This week, we recap the stories that made news locally in 2024. Starting on Page 2.
And when they came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
- Matthew 2:11
Thank you for being with us this year, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support. Wishing you warmth, joy and peace. Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah with love from all of us at The Observer.
Taking a look back at the biggest
as
By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com
The calendar year 2024 kicked off with Kearny’s Town Council in turmoil, when word broke several on the governing body in late December voted against giving raises to several town employees, despite assurances made then by CFO Shuaib Firozvi and Business Administrator Stephen Marks. Among those denied pay spikes — the Town Clerk, Fire Chief, Recreation Director and others.
Thought later rectified, the council also voted against paying mayoral aid Lyla DeCastro.
Bennett honored In January, Harrison Councilman Larry Bennett was cited for his work fighting to keep Harrison drug-free by the Hudson County Municipal Alliance. The long-time Harrison Councilman has been rumored to be considering a run for Harrison’s mayoralty in two years. He has served on the Harrrison Council since 2006.
Former Nutley resident charged with sex assault on child
January also brought word Donald Kumar Davis, formerly of Nutley, and previously charged with vehicular homicide in a 2019 incident, had been arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child in Bergen County.
The incident allegedly occurred in Washington Township.
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Swear-ins
In January, new Mayor Carol Jean Doyle was re-swown in and Councilmembers Dennis Solano and Renato da Silva were, too, by Judge Mary Costello, of Kearny. Two deputy mayors — George Harris and Melanie Ryan — also officially took their oath.
The deputy mayor position in Kearny is unpaid and purely ceremonial. Though not in Kearny, Gov. Philip D. Murphy swore in new Hudson County Executive Craig Guy.
In North Arlington, reorganization was swift and uneventful, as is often the case.
Archdiocese of Newark, North Arlington partner
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark and the Borough of North Arlington hosted a special ceremony on a frigid January day as the archdiocese wrote a check for $80,000 to the borough to purchase new motorcycles for the police department.
The archdiocese is tax exempt, but has always done its best to support the communities where large properties are located — as is the case with North Arlington’s Holy Cross Cemetery.
Neighborhood watch reinstated in Nutley January also saw the Township of Nutley bring its dormant Neighborhood Watch program back. Unlike previously, “block captains” were assigned in neighborhood, who would ultimately be responsible for reporting crime and trends to the Nutley Police Department.
The program was devised by Det. Lt. Anthony Montanari and Commissioner Al Petracco.
Response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive.
Plans for Kearny’s Health Annex announced Long in the planning, the Town of Kearny announced at the end of the month plans for a health annex on Belgrove Drive. The site was designed, originally, to be a substation for the Kearny Police Department and has been used for other services since.
First Ward Councilman George Zapata, whose ward will host the annex, was pleased with the plans.
“I just want to say thank you for all the work you did in putting this together,” Zapata said at the time. “It’s kinda crazy to think of how fast the year has flown when this project was first being discussed and when we first all met at the current substation to figure out a way to best utilize that space without infringing on parking that’s vital to that area … and touching on the renewable-energy option. I’m very happy to see that those solar panels are going to be there as well as the option for that backup generator.”
February
‘We Got the Cup’
The month of February saw news when the World Cup comes to the United States of America in 2026 for the first time since 1994, the final would be played at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford.
There was elation to the news from Kearny’s soccer royalty. Tony Meola, said he was thrilled New Jersey, where he played for Kearny High School in the ‘80s as a goalie and for the Metro Stars of Major League Soccer, will get tohost the FIFA Final.
“So excited that the World Cup is coming to the great state of New Jersey,” Meola told The
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Observer’s Lisa Feorenzo. “Watching my first Cup in 1982 from our home in Kearny, I could never have dreamed that it would one day come to our backyard. Congrats New Jersey … and get ready to show the world our beautiful state.”
Cataneo laid to rest — finally US States Marine Corps veteran, Jack Cataneo, 82, sadly died in May 2023. And for months, he remained in a morgue in Jersey City, his body unclaimed. We later learned he had no family or friends at his death and lived a very private life. When Kearny’s Len Twist found out about this, it was because a generous fellow Kearny resident, Pat Langenbach, had a burial plot at North Arlington’s Holy Cross Cemetery she wanted to donate. So Twist reached out to JoAnn Northgrave, of the Hudson County Veterans Affairs Office, and Mr. Cataneo was finally laid to rest
on Feb. 9. We later learned there were, indeed, family and friends who were unaware of Cataneo’s death.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade honorees celebrated
A few weeks prior to the 2024 West Hudson United Irish Associations’ annual parade, we featured a story on the parade’s honorees: Grand Marshal Bill Down Jr. and Deputies Stanley Titterington and Gloria Spence.
PATH to the future
Late in February, The Observer was in attendance for the dedication of the newly reopened Harrison PATH station.
Numerous dignitaries were present, including the earlier mentioned Guy and Bennett among others.
Overall, the project cost just under $48 million.
March
Esteves announces council run
March saw an announcement from Democrat Fred Esteves,
who said he’d run for the vacant Third Ward council seat that had been occupied by appointed Councilman Renato da Silva.
The pair would face off in June, with Esteves winning easily.
Esteves went on, in November, to defeat Republican Jorge D. Santos.
Before Esteves and da Silva, the seat had been vacated by Carol Jean Doyle, who became mayor in November 2023. She held that seat from 1996 to 2023.
Loss of Jablonski & Burke
It was a particularly sad time as Christine Jablonski, of Kearny, died in Utah aged 53 and as Belleville Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke died aged 82.
Jablonski was known for being a selfless woman who was involved in so many things, from the Boy Scouts to the Kearny Library, the branch of which would later be renamed
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Wednesday, December 25, 2024
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in her honor.
Burke, meanwhile, suffering from poor health, had announced earlier she wasn’t seeking re-election.
Mayor Michael A. Melham described her as a female “trailblazer”
Burke served on the council from 2004 to 2024.
KPD stepping up recruiting
Following a tremendous website redesign, the Kearny Police Department announced it was increasing its recruitment efforts.
All of the benefits of being a police officer — from salary to fringe benefits — were explained.
Pasquarelli installed as leader of Kearny/Belleville Elks
Many who know her may have already been of the belief Melanie Pasquarelli was the exalted ruler. Instead, she was installed as leader in a special March ceremony.
Pasquarelli is know for her incredible charitable efforts — from collecting Christmas gifts to the Great Duck Race to scores of other events she spearheads.
n Meanwhile, later in the month, Mayor Carol Jean Doyle announced Kearny’s Branch Library would be renamed in memory of the late Christine Jablonski.
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The Kearny PBA, meanwhile, with President Mina Ekladious and Police Chief George King, honored Doyle for her years of service to the town.
The PBA had originally planned to honor the mayor in 2020 when she was a member of the Town Council, but that was thwarted by, you guessed it, the COVID-19 pandemic.
April
Kearny’s Top Cop
The month began with a feature story on Kearny’s Police Officer of the Year Jose Perez Fonseca.
Perez-Fonseca, whose
intuition last year led him to pull over a suspicious vehicle in South Kearny. That pullover ultimately led investigators in locating the remains of a former Jersey City teacher Luz Hernandez, who had been murdered mere days earlier, and who had until then been missing.
And that wasn’t the only major crime Perez-Fonseca had a hand in solving, either. Two summers ago, when a man was shot on Quincy Avenue, he had a direct impact on that case, as well.
No, migrants aren’t being ‘shipped’ to Kearny
Hardly the first time and certainly not the last time, social media was responsible for creating an unnecessary panic.
After a resident’s Facebook post caught steam, there was belief the feds would be transferring migrants to a plot of land in Kearny.
Only thing is, that land is owned by the EPA and there were no such plans to do so.
Doyle wrote a front-page column explaining such plans were never even considered.
Park in North Arlington named for Det. Joseph Seals
Five years ago, Det. Joseph Seals, of North Arlington, was senselessly killed in a shooting while he was in a cemetery in Jersey City, on duty.
Mayor Daniel H. Pronti and the Borough Council, therefore, renamed the playground at Fisher Field in memory of the late Seals.
Pronti, the council, numerous dignitaries and Seals’s family were on hand for the moving ceremony at the park that will forever bear his name.
“This park is designed to be built in a safe area with numerous safety enhancements. This playground was built for everyone,” Pronti, a retired Montclair police sergeant, said at the time. “We did our best to include many activities for children with special needs as well as neurotypical children. This whole area is known as Fisher Field … we have areas for every-
one to enjoy the outdoors. This area is now safely illuminated at night and under constant video surveillance and patrol by our local police department. Safety is a major concern and we felt it was most fitting to name our safest playground after a man who dedicated his life to public safety.”
First Career Day at Lincoln Middle School
Lincoln School hosted its first-ever career day in April. Numerous business owners — including Mark Wiggins, proprietor of the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, to Wanny Wany, owner of Intrinsic Cafe, to KPD Sgt. Adriano Marques to Deputy KFD Chief Mike Hyde among others — were on hand for innovative discussions on career paths to take after schooling.
May King retires, Macfie named new police chief
The month of May saw the retirement of Kearny Police Chief George King, who served
in that capacity from 2017. King first joined the Kearny PD in 1985 and served in many roles before he succeeded John P. Dowie at his retirement.
Macfie, meanwhile, was ele-
vated to Top Cop having served the Kearny PD from 1992. Paul Bershefski was also elected to deputy chief at the
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became Nutley’s new mayor.
At 39, he is the youngest to ever ascend to that office.
NUTLEY’S YOUTH MOVEMENT
same time as Macfie’s ascension to chief. With much pomp and circumstance, King had a traditional last-day walkout, complete with an honor guard, bagpipes and hundreds gathered to wish the chief well in retirement.
Followingre-election, JohnV.KellyIII,39,
Kelly becomes Nutley’s youngest-ever mayor In May, Commissioner John V. Kelly III, by virtue of getting the most votes in the election,
Four other incumbents also won re-election: Commissioners Joseph P. Scarpelli, Alfonse Petracco, Thomas Evans and Mauro Tucci.
Ficeto is Kearny’s 2024 Senior Citizen of the Year
Each year, one citizen in each of Hudson County’s municipalities is celebrated as the Senior of the Year. This year, it was Denise Ficeto, who received her award mere days before undergoing
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challenging brain surgery.
Ficeto has been involved in many town activities over the years, including the Kearny-Belleville Elks, the Woman’s Club of Arlington and others.
Her husband, Jerry, daughters Alyssa and Ashley and sonin-law Michael were among many who were present for her celebration at Liberty House on the Jersey City Hudson Riverfront.
n Meanwhile, Harrison sworein seven new police officers while the Nutley Police Department announced plans to seek re-accreditation.
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St. Stephen’s Church, Kearny, announced plans for the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi, once again, with a procession of the Eucharist around parts of Kearny.
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In Florida, longtime Kearny
DIRECTORY BUSINESS
Attorney Larry Brady, 83, died. He was the longtime partner of the late Norman A. Doyle Jr.
Like many others, The Observer’s Lisa Feorenzo paid tribute to her late friend.
“Larry was a tough cookie but a great friend and supporter of The Observer,” Feorenzo, who knew Brady when she was just in her late teens, said. “Over the years, after he retired, we kept in touch and it was always great when he would come back to visit from Florida. Was he a
tough nut to crack? You bet he was. But once you got to know him, he would do anything for you. I will truly miss my dear friend.”
June
Hometown Hero banner program announced
Following the lead of North Arlington and Lyndhurst, the Town of Kearny, through Linda D’Isa, coordinator of the town’s Urban Enterprise Zone, announced Kearny would follow suit and honor its veterans with banners to be hung along Kearny Avenue.
The initial hope was to hang 50 banners — nearly 200 were ordered in all.
They were up in Kearny through Veterans Day and will return in time for Memorial Day.
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In the early part of June, we also learned of a man who was critically wounded by a hit-andrun driver near the intersection of Kearny and Columbia avenues.
The victim had been in critical condition for some time at Newark’s University Hospital.
A celebration of Portugal
All things Portugal were celebrated in a remarkable ceremony at Kearny’s Town Hall in early June, all with a flag-raising ceremony at Bicentennial Park, which drew guests including Portuguese Ambassador Francisco António Duarte Lopes and members of the governing body, among others.
Following the ceremony, the
Ficeto with The Observer’s Kevin Canessa.
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town hosted its first Portugal Day Parade since 1999, from Town Hall to the Portuguese Cultural Association. It featured traditional music and dance performances.
Senior picnic goes off swimmingly
For the first time ever, Kearny’s annual senior citizen picnic was coordinated by someone not called Doyle.
Instead, Councilman Stathis Theodoropoulos, of the Fourth Ward, coordinated it —and it went off without a hitch.
In fact, many present said they enjoyed the new location — the lawn at the WFW — more than the prior location.
Summer months
While much of the world slows down in the summer, our readership area hardly could claim the same.
In Kearny, seven new police officers were hired in July — with one as a lateral transfer from another department.
Meanwhile, Kearny’s Mark Eager was arrested in July by the feds and charged in connection with what was described as a plan to sell drugs using the dark web.
The month also saw Kearny, Harrison and Newark receiving substantial grants to go toward recreational opportunities.
Kearny’s new community recreation center will benefit from the grants as will a field in East Newark and a park in Harrison.
This was also around the time news of Juan Barroso’s suspension from the Kearny Fire Department became public.
To this very day, Barroso remains suspended in one of the most abhorrent cases in the history of Kearny.
We also learned in July WHATCo would be performing Shakespeare in the great outdoors — at Arlington Depot Park.
Unfortunately, WHATCo no longer has a home and its leadership continues to seek a suitable location to become its new headquarters.
At the end of the month, there was a plea for donations for Kearny Public
School Uniform Exchange.
Its organizer, Jenny Paz, has been its driving force for several years — and later on in the summer, it went off successfully thanks to the generosity of scores of volunteers.
We also learned of Geoff Burt, a former Observer editor, who starred in a documentary about Col. Harlon Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.
Burt sat down with Kevin Canessa for a broadcast interview.
In August, word came down the Borough of East Newark was looking to eliminate the position of police chief whilst creating the new position of civilian public-safety director.
Councilman Ken Sheehan spoke vehemently against the move and ultimately, while the civilian position was created, the chief’s rank wasn’t eliminated.
The summer also included a remarkable video interview with former Kearny Councilman Larry Sansone. Sansone, who lost significant weight, shared his journey dealing with heart failure and the device that keeps him
alive to this day. Sansone says he’s doing well, fortunately.
In August, Erin Murphy-Wilczek, the wife of a Kearny firefighter, penned a passionate Op-ed calling for Juan Barroso’s reinstatement. Unfortunately, like all else in this case, it fell upon deaf ears.
This was also the month we learned about Kearny’s Dylan Sullivan, 17, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Sullivan nearly made it to the top, but
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Sullivan is a
at St. Peter’s Prep in downtown
August, meanwhile, ended with the Kearny Branch Library being dedicated to the memory of Christine Jablonski. Her husband, Jeff, gave a passionate and rousing reflection at the dedication.
Christine died while skiing in Utah earlier in the year.
September-December
The early part of the month of September included a forum on the PSE&G property in Harrison. There had been talk of agent orange being present on the site, but the EPA dispelled that notion.
In Lyndhurst, there was discussion of the police department’s Arrive First program, designed to help those in mental health crises. While the state has implemented a similar program, Lyndhurst was well ahead of the rest.
In September, Martin Nystrom, a Sept. 11, 2001, first-responder, was responsible for brining the
Tunnel to Towers’ mobile 9/11 museum to Kearny. Many area students were able to visit the museum.
In October, new County Executive Craig Guy visited the Henrietta Benstead Senior Center and brought reps with him to discuss all of the service available to the town’s elderly population.
Those in attendance were impressed with the presentations.
The League of Women Voters, meanwhile, offered a mock election at Harrison High School thanks to assistant Principal Steve Lipski. Students learned how to operate the county’s new voting machines — and those eligible were able to register to vote.
Also in October, the Town of Kearny hosted a special ceremony at kick off the raising of Hometown Heroes banners.
Doyle joined several other veterans by reading the names of every person for whom a banner was purchased.
A crowd of more than 200 was on hand for the special Town Hall ceremony.
The month ended with a feature on Elks’ Camp Moore for those with special needs. We learned just how much the free camp has positively impacted
the lives of two former campers. In November, we were fortunate to meet two sisters — Sue Jubenville and Nancy Neff, both of New England, who were the nieces of PFC Malcolm C. Bindon, of Kearny, who died Feb. 26, 1945.
The duo took an Amtrak to Newark and them came to Kearny to see their uncle’s Hometown Heroes banner.
The month of December, sadly, will mostly be remembered for tragedy.
It was the unfortunate deaths of Mary Beth Gunther and Martin Wilson, who both perished in an early morning fire Dec. 6 on Hamilton Avenue, Kearny.
A day earlier, a man perished in a tragic fire at 150 Jay Ave., Lyndhurst, where authorities say there were no working smoke alarms.
The month closed out with more tragedy, following the death of Brian Kolakowski, 37, of North Arlington.
“Kola,” as he was commonly known, was a widely loved and respected physical education teacher at Harrison’s Washington Middle School and he was also the Harrison HS girls’ tennis and flag football teams.
