September 18, 2013 • www.theobserver.com • Vol CXXVI, No. 17
COVERING: BELLEVILLE • BLOOMFIELD
Joyous time for Bravest
• EAST NEWARK • HARRISON • KEARNY • LYNDHURST • NORTH ARLINGTON • NUTLEY
‘Where angels play’ By Karen Zautyk Observer Correspondent
By Ron Leir Observer Correspondent
KEARNY –
KEARNY – Last Tuesday’s heavy agenda meeting of the Kearny Town Council opened with a celebratory moment with a promotion in the Fire Department. Firefighter George C. Harris, with an impressive fire service pedigree, was appointed fire captain, effective Sept. 11, at an annual salary of $103,673. Harris, who has served 23 years with the department, is a past Firefighter of the Year. His brother, John Harris, is a deputy chief with the department and his father, George Harris Sr., is a retired deputy chief, noted Mayor Alberto Santos. Fire Chief Steven Dyl told the packed council chambers, filled with relatives and friends of the new captain, that, “The timing [of the promotion] is appropriate, since tomorrow [Sept. 11] is the anniversary of 9/11 – a big day for remembering the contributions of first responders at the World Trade Center tragedy.” And, Dyl said, “It’s appropriate that we’re showing signs of progress, moving forward with this promotion, even as the council is struggling with budgetary pressures.” “George,” said Dyl, “I know you’re going to rise to the see COUNCIL page
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Photos courtesy Kearny FMBA
t has been nearly a year since Hurricane Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore. Recovery had been progressing. And then came last week’s fire in Seaside Park, turning 30 still-struggling boardwalk businesses into a massive pile of ashes. Makes you wonder if there is any good news coming out of the beach communities. Yes there is, and there will continue to be thanks to legions of dedicated volunteers who have been helping the stricken in any and every way possible. Last December, we wrote a story about members of the Kearny firefighters union, KFMBA 18/218, who had gone down the shore within 48 hours of Sandy’s making landfall Oct. 29 -- travelling there on their own time and own dime to do whatever they could to help the residents of the decimated towns. see SANDY page
Kearny firefighters put finishing touches on playground in Normandy Beach.
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Guilty pleas in med lab bribe scheme A physician with an office in North Arlington and a Lyndhurst man employed by a diagnostics laboratory pleaded guilty last week to their roles in a long-running bribes-fortest-referrals scheme operated by the lab, its president and various associates, U.S. Attorney Paul. J. Fishman announced. Authorities said Dr. Angelo
D. Calabrese, 56, who resides in Pine Brook and had an office in North Arlington, admitted accepting more than $130,000 in bribes to refer at least $600,000 in lab business to Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services (BLS), based in Parsippany. Also appearing Sept. 11 before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal
court was 45-year-old David McCann of Lyndhurst, a salesman with BLS, who admitted paying thousands of dollars to doctors on behalf of the lab. A third defendant, Dr. Paul Ostergaard, 72, who lives and practices in Pompton Plains, also appeared last week and pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to refer lab business to BLS.
201-991-1300 KEARNY OFFICE 213 Kearny Ave, Kearny, New Jersey
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According to court documents and statements made in court: Calabrese received more than $130,000 from BLS between 2010 and 2013 through a sham consulting agreement and a sham rental agreement, which combined to pay the physician more than $4,500 per month in bribes from BLS. McCann paid thousands see BRIBES page
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