PD made a very difficult situation look routine

Antonelli: $1K daily fine for a birth banner? I don’t think so!

or the sake of all involved, we are not going to name specific officers who were called to the scene we’re about to describe. Their actions, nonetheless, were absolutely heroic under what may only be depicted as immensely stressful circumstances. Several officers and a sergeant were called to the parking lot of a local dentist’s office. A man, Black, was on Kearny Avenue, walking with an open bottle of wine. We’d later learn, through proper channels, he was experiencing a “mental health crisis.” It appeared he was under the influence of something — and he was very loud, erratic, animated. His arms flailed in every which direction. From a distance, it was obvious — he was not in a good frame of mind. From a distance, we watched it from beginning to end. From a distance, it was unnerving and difficult to witness. From a distance, it caused us fear. Despite that, what we saw was also one of the finest examples of police work we’ve ever seen, because a situation that was hostile, a scenario that leads to recurring nightmares, was unfolding — and the Kearny Police Department handled it what we’d think was textbook style. One officer in particular, who later would say the incident was “just another day on the job,” engaged the man, asked him personal questions and really got to know him — and just what it was that led him to have such a terrible day. Another officer slyly removed the large wine bottle that could easily have been used as a deadly weapon. And so what started out as a lot of yelling and screaming — chaos, frankly — concluded with the man in question stepping into an ambulance, on his own accord, for transport to an area hospital for psychiatric evaluation. What could have been a bloody, deadly situation instead ended with not a single physical injury. What many likely would have expected to turn into another “us v. them” situation was, rather, a fine example of modern policing that was something we believe every police officer would have benefited from seeing. We later learned the techniques deployed were based on recent training mandated by the Attorney General’s Office. Not only did the training clearly work, it was exemplary. We take this time to commend every officer on scene that day for their incredible patience. They didn’t realize they’d be on the spot when they got to the scene, with people standing by, watching. But that is exactly what happened and they handled the situation with professionalism, class and dignity — for themselves, the department, the community and the person experiencing the mental crisis. This situation, one that could have wound up deadly, with blood shed, instead ended with a man getting the help he desperately needed instead of heading to jail where he’d get no assistance — and all involved officers going home to their families hours later. In a world where the police too often needlessly suffer from poor reputations, we were more than proud to know “our” officers went home safely that day. And they did their extremely hard jobs really damn well.

To the Editor: This week, I experienced the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of in my 36 years as a business and property owner. I received a violation notice threatening me with a $1,000 a day fine for hanging an “It’s a Girl” banner on the railing of my business. It indicated I was in violation of the “Town of Kearny Land Use Regulations” and we didn’t have a “Valid Zoning Certificate of Occupancy” to hang this “unapproved banner!” The letter was signed by Tony Chisari, construction

official/zoning official. Also of note, the banner was professionally made and displayed on the porch so it certainly wasn’t unsightly. Numerous attempts were made to reach Mr. Chisari, but I didn’t receive the courtesy of a return phone call. I grew up in Kearny and started my business here in 1985. I have always been active in this community because of having lived here and owning a business. To say I was appalled by this lack of respect and courtesy because of hanging a birth announcement is beyond ridiculous.

In Memoriam Mary A. Tortoreti 1942-2016

Lisa M. Feorenzo lisa@theobserver.com Co-owner/Advertising Dir.

My property is impeccable and kept in pristine condition — and all this town is concerned about is that I didn’t pay a “permit fee” to hang a birth announcement banner. I hope someone addresses this within the town as to the absurdity of what happened to us. Maybe next time, just take the fee out of the exorbitant taxes I pay or think about the fact that I am a well-respected business owner with a business that has enhanced this community for more than 36 years. Bernadette Antonelli Arlington Tax & Bookkeeping Kearny

39 Seeley Avenue n Kearny, N.J. 07032 n (201) 991-1600 Fax: (201) 991-8941 n www.theobserver.com

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NAPD: Nearly $8K in batteries stolen from T-Mobile store By Det. Lt. Michael Horton North Arlington Police Dept.

n Nov. 3 at 6:20 a.m., North Arlington police responded to a T-Mobile equipment room on Ridge Road. There, a T-Mobile employee reported they were alerted to a service outage at 6:20 a.m. At 6:50, he was assigned to inspect the wireless outage, where he observed the batteries powering their transmitters missing. A total of 24 batteries, valued at $7,800 were taken. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Department’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted in the investigation. nnn

On Nov. 6 at 1:05 p.m., a resident of Eighth Street reported an Amazon delivery was stolen from her front porch. The package was valued at $53.50. nnn

On Nov 6 at 12:40 a.m., a North Arlington officer observed a vehicle travel through a red light at the Bel-

leville Turnpike and Ridge Road. During a subsequent stop of the vehicle, the odor of alcoholic beverage was detected on the driver, which led to field-sobriety testing. As a result, the driver was placed under arrest, transported to police headquarters and processed. The driver, Alvin Zhang, 28, of Hoboken, was issued summonses and released to a responsible party.

Police Beat totaling $45,000, but the issuing agencies declined to extradite. Scritchfield was charged accordingly and released on a summons. The passenger, Andre

nnn

On Nov. 8 at 6:32 p.m., North Arlington police were dispatched to Retro Fitness, 170 Schuyler Ave., on a report of an automobile theft. The

victim stated upon entering the gym, he put his keys on a keyboard. When he was finished with his workout, he observed his key was missing from the board. Video surveillance showed a black male wearing a face mask enter the gym and remove the victim’s keys from the keyboard.

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On Nov. 8 at 7:55 a.m., North Arlington police were dispatched to the area of Belmont Avenue and Bond Place on a suspicious vehicle call. While on scene, it was determined the vehicle was stolen out of New York, City. As a result, Paige Scritchfield, 22, of North Arlington, was placed under arrest. She was also found in possession of a driver’s license, a check book and multiple credit cards, a Porsche and BMW key fobs, all belonging to other potential victims. Scritchfield was also found to have two outstanding warrants out of California

Devolder, 36, of Newark, was found to be in possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia. He was charged accordingly and released on a summons.

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8 High school students would benefit from ‘mindfulness classes’ The Observer | www.theobserver.com

Bridgingthe

By Emilia Calabrese Lyndhurst High School

eadlines, heavy workloads, poor sleeping schedules and lack of a good home environment are some of the many leading causes of stress for high school students, which can bring a plethora of issues when it comes to their grades and the way they learn. The COVID-19 pandemic has especially also made it difficult for students to strive

in their academics. With the constant switching from in-person learning to remote learning, at times teachers fail to consider their students’ stress levels. Many of them tend to give their students a heavier workload without even realizing it. I felt like during my remote

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G A P learning experience, teachers would just assign loads of work, put a due date on it and not really do much teaching which at times made it difficult for me to fully understand what we were learning in class. Some may find remote learning to be an easier learning strategy, while others struggle to keep their motivation and grades up considering they are unable to engage in regular classroom learning. Not having that face-to-face interaction on a daily basis with students and teachers can lead to isolation for some. And to add to that, it can be very difficult for students to concentrate in class and stay focused during remote

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learning when they have family members or other noises in their home that are distracting them. All of these factors can bring a great amount of stress and a loss of motivation to high school students and many aspects of their life, which is why schools should be offering mindfulness classes. Mindfulness classes can help students to manage their stress and bring great benefits towards their mental health. Mindfulness can be practiced in many different types of forms such as meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga. Doing these things daily, even for a couple of minutes, can help pretty much anyone to become self-aware of their thoughts, feelings and body sensations. A study conducted by the Boston Charter Research Collaborative revealed that lessons to help calm students’ minds and bodies brought great benefits towards their academics. It improved things such as their grades, ability to stay engaged, and behavioral issues. These mindfulness lessons had reduced anxiety levels and provided students with a better way to handle their emotions, thus improving their capacity to learn. So in those moments when students become overwhelmed, using these forms of mindfulness can really help students to ease their stress. Schools continuing to not provide students with an effective way of keeping their mind stress-free, especially during a time where they are not having a normal high school experience due to the pandemic, will most likely negatively affect them in the long run. Although we need to try our best to stop the spread of COVID-19 and its variants,

schools need to provide students with a way that will keep their mental wellbeing from declining. According to the C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine, both teen girls and boys gained new or worsening signs of anxiety, depression, sleep issues, withdrawal from family and aggressive behavior. This shows how the pandemic has overall negatively impacted teens’ mental health and why something needs to be done to fix it. With high school teens taking part in remote learning, these issues will intensify if they are left undealt with. High school is one the most important years of life for anyone, as students are beginning to gain their independence for the life they have ahead of them. Students not being able to have that typical high school experience while also dealing with mental health issues is becoming a major concern. This is a time where students need mindfulness lessons the most in order to strive after high school. Schools giving students resources on how they can improve their mental health is something that needs to be taken seriously instead of work just constantly being thrown at them. Not only does mindfulness help students to improve grades and stress levels, but it is also scientifically proven to help self-confidence, cognition, distractions, and even physical pain they may experience. Schools should strive to provide mindfulness classes as it brings numerous benefits to students and their overall wellbeing. These classes will help students to achieve things easier as they are going through this time of uncertainty. It will provide high school students with an opportunity to overcome the obstacles that came with the pandemic and the way they had to adjust to learning.

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Sports & Recreation

WITH

Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com

Lyndhurst’s Gress signs with Penn State women’s soccer Although she never played a minute of girls’ soccer at Lyndhurst High School, Mackenzie Gress was treated like Golden Bear royalty last week, when she signed her national letter of intent to attend Penn State University and play soccer there next fall. Gress has been a nationally acclaimed goalkeeper since she was a youngster and played for several Team USA squads over her career, including a stint with the 16-and-under national team that traveled to Europe last fall for the World Cup. She has played for STA, one of the premier soccer academies in the nation, earning her place to get recognized by a major college program such as Penn State. In fact, Gress has been committed to Penn State since she was a freshman at Lyndhurst High, getting that decision out of the way at an early date. “It was always my dream school growing up,” said Gress, considered to be one of the top young goalkeepers in the country. “I went to a couple of camps there and just fell in love with the place. They then started to recruit me and one thing led to another.” So even though Gress never played for Lyndhurst, the school’s athletic director Jeff Radigan set it up for Gress

to sign her scholarship letter on the field with her name featured prominently on the scoreboard. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Gress said. “Now I’m officially a Nittany Lion. I was pretty surprised when Mr. Radigan told me of the plans for me to sign my letter here, considering I never played for Lyndhurst. But I’m always going to be a Lyndhurst girl. Mr. Radigan pulled out all the stops. I was very impressed.” Gress shared the day with her family and friends, one of whom is Enrique Mutsoli, last week’s Observer Athlete of the Week who leads the state in scoring with 39 goals. “We’ve been good friends for a long time,” Gress said. “I was happy that he showed up for me. He’s a great soccer player.” Gress said that it was somewhat of a relief that she finally signed her national letter of intent. “Some pressure has been lifted off of me,” Gress said. “I mean, I made my decision three years ago and nothing was going to change that. I didn’t have to impress college coaches that might have recruited me.” Gress was also impressed to see her name on the Penn State website. See VIEW, Page 10

Photo by Jim Hague

Seniors Alan Castillo (left) and Juan Rojas (right) have been two of the catalysts to lead Kearny to its ﬁrst state sectional championship since 2017.

KARDS

Continued from Page 1 Section 1, Group IV is considered to be the toughest public school sectional in New Jersey. “We told them that they were going to have to face tough competition and that we could never take any game lightly,” Galka said. Facing West Orange was a challenge, considering that the Mountaineers (19-5) were a bigger and stronger team. “They like to play a physical game,” Galka said. “We saw them play against Clifton and we saw that they were going to be difficult to play.” And the Mountaineers drew first blood by scoring a goal just two minutes into the game. Francisco Soca scored for the Mountaineers, giving West Orange the early 1-0 lead. “We just had to stop the bleeding,” Galka said. “We couldn’t let them score again. Sometimes, it’s hard to do that, but we didn’t panic. We knew that the game hadn’t been decided yet.” West Orange held the advantage into halftime.

“We might have been losing, but we weren’t really worried,” said senior striker Juan Rojas. “We were playing really well. I knew it was just a matter of time before we scored.” Rojas was right, because he was pulled down in the penalty area midway through the second half and was awarded a penalty kick. “My plan was to hit it low,” Rojas said of the free kick. “I never get nervous when I take a penalty kick. I just try to shoot it hard.” Rojas’ shot eluded West Orange goalkeeper Justin Scavalla for the equalizer. The game remained that way through a tense second half, only thanks to Kearny goalie Joshua Rodriguez making two big consecutive saves in the closing minutes of regulation. Rodriguez stopped the initial shot and when the rebound escaped the Kearny defense, Rodriguez had to come up huge once again to punch aside another close scoring attempt. “If they got another one there, it would have been very tough for us,” Galka said. “Josh got hurt earlier, but came back in and made those

saves to keep us alive.” As the match went to the golden goal overtime, the confidence was there for the Kardinals. They also had help from a higher power. “All week in practice I prayed,” said standout defender Alan Castillo, who has enjoyed an All-State caliber season. “Every night before I went to bed, I prayed. During the game, I prayed.” So did Rojas. He prayed for another reason. “All week long, I was sick,” Rojas said. “I was worried that I might not be able to play. I prayed to God to get me healthy to help my team.” Rojas did exactly that. He obviously recovered enough to play and in the overtime, the team’s leading scorer performed magic once again. “I saw the defender watch the ball bounce,” Rojas said. “I just got it front of it, stopped it with my heel and headed it forward. I touched it forward and saw Aidan coming forward and he just tapped it in.” Mansilla’s goal set off a frenzy at a packed Kearny High Stadium, with about See KARDS, Page 10

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KARDS

Continued from Page 9 1,500 fans in attendance. It was Mansilla’s 13th goal of the season. Incredibly, the Kardinals have seven players who have scored 10 or more goals. It’s impeccable scoring balance. Rojas scored 22 goals in a shortened season last year, but he sacrificed the goal scoring to provide good passes to his teammates. Rojas has 13 assists this season. “It meant a lot to contribute to a state sectional championship,” Rojas said. “I feel that this year it has been harder for me to score goals, but if I can help with giving assists, then that’s fine.” “There has never been an ego problem with this team,” Galka said. “Juan is very happy to assist on goals and has done very well this year. I think that’s the sign of a good team when so many kids are contributing, especially in the tough games. The team is the star of this team. There isn’t one player.” Galka applauded the efforts of Castillo, who has earned his place in Kearny soccer folklore.

“He hasn’t taken a bad step all year,” Galka said of Castillo. “He’s skillful and reads the game well. He’s one of the best center backs we’ve ever had.” Castillo said that he went to a lot of the games during the 2017 state championship run. “I was in eighth grade and wanted to someday get a chance to win a state championship like that team,” Castillo said. “I spent a lot of time thinking about this.” Now, the Kardinals are two wins away from winning yet another state crown. “It means a lot to get a shot to be here,” Rojas said. “It’s been four years. I know how big it is to the people of Kearny.” “It’s been so enjoyable,” Galka said. “I think we could go another month if we had to. I told the kids to enjoy it, enjoy every practice. You can see that they’re doing that. It’s been a fantastic season, but we want to finish it the right way. We have to beat a good Elizabeth team, a good skilled team like us.” But only one of these teams comes from a place known as “Soccertown, USA.” It’s almost destiny that Kearny should be a state champion again.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

VIEW

Continued fromPage 9 “I was really proud of that,” Gress said. Gress will enroll at Penn State in January in time for the spring semester and practices with her new teammates. She will be a student in the school’s health and human development program with the hope of eventually majoring in kinesiology to become a sports scientist. “But I want to be a professional soccer player,” Gress said. “I think it’s going to be beneficial for me to start school early and adjust to the playing level at such a great school like Penn State, one of the best women’s soccer programs in the country.” Gress will spend the next two months playing in some games with her club team STA and

Photo courtesy of Kim Hykey

Lyndhurst’s Mackenzie Gress signed her national letter of intent to attend Penn State University last week at Lyndhurst High School.

do some goalkeeper training. “I try to get better each day,” Gress said. “I will prepare to play in the spring. It’s a possibility that I might play right away and not redshirt. It’s just my time now to shine and getting there six months early will give me a good head start.” Gress is ready for the

next challenge of playing major college soccer. “I never regretted making the decision not to play soccer in high school,” Gress said. “I’ve had moments when I thought about being with the friends I grew up my whole life with. But I made the choice instead of playing for my high school. I think I made the right choice.”

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Nutley sends eight athletes to college By Jim Hague ogsmar@aol.com

NUTLEY – When a school celebrates National Letter of Intent signing day, it usually is reserved for just a handful of student/athletes. But that wasn’t the case this year at Nutley High School, where eight seniors got the chance to celebrate their special day together. It was an impressive array of athletic talent and academic prowess. Three members of the Nutley softball program, namely Failyn Stoeckel, Lia DiMaio and Sydney Hess, all signed their letters on the same day. It’s astounding to think three girls from the same high school softball team could go on to play in college, but that’s what the Class of 2022 from Nutley softball can boast about. Stoeckel, the standout pitcher, signed her letter to play at NCAA Division I Rider University. DiMaio,

Photo by Jim Hague

Nutley had a great day last week when eight student/athletes signed their letters to college. Seated from left are Natalie Rufino, Mikayla Schoch and Lia DiMaio. Standing from left are Rocco Albanese, Sydney Hess, Failyn Stoeckel, Matthew Pergola and Joe DeLanzo.

the speedy infielder, is headed to Georgian Court. Hess is headed to Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. “I think it’s because we’re all really dedicated

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and push ourselves to the limit,” Hess said. “It’s really great to share this day with someone like Lia, who has been my closest friend since grammar school. We quickly had a nice connection with Failyn when she moved to Nutley. It means a lot to me to share the day like this.” Hess will major in occupational therapy at Sacred Heart. “Originally, I thought I was going to play soccer in college, but then I saw myself playing softball,” said Hess, a standout catcher. “It’s not a bad deal at all.” Stoeckel, who will major in sports marketing and business marketing at Rider, said that she always envi-

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Obituaries

EVERETT J. ‘RED’ MCGARRY Phoenix and his son Michael

Everett J. “Red” McGarry, 76, of Redington Shores, Florida, died Nov. 5, 2021, at his home following a long illness. Red was predeceased by his parents, Everett and Beatrice McGarry. He is survived by his wife Judi, daughter Laurie McGarry of

McGarry and his wife Katie of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. He is also survived by his brother Bill McGarry and his wife Mary of Pennington and several nieces and nephews. Red was born March 4, 1945, in Newark and was raised in North Arlington, where he attended both Queen of Peace Elementary School and High School. He went on to college at Fairleigh Dickinson University and graduated in 1967 with a degree in business

management. During college, he was a member of the Epsilon Nu Delta (Poor Fellows) fraternity. While attending FDU, Red met the love of his life, Judi, and married her in November 1967 and just celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary. Red was recognized often with awards for his athletic and business talents. He cherished his election to the Queen of Peace Athletic Hall of Fame and he was thrilled when he was named to the Fairleigh Dickinson University All Decade Baseball Team.

All obituaries must be submitted by email by 10 a.m., Mondays, to obituaries@ theobserver.com. Payment is due at submission.

In his youth, while growing up in North Arlington, Red was learning baseball and playing catch with his dad and later playing stickball with the neighborhood boys. This began his passion for baseball and his love of the New York Yankees and his idol Mickey Mantle. He was a star baseball player in Little League, Babe Ruth League, Queen of Peace HS, American Legion and finally Fairleigh Dickinson University. His baseball prowess led to his being invited to a tryout with the then Milwaukee Braves.

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Years later, he would locate the scouting report that summed up his tryout with the final sentence stating that he was a great hitter but not much of a runner with the comment that he “runs like he has a refrigerator on his back.” While that comment stung, it never slowed him down. Outside of baseball and family, his other passion was tennis, where he met many friends and frustrated many opponents with his trick shots modeled after his favorite player, Bobby Riggs. Red also had a rather extraordinary business career. Upon graduation from FDU, he began his career with the Goodyear Tire Company. He became a legend when he went to work at 3M when he and his family moved to Brussels and Red worked to launch, internationally, the marketing of Post-It Notes. Later, he went to work for Polaroid before chasing once again his love of baseball when he founded his own highly successful global business Worldwide Marketing Partners and “Umps Eye View,” which brought Major League umpires into the world of corporate entertainment. His baseball connections also led Red to host a trip which took baseball fanatics Continued on the next page

Sarah Osterkorn

September 11, 1990 - November 17, 2020

Though it’s been eleven years since God called you home, your joy, your voice, your generosity, your smile, your compassion still radiates in our everyday lives. We are ever grateful to God for sharing you with us for twenty years. We miss you, will never forget you, and will treasure our memories of you forever.

Love, Dad, Mom, Pop Pop, friends and relatives

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 on the road to visit every Major League Baseball stadium in the least amount of days (36) resulting in an induction in the Baseball Stadium Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and he was inducted into the Tampa Bay Rays Wall of Fame. Most who knew Red especially enjoyed his sense of humor, including his witty emails and text messages, which allowed him to stay fully connected with family and friends during his illness. The family is planning two “Celebrations of Red’s Life” events in Florida and New Jersey in the early part of 2022. In lieu of flowers and cards, the family has requested that donations be made in Red’s name to the Fairleigh Dickinson University Adopt a Baseball Player program, which Red and Judi have supported for many years. Checks may be mailed to Fairleigh Dickinson University, Office of Annual Giving, 1000 River Road, H-DH3-12, Teaneck, N.J. 07666 or online.

EVELYN DISANTO

Evelyn DiSanto of Harrison died at home Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.

She was 76. The funeral will be conducted from the Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave., Harrison, Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at Holy Cross Church, Harrison, at 10:30 a.m. Friends and relatives may visit on Wednesday after 9 a.m. If you would like to send a condolence message to her family, please visit www.mulliganfh.com. Born in Newark and raised in Harrison, Evelyn was a lifelong resident of Harrison. Evelyn was the daughter of Vincent and Ida DiSanto from Seventh Street. She was predeceased by her brother Anthony and sisters Carol and Barbara. Evelyn is survived by her children Diane, John and Michael Grochowski, nine grandchildren (Joshua, Johnny-Lee, Zachary, Jake, Chloe, Emma, Bella, Olivia and Aiden.) She is also survived by her three great-grandchildren (Joshua, Brelee and Jack) as well as many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude’s Research Hospital htt-

TALKS

JAMES E. FEIGHERY

James E. Feighery, 85, of Lyndhurst, died Monday, Nov. 8 at Hackensack Meridian Health, Manor by the Sea Nursing Home, Ocean Grove. He was born and raised in Kearny and resided in Lyndhurst and was an active member of Queen of Peace Church, North Arlington. He was predeceased by his wife, Patricia (McGuire) and his brother Edward and his parents Irene and James. Surviving are step-daughters Trish Burns, Colleen McGuire, their children and greatgrandchildren. Also surviving are his sisters, Frances Feighery and Ellen Koland, a nephew and nieces. Jim was a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of Seton Hall and Fairleigh Dickenson universities. He held various administrative positions with

the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission, (New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority) Lyndhurst, for over 30 years before retiring in 2000. He was proud to be part of the restoration of the Meadowlands. Private funeral services were arranged by Ely’s Funeral Home, Neptune. A Mass was celebrated at Holy Innocents Church, Neptune. Burial was in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Toms River. Donations may be made to the Queen of Peace Food Pantry, 10 Franklin Place, North Arlington, N.J. 07031.

ROSA E. DOPOZO

Rosa E. Dopozo (nee Nodal) died at home Nov. 7, 2021. She was 85. Born in Cuba, she lived in Newark before moving to North Arlington in 1979. Viewing was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Burial was in Clover

Leaf Memorial Park in Woodbridge. Rosa is survived by her husband Rolando and her daughter Xiomara Ocampos (Gustavo) and her son Alex Dopozo (Jaime). Sister of Julio Nadao, she is also survived by her grandchildren; Gabriella, Ayden and Isa.

ADAM P. MOSCINSKI

Adam P. Moscinski died Nov. 6, 2021. He was 78. Born in Kearny, he grew up in Harrison before moving back to Kearny. Visiting was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Czestochowa in Harrison. Adam was the loving father of Michele Arvanitakis (her husband Theodore). Brother of Francis Moscinski (his wife Carol), Cynthia Moscinski and See OBITS, Page 14

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OBITS

Continued from Page 13 the late Richard Moscinski, Adam was also the uncle of Adrienne and the late Richard Moscinski Jr. He is also survived by his grandchildren Joanne and Nicholas.

LT. COLONEL JOHN F. SMITH JR.

Lt. Colonel John F. Smith Jr., 84, died Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, in St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark, with his loving daughter and sons by his side. The funeral was from the Thiele-Reid Family Funeral Home, Kearny. A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny. Cremation was private. Born in Jersey City, Lt. Colonel Smith was a 60-year resident of Kearny and was a

MARGARET M. GILGALLON

Margaret M. Gilgallon of Wayne died at Ridgewood Center, Ridgewood, Nov. 12, 2021. She was 94. A graveside service will take place in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington, on Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. Funeral services are under the direction of Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave., Harrison. If you would like to send a condolence message to her family, please visit www.mulliganfh. com. Margaret was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania. There, she met and married the love of her life, Joseph Patrick Gilgallon. After getting married, Margaret lived in a few different cities across the east coast while her husband was stationed in the Navy. When her husband retired, they moved to Harrison, where she resided for over 60 years. While raising her three children and being a dedicated wife and mother, she also worked parttime at RCA and Westinghouse. Margaret was an avid gardener and loved being

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ADRIANO P. ‘AGIE’ MEASSO Adriano P. “Agie” Measso, 71,

GREENWAY

Continued from Page 5 nities are staunchly in favor of the trail. “This project has been years in the making, and I am proud to be the governor to advance this dream to being a reality,” Murphy, whose office gave Santos a little more than 24 hours’ notice of his Bloomfield press conference to announce the funding, said. “This new park will be a crown jewel of our state park system, providing much-needed recreational space to New Jerseyans and out-of-state visitors, while revitalizing and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. “Residents of our state’s two largest cities, and the suburbs beyond and inbetween will benefit from access to a multi-use trail, and the natural beauty of the Meadowlands. I am grateful for our partners across government including in the legislature, Essex and Hudson counties and our federal delegation for their efforts in support of this project.” Speaking of the feds, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9, is also quite in favor of the project. “The pandemic has proven the value of open space,” Pascrell, who represent most of Kearny, said. “Thanks to money passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, the greenway

died Nov. 13, 2021. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation for Agie at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m., with a funeral service being celebrated at 6:30 p.m. Cremation will be private. Born in Jersey City, Agie lived in Kearny for 43 years until recently moving to Fairfield. He worked for the USPS in various positions until retiring as a director. Agie was also a dedicated coach for the Kearny Rec for many years. Agie was the beloved husband of Maryjane (nee Lawrence) Measso; loving father of Cynthia Springer (Steven), Peter Sr. (Deborah), Paul (Allison) and Matthew (Tara); dear grandfather of Nicholas, Amanda, Peter Jr. (PJ), Aiden, Avery and Abigail. He was predeceased by his parents Peter and Maria Measso, and by his daughter-in-law Alisa. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Francis, Dorothy, Dolores and Kathleen, many loving nieces and nephews and by his beloved cat Bella. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

can be a stunning park for our North Jersey communities in one of the most densely populated areas in America. I am excited American Rescue Plan funds are being used to improve, expand and contribute to public spaces. Gov. Murphy’s commitment to open spaces will be life-changing for our state. I look forward to continued investments in our communities.” What Murphy, Pascrell et al, have not yet addressed, however, is whom, once the greenway is open to the public, will be responsible for keeping it and those who use it secure. Will individual municipalities be responsible? State police? County law enforcement? It’s one of the biggest reasons why Santos has not offered support for the project. “While the state has agreed to purchase the rail line, they have not presented a plan to address key elements such as environmental cleanup or reconstruction of the Passaic and Hackensack River bridges. More importantly for Kearny’s residents is how the state will provide maintenance and security along the line starting on day one of ownership,” Santo said. “There are many, many details that need to be filled in. As the planning process unfolds, I hope the state will have a transparent and open dialogue with the town’s residents.”

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

KPD

Continued from Page 2 train tracks off of Passaic Avenue. There, Officer Nunez found Keli R. Gorski, 33, of Kearny and McCarter Highway, allegedly crouched behind a parked vehicle with a syringe in her hand. Several discarded wax folds of heroin were on the ground. Officer Nunez arrested Gorski and then found incident to arrest that she possessed two heroin folds stamped “John Wick,” six Clonazepam tablets, several used syringes, several empty wax folds stamped “John Wick,” several empty crack vials, cut straws, a razor blade, and a large rubber

FACIOLINCE

Continued from Page 4

place to work,” Faciolince said. “The Board of Education trustees have given me an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. I’m blessed to be working with people like the Board of Education trustees, (Superintendent) Patti Blood and Mark Bruscino (director of plant operations), always learning new things, like about COVID-19.” Of course, he said, there are challenges — like drafting the annual schools budget for which “we’ve been underfunded since 2010 and still are.” That shortfall, he says, is $11 million. The 2021-22 budget is pegged at about $117 million, of which the district receives $56.8 million from local taxpayers. This school year, according to Faciolince, the district is paying $9.5 million to educate close to 500 Kearny students attending

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band. He charged Gorski with unlawful possession of heroin, a prescription legend drug, drug paraphernalia and hypodermic syringes. Gorski was released with a summons. nnn

Last week, we reported about a 15-year-old boy who was recently arrested several times for burglary and theft offenses. In the last incident, he was confronted by a Forest Street resident on Oct. 29 who saw the boy allegedly peering into his parked car. That resident’s house had been burglarized on Oct. 27 and the keys to that car had been stolen. Officers found those keys in the boy’s pocket on October 29. Det. Michael Farinola investigated the circumstances of the original the Hudson Arts & Science Charter School. The district, he said, continues to explore alternative funding sources to keep up with the demands for serving its population. Recent examples include using $10.5 million from the federal America Rescue Plan to install air-conditioning at five elementary schools by summer 2022, install LED lighting across the district to save on energy costs and possibly put new windows in Roosevelt School. “We’re also expecting to do new windows at Garfield School with $2 million from the federal Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief program,” Faciolince said. “The architects are still working on specifications.” Thus far, he said, the BOE has settled new labor contracts with its teachers (through July 2023); custodial and maintenance staff and administrators (through July 2025), while negotiations continue with school administrators.

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Police Beat Oct. 27 Forest Street home burglary. On Nov. 9 he developed cause to arrest and formally charge the 15-year-old for that incident. The boy’s mother brought him to police headquarters where he was charged under juvenile delinquency with burglary and theft. The boy was already under home detention with a GPS monitor and a court intake officer ordered that he remain under those conditions. nnn

On Nov. 10 at 6:57 p.m., Officer Ruben Rivera and

several backup officers responded to a report of a residential burglary in progress on Ivy Street off of Bergen Avenue. An identified caller reported to police he was contacted by a neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, reporting a man was burglarizing the house. Officers found Michael Jatczyszyn, 47, of Rutherford, who matched the description of the alleged burglar, in front of the home. Officers observed the door of the house allegedly burglarized was open and no one was home. Officers tried to briefly detain Jatczyszyn to conduct an at-scene investigation, but Jatczyszyn allegedly refused to stay and

tried to walk away several times. Officer Rivera then arrested Jatczyszyn for obstructing the administration of law. Officers later learned Jatczyszyn was purportedly in the area to pick up someone. The fire department was able to secure the open front door of the unoccupied home. Having no witness who would participate further in the investigation, and no homeowner to speak to about the previously unsecured house, officers charged Jatczyszyn on a summons with obstructing and later released him. Capt. Timothy Wagner is the Kearny Police Department’s public-information officer and Internal Affairs commander.

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Observer Classifieds

The Obsever is not responsible for typographical errors. Error credits will not be granted. Minimal changes for multiple-week ads are $10 per instance. Refunds are not granted under any circumstances. Help-wanted ad deadline is 2 p.m., Monday, and all ads must be sent by email to classified@theobserver.com. All other classifieds are due by 3 p.m. Monday. All classifieds are pre-paid — no billing. Call 201-991-1600 to place an ad. The Observer cannot accept legal advertising.

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Natalie Rufino is headed to Montclair State to play soccer and major in exercise Continued from Page 11 science. Mikayla Schoch is headed to John Jay to major sioned taking part of a signing in criminal justice and foday celebration. rensic science. The two have “It’s definitely the mobeen best of friends since ment I always saw happenthey were toddlers. ing,” said Stoeckel, who “We’re pretty much earned Third Team Allinseparable,” Rufino said. State honors last year. “It “She’s one of my closest was always a dream of mine. friends. It’s just awesome It really hasn’t sunk in yet to have a day like this. I that all three of us are gowouldn’t have it any other ing. Signing the letter makes way. I think it’s pretty me feel a little relieved that amazing. I think it’s great it’s official. It’s really cool that it worked out so well that all three of us are here for everybody.” together for this. It gets Schoch is amazed by the me excited for the coming amount of athletes all going season.” on to participate in athletics DiMaio will major in biol- in college. ogy with the hope of becom“It’s insanely impressive,” ing a forensic scientist in Schoch said. “We have a the future. great athletic class. I was “It’s a great feeling to be looking for a chance to play with them today,” DiMaio college soccer. This is a said. “I consider them more dream come true. It’s a great like family. To be able to feeling.” share this with my teamRufino said that she was mates is amazing.” still disappointed that her Two girls’ soccer playsoccer season ended beers signed on to college. cause of a COVID-19 out-

NUTLEY

break that forced both the Nutley football and girls’ soccer teams to forfeit out of their respective state tournaments. “It still hurts,” Rufino said. “It would have been 10 times better if we had the chance to play. But I’m going to get the chance to keep playing the sport I love.” Rufino will major in exercise science with the hope of being a physical therapist. “I think being a patient made me realize what I wanted to do,” Rufino said. “Mikayla has been there for me through every up and every down. I think we got closer through soccer.” Joe DeLanzo is a fine pitcher/hitter for the Maroon Raiders’ baseball team. He will fit in nicely with a Stony Brook program that already has former Nutley standout Josh O’Neill. “It’s a dream come true for me,” DeLanzo said. “I’m going to get a great education and play for a great program. I always stay

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 nice school in a nice college area. It’s a college town (New Haven, Connecticut). When I realized I was good enough to play college lacrosse, Albertus Magnus was a fine choice.” Albanese said that he plans to major in finance at Albertus Magnus. Pergola will major in engineering at Stevens, but he’s unsure of a specialty. “It’s a great location for perfect student life,” Pergola said. “It’s close to New York. It was a dream of mine to play in college.” Pergola had a great junior year, scoring 52 goals. “I started playing in first grade because my older brother Ryan played,” Pergola said. “He’s the one who inspired me. It means a lot to me that Rocco is here. We have been friends and teammates since third grade. We have a good relationship and spent a lot of time together.” The Nutley contingent is a major reason for the school to have a major sense of pride.

motivated to take my talents to the next level. It’s great to celebrate the day with my friends, with people I’ve known for a long time.” DeLanzo said that he was also glad to get his college decision out of the way and he can now concentrate on baseball. “I’m definitely more relaxed now,” DeLanzo said. “Stony Brook has been my dream school. I loved everything about it. I think this puts me in position to have a great senior year.” DeLanzo said that he’s already in the batting cage and hitting the weight room in anticipation for the spring – and the years after. He will major in physical therapy at Stony Brook. “I want to stay in sports somehow,” DeLanzo said. Rocco Albanese and Matthew Pergola are teammates on the Nutley lacrosse team. Albanese is headed to Albertus Magnus, while Pergola is headed to Stevens Tech. “I didn’t want to go far away,” Albanese said. “It’s a

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retired Montclair police officer. “The Borough of North Arlington, the City of Jersey City and the Seals Family suffered a terrible loss,” Pronti said. “As police officers, we are expected to be prepared for any situation life throws at us. Each day, when an officer leaves their home, their family, their community, they leave knowing the type of work they do and the risks involved. “Those who are friends, family, community and acquaintances of police officers, rarely think of the most severe, ultimate sacrifice, which may occur. Today, we are all facing exactly that. The Seals Family is and will always be a part of our community. Joe was a friend to me and to many of you. I want you all to keep the Seals Family in your thoughts and prayers as they try to go on with their lives, mourning the loss of their husband, father and son. Rest Easy, Brother Seals. End Of Watch: 12/10/19.” Additionally, 31 police officers who died of COVID-19 were acknowledged, and the 37 Port Authority officers who were killed during the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were also recognized to mark the 20th anniversary of that awful day. Four police officers who died in retirement were also remembered during the Blue Mass: Jack McGarry of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the East Orange Police Department; Danny Francis of the Newark Police Department; Benedetto “Benny” Christiano of the Bloomfield Police Department; and Richard T. McKnight of the Newark Police Department. — CANESSA

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Seals remembered at 2021 Blue Mass in cathedral-basilica The Archdiocese of Newark celebrated its 28th Annual Blue Mass last week, honoring the dedication and sacrifices of active, retired and deceased New Jersey law enforcement personnel at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, celebrated the liturgy, which featured honor guard units, bagpipers, drummers and many supporters representing all faiths. Gov. Philip D. Murphy, former Gov. James E. McGreevey and numerous other dignitaries joined hundreds of members of law enforcement in paying tribute to the four New Jersey police officers killed in the line of duty in recent years — Det. Joseph Seals, a resident of North Arlington, of the Jersey City Police Department; U.S. Capitol Police Officer and New Jersey native Brian Sicknick, whose life was lost just after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on Capitol Hill; Officer Michael Teel of the Port Authority Police Department; and Officer Sean Peek of the Bridgeton Police Department. A Capitol Police Honor Guard unit traveled from Washington, D.C., in solidarity with Officer Sicknick. “The lives and deaths of Det. Joseph Seals and Officers Michael Teel, Brian Sicknick and Sean Peek remind us of their gift to us, their enduring affection for us,” Cardinal Tobin said in his homily. “They left an indelible witness to the greatest love of all, which is to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” When Seals died, nearly two years ago, North Arlington Mayor Daniel H. Pronti spoke of the man who was his friend and fellow cop. Pronti is a

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201.206.4845 • 908.387.8150

The Observer | www.theobserver.com

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

DENTISTRY DEDICATED

TO EXCELLENCE. With combined experience of 50 years, Dr. Elfar and his team of dental professionals, provide the highest

$99*

quality of dentistry at affordable prices!

NEW PATIENT EXAM, CLEANING AND X-RAYS

SERVICES • General Dentistry

• Invisalign

*FOR NONINSURED PATIENTS

• Cosmetic Dentistry • Pediatric Dentistry • Implants

• Periodontics

• Dentures

• Preventative/

• Oral Surgery

FREE

CONSULTATIONS (FOR IMPLANTS & INVISALIGN ONLY.

Hygiene

X-RAYS NOT INCLUDED.)

No insurance? No problem! Call us about our in house discount plan.

$350 IN OFFICE WHITENING

Mina A. Elfar, D.M.D. General, Cosmetic, & Family Dentistry

GOOGLE REVIEW "This is the best dental practice I've been to by far! Professional and friendly staff. Took me in right away. Very clean and new office. I was extremely impressed. Dr. Elfar and all his staff is personable and committed to providing the best care. Will be recommending to all my friends and family! 5/5!" -Rami Alrabaa

FLEXIBLE HOURS • EARLY, LATE AND WEEKEND HOURS 837 KEARNY AVE. KEARNY, NJ T: 201.991.1055

NEW LOCATION!

645 MAIN ST. • HACKENSACK, NJ T: 201.347.5001

WWW.GENUINESMILESPA.COM

2 W NORTHFIELD RD. SUITE 302B LIVINGSTON, NJ T: 973.758.8922