Paterson, NJ
Obituaries
TRIBUTE: North Haledon Mom Nicole Sapena Was 'Nurturing, Devoted' TRIBUTE: North Haledon Mom Nicole Sapena Was 'Nurturing, Devoted'
Tribute: North Haledon Mom Nicole Sapena Was 'Nurturing, Devoted' Nurturing. Loving. Devoted. Those are just some of the words that friends, neighbors and family used to describe Nicole Sapena of North Haledon, who died on June 5 at 34 years old. "She was so special in so many ways but most of all, how she loved and nurtured our two little babies," her husband Michael Sapena said. "Her beautiful and loving spirit will live on in our little angels forever. The love that she gave our family was always overflowing and uncompromising. "To say we are eternally heart broken doesn’t even begin to express how much we will miss her!" Fr…

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by Cecilia Levine
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Tabernacle Saved, Though Hearts Ache: Flames Destroy North Haledon Chapel Tabernacle Saved, Though Hearts Ache: Flames Destroy North Haledon Chapel
Tabernacle Saved, Though Hearts Ache: Flames Destroy North Haledon Chapel Students cried Friday morning as they walked past the soot-covered windows of the chapel at Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, which was destroyed by an overnight fire. Inside, the altar was charred, pews had melted and the Peragallo pipe organ was ravaged. This after work was completed just two years ago to repair water damage. “Though our hearts are heavy, we are fortunate to be able to report that no one was harmed and that firemen were able to rescue the most precious item in the chapel: the tabernacle,” the St. Joseph Province of the Salesian Sisters wrote. A “testamen…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Paterson, NJ
Obituaries
North Haledon Minister In Plane Crash Known Worldwide For Kindness, Charity North Haledon Minister In Plane Crash Known Worldwide For Kindness, Charity
North Haledon Minister In Plane Crash Known Worldwide For Kindness, Charity There was no mistaking the purple plane that went down Wednesday in West Milford for those who knew Andrew Topp. The minister from North Haledon lived his life "on the edge, challenging barriers, and in search of the wild," as he helped those in need here and abroad, said his daughter, Erica Fischer- Kaslander. "He impacted the lives of so many and will be remembered across the world for that work," his daughter said. The owner-operator of A Topp Contracting, Topp was pastor of the First Reformed Church of Boonton for more than two decades and was involved with the Rota…

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by Cecilia Levine
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
RECOGNIZE THEM? North Haledon PD Seek Theft Suspects RECOGNIZE THEM? North Haledon PD Seek Theft Suspects
Recognize Them? North Haledon PD Seek Theft Suspects NORTH HALEDON, N.J. -- North Haledon police turned to the public for help finding a couple who they said committed a theft at a local convenience store. The thieves struck Wednesday night at the Mini-Mart at 845 Belmont Avenue. If you see the couple in the photos above or know where to find them, please contact Detective Sgt. David Parenta at (973) 423-1111 or [email protected]. ****** ALSO SEE: Five days after several kicks to the head during an argument killed a man in an empty Passaic lot, his body was found and an arrest was made, authorities said. https://southpassaic.dail…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
3 Years For Passaic County Podiatrist Who Scammed Insurers Out Of $3M 3 Years For Passaic County Podiatrist Who Scammed Insurers Out Of $3M
3 Years For Passaic County Podiatrist Who Scammed Insurers Out Of $3M PASSAIC COUNTY, N.J. -- A North Haledon podiatrist who had offices in Passaic and Paterson got three years in federal prison Monday for conning Medicare and private insurers out of $3 million for more than 150,000 physical therapy sessions conducted by unlicensed and unqualified employees. Because there's no parole in the federal prison system, Anthony J. Enrico, 60, will have to serve nearly all of the sentence. Enrico told a U.S. District Court judge in Newark last October that he billed for more than 150,000 physical therapy sessions that were conducted by unlicensed and unqualified pers…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Bergenfield, NJ
Police & Fire
Fit Cops: 100 Pounds Lighter, Bergenfield Officer Adjusts To New Life Fit Cops: 100 Pounds Lighter, Bergenfield Officer Adjusts To New Life
Fit Cops: 100 Pounds Lighter, Bergenfield Officer Adjusts To New Life Bergenfield Police Officer Ahmed Alagha isn't quite ready to believe what he sees in the mirror. Muscles. Curves. Fortitude. His mind still registers something else.  Weakness. Rolls. The fat guy. Alagha of North Haledon is down 100 pounds -- quite the accomplishment for someone who just three years ago got winded tying his shoes. Maintaining his weight doesn't take nearly as much work as it did to take it off. The hardest part now for Alagha is adjusting to his new self. "It screws with my mind," said Alagha, 34.  "I still see the fat person I was for the majority of m…

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by Cecilia Levine
Armonk, NY
Obituaries
Hudson Valley Native Julie Preiskines Dies, 32, Mother Of Three Hudson Valley Native Julie Preiskines Dies, 32, Mother Of Three
Hudson Valley Native Julie Preiskines Dies, 32, Mother Of Three Julie Preiskines of Hawthorne died on March 9. She was 32 years old. Born in Poughkeepsie, she lived in North Haledon before moving to Hawthorne. She is survived by her husband, Josh Preiskines; children Joshua Jr., Blake John, Wyatt and Remington “Remi” Preiskines; parents John and Brenda (nee Jonkman) Nienhouse; and sister Kristina Nienhouse. She is pre-deceased by her sisters Laura Lee and Alaina Joy Nienhouse. Visitation is Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home in Franklin Lakes. Services will be Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home with burial …

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by Cecilia Levine
Paramus, NJ
Schools
SNOW DAY! Bergen Schools Announce Closures, Delays For Friday SNOW DAY! Bergen Schools Announce Closures, Delays For Friday
Snow DAY! Bergen Schools Announce Closures, Delays For Friday Bergen and Passaic county schools are announcing delays and closures for Friday, March 9. ** REFRESH FOR UPDATES ** Be sure to check your district's website for updates. As of 4:30 p.m., the following schools are closed/delayed. CLOSED Bloomingdale Franklin Lakes Oakland Ramapo Indian Hills Regional Wayne Wyckoff DELAYED Allendale North Haledon Ringwood Upper Saddle River

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by Cecilia Levine
Ridgewood, NJ
News
Bergen County Towns With Most Power Outages; Thousands In The Dark Bergen County Towns With Most Power Outages; Thousands In The Dark
Bergen County Towns With Most Power Outages; Thousands In The Dark North Jersey made for a picturesque morning on Thursday. But thousands remained in the dark. Here's a look at outages by the numbers (as of 11:20 a.m.). More than 5,300 PSE&G customers lost power in Bergen County. The most outages were reported in: Northern Highlands, Wyckoff areas 2,556 Fort Lee, Englewood areas: 932 Paramus, Hackensack: 640 Ridgewood: 700 Dumont, New Milford: 350 Nearly 2,000 PSE&G lost power in Passaic County, with the majority of outages reported in North Haledon and Totowa (1,400). Some are looking at restoration times of 12 a.m. More than 12,000 Orange &a…

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by Cecilia Levine
Hackensack, NJ
Real Estate
Bergen County Towns With Highest Property Taxes Ranked Bergen County Towns With Highest Property Taxes Ranked
Bergen County Towns With Highest Property Taxes Ranked The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs released new data on property tax bills in the state. Bergen ($11,564) and Passaic ($9,781) county both had higher averages than the state's ($8,690). *** UPDATE: These Bergen County Towns Had The Lowest Average Property Tax Bills Last Year *** Here are the towns with the highest property taxes in Bergen County: Alpine: $21,933 (third highest in New Jersey) Tenafly: $20,434 (fourth highest in New Jersey) Demarest: $19,137 (ninth highest in New Jersey) Upper Saddle River: $18,119 (13th highest in New Jersey) Haworth $17,692: (16th highest in …

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by Cecilia Levine
Hackensack, NJ
Schools
Snow Day! These Bergen County Schools Are Closed, Delayed Wednesday Snow Day! These Bergen County Schools Are Closed, Delayed Wednesday
Snow Day! These Bergen County Schools Are Closed, Delayed Wednesday Winter weather advisories have now been issued for all counties in the region from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, with warnings already in effect for areas farther north and west. Snowfall accumulations across the area will range from 2 inches to 7 inches. Most locations are expected to see 2-3 inches, with areas north of I-84 having the potential for 6 to 8 inches. A Lodi middle school is closing early for the rest of the week due to ongoing water leaks. These schools are taking action before the snow. Bergen: Academy of the Holy Angels - Closed Bergen Catholic - Closed Immaculate Heart A…

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by Cecilia Levine