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.
n
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
CHIPPER TREE LLC
OPINION & VIEWPOINTS
COMMENT
As we reach Christmas, here’s hoping for better days
It has been, to say the very least, a trying December, in this neck of the woods. There has been enough tragedy for a lifetime, frankly.
The fire in Kearny that claimed two lives.
The fire in Lyndhurst that claimed one life.
The tragic loss of Brian Kolakowski.
Yet another fire in Lyndhurst this past weekend.
Drones, everywhere.
More than nine months on, Juan Barroso Jr. is somehow still suspended without pay from the Kearny Fire Department and there appears to have been little to no movement to end that abhorrent injustice.
There are certainly others things — perhaps you’ve even experienced one or more — that go unreported.
As December slowly moved along, it seemed like there would be very little to be grateful for as Christmas arrives.
And yet, at times like these, people
Lisa M. Feorenzo lisa@theobserver.com Co-owner/Advertising Dir.
round here always find a way to rise and to make impossible situations much more tolerable.
Whether it’s the collection of toys for the underprivileged, food pantries, and any number of things that have happened here of late, we come to the absolute realization: We live in a special place.
Sure, there are charitable people around the world. But there is something about how people here band together in tough times. It just shines.
Indeed, for much of this month, it seemed like every day would bring something worse than the day before.
But when all was said and done, our communities all became stronger and more vibrant.
We often read on social media how people proudly say they’re happy they moved away from here. Perhaps if they saw how things are behind the scenes, they’d think differently. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and best wishes — better days, God willing, are ahead.
Tina Feorenzo Co-owner/Advertising
Robert
P. Pezzolla gm@theobserver.com General Manager
Devilish hospital visits at Christmas
To help lift the spirits of patients and staff who may be spending the holidays in hospital, the New Jersey Devils players, alumni and staff made annual visits to all RWJBarnabas Health hospitals Thursday, Dec. 5. They delivered gifts, signed autographs and took photos with patients, physicians, nurses and staff in pediatrics, oncology, orthopedics and cardiac rehab, among other departments. As part of the systemwide visits, defensemen Dougie Hamilton, left, brought some much-needed holiday cheer to the patients and staff at Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, including many passionate Devils fans.
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Kevin
Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com Sports Writer
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.
n
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.
n
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.
n
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.
SPORTS HEALTH
By Jason Bernstein jason@theobserver.com
Whether it was on the field of play or off, there was no shortage of memorable sports stories within The Observer area in 2024. The last 12 months saw both the joy of victory and the devastation of defeat. With that, here are the Top 10 Sports Stories for The Observer circulation area in 2024.
1. GALKA RETIRES AS KEARNY BOYS SOCCER COACH
When Bill Galka was hired to become the head boys soccer coach at Kearny, he knew full well the pressure that came with leading one of the state’s premier programs. Despite that as well as the challenge of replacing a legendary head coach in John Millar, Galka left his own mark on a program that remains a gold standard in New Jersey.
This spring, Galka announced his retirement after 18 years as the Kardinals’ head coach Galka
left with a staggering 308-59-21 record while bringing twp state titles, five sectional championships and seven Hudson County crowns back to Soccertown, U.S.A.
Like it did 18 years prior, Kearny didn’t have to go far to find a replacement, hiring Galka’s assistant and one-time All-State player Scott Millar as head coach.
2. TORANZO FINISHES COMEBACK STORY WITH THIRD PLACE FINISH
A torn ACL denied Brandon Toranzo the opportunity to compete for a medal at the NJSIAA State Wrestling Championships as a junior.
Twelve months later, Toranzo not
only got to end his high school wrestling career on his teams, but he did it with a historic performance.
Toranzo went 46-1 his senior season, finishing third in the state in the heavyweight class. It was the highest finish for a Nutley wrestler in 43 years.
Toranzo’s incredible comeback season saw him named Outstanding Wrestler of the Essex County Tournament for the second year in a row. After an incredible 86-2 record in two seasons at Nutley, Toranzo signed to continue his career at Rutgers.
& TOP 10 SPORTS STORIES OF 2024
the Blue Tide caught fire in the postseason, defeating Hackettstown, 1-0, to win its second North 2, Group 2 title in three years. Four days later, All-State midfielder Yusufu Jaite sent Harrison to the state final when he scored the clinching penalty kick in a win over Glen Rock.
final goal when she recorded an 18-00.50 to take sixth place in the Long Jump at the MOC. The jump was the final highlight of a high school career that culminated in Tozduman being named The Jim Hague Observer Female Athlete of the Year.
3. HARRISON SOCCER RETURNS TO THE STATE FINALS
The Blue Tide’s dream of a 26th state title was dashed in the Group 2 final against Sterling. Harrison took a 2-1 lead on Christian Barrios’ goal in the 57th minute, but Sterling tied the game just three minutes later. Then, in double overtime, Jason Camardoscored the winning goal, giving Sterling its first state title in 46 years.
Sectional titles and trips to the state finals are the expectation at Harrison for its boys soccer program.But even with that standard in place,this year’s state tournament run came as a bit of a surprise.
4. TOZDUMAN, CRUZFLETCHER MEDAL AT MOC
Tozduman wasn’t the only Observer area athlete to leave Pennsauken with a medal as Bloomfield junior took home eighth in the 100 Meter Hurdles with an eye-opening time of 14.78 seconds.
Despite an at times, up and down regular season,
Julia Tozduman had accomplished virtually every goal she could have envisioned for herself at Lyndhurst except for one - a medal at the outdoor track Meet of Champions.
Tozduman checked off that
5. MULLINS MAKES IT BACK FROM LEUKEMIA William Mullins seemingly had it all going for him as an all-
See SPORTS, Page 10
Town of Kearny file photo
Mayor Carol Jean Doyle, second from left, presents Bill Galka with a proclamation to honor 25 years of service as a coach.
Brandon Toranzo
Julia Tozduman
SPORTS
Continued from Page 9
state volleyball player, who was also in line to potentially be the valedictorian of his graduating class at Kearny High School.
All of that was nearly taken away from him when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in October of 2022. After months of chemotherapy, Mullins’ leukemia was in remission, allowing him to return to classes in the fall and thanks, to a special waiver from the NJSIAA, return to play basketball and volleyball at Kearny.
Getting back in shape to play was a challenge due to weight gain caused by some of the steroid treatments used in his recovery, but Mullins was back in time to play in the Kardinals’ basketball opener that winter. In
Bell’s palsy is an unexplained episode of facial weakness or paralysis caused by an inflammatory response in the immune system. The condition is most common in pregnant women, diabetics, and following an upper respiratory infection or a bacterial infection like Lyme disease. It causes loss of muscle control on one side of the face, making it difficult or impossible to close the eyelid. An important part of managing Bell’s palsy is treating the affected eye with eye drops and ointments during the day and protecting it at night to prevent drying and corneal scratching. Bell’s palsy usually wears off over several months but may clear
the spring, Mullins was back in his familiar spot at outside hitter and finished among the leaders in the HCIAL for kills and service points.
6. LYNDHURST VOLLEYBALL SECTIONAL TITLE
Head coach Steve Vahalla
sensed that this year’s girls volleyball team at Lyndhurst could be special back in the summer when it dominated Harrison’s summer league.
Those visions of greatness back in July became reality in November when the Golden Bears won its first sectional title in 34 years when it defeated Mendham, 23-25, 25-11, 25-17 for the North 2, Group 2 championship. The victory was the exclamation point on a season that saw Lyndhurst, set a school record for wins with 24, make the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals and defeat state power Secaucus to clinch a share of the division title.
7.
HARRISON BOYS VOLLEYBALL REPEATS
Harrison graduated nearly the entire starting lineup from the 2023 team that won a Hudson County title. The faces might have been new, but the end result wasn’t as the Blue Tide repeated
as county champs when it defeated Hudson Catholic, 25-15, 32-30 in the final.
Anthony Narvaez, the lone starter left from 2023, had eight kills, 15 digs and two blocks to lead the way. Narvaez’s kill tied the second set at 30-all before back-to-back kills from Yamil Espinoza clinched the match and the title for Harrison.
Harrison ended the season with a record of 26-5, falling to West Caldwell Tech in the North Jersey, Group 1 final.
8.
PIZZUTI SETS LYNDHURST SCORING RECORD
For 37 years, former Atlanta Braves draft pick Scott Ryder held Lyndhurst’s career scoring record for boys basketball with 1,212 points. It was in 2024 when Ryder’s mark was surpassed, coincidentally by another baseball star - Anthony Pizzuti..
Pizzuti officially put his name in the record books as the career scoring leader when he scored 35 points in a February victory over Cresskill.
Pizzuti, the Jim Hague Observer Male Athlete of the Year decided to play baseball at Brookdale, but received plenty of interest from local college basketball coaches after averaging 23.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game to help lead Lyndhurst to a NJIC National Division title. He finished his career with 1,341 points.
9.
KEARNY NATIVE CARDENAS, AN ALL-AMERICAN AGAIN
Kearny native Jacob Cardenas could have folded after a second round loss in the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Instead, Cardenas’ NCAA championship
See SPORTS, Page 11
up sooner if a cause such as an infection is treated.
Most people with Bell’s palsy recover within six months, but without proper care of the involved eye, you may suffer needless and permanent consequences such as corneal ulceration and scarring of the cornea. To schedule an exam, please call 201-8960096. Our office is located at 20 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst. To reach our optical shop, call 201-896-0007. We accept most insurance.
P.S. Most people affected by Bell’s palsy return to normal muscle control and facial expression over time and don’t have further complications once the condition is resolved.
William Mullins
Anthony Pizzuti
SPORTS
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experience ended with him once again on the medal stand when he finished in fourth at 197 pounds.
Five of Cardenas’ six wins came in the wrestleback brackets,
ond round.
Cardenas, who is using his final season of college eligibility at the University of Michigan, went on to take the silver medal at 92 kilograms at the 2024 U23 World Championship in October, his third consecutive medal in world appearances.
10. COACHING MILESTONES (ZULLO 500, LANDY 300)
Luann Zullo and Nick Landy have brought their high school alma mater to the top in their respective sports on numerous occasions during their storied coaching careers. This May both reached significant milestones.
On May 2, Landy won his 300th game with Harrison boys volleyball when the Blue Tide defeated North Arlington. Landy, in his 15th season as head coach, remembers taking a program that won three games in his first year
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and slowly building into a local and then state power. Landy, The Star-Ledger’s 2016 Statewide Boys Volleyball Coach of the Year, has led Harrison to four Hudson County championships.
Six days later, Zullo became
just the fifth Essex County softball coach to reach 500 wins when Nutley defeated Payne Tech. During Zullo’s 28-year coaching career, the last 25 of which have been at Nutley, her teams have won two Essex Coun-
ty titles and five sectional championships. Zullo was selected The Star-Ledger’s 2010 State Softball Coach of the Year after leading Nutley to the second of four state sectional titles the Maroon Raiders have won during her tenure.
Dr. Prakash J. Doshi
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Coach Luann Zullo is recognized after her 500th coaching win.
Jacob Cardenas
Angeline Hromada
OBITUARIES
Angeline Hromada of Harrison died Friday, Dec. 20, at Arbor Ridge Care Center in Wayne. She was 96. Born in Throop, Pennsylvania, she was raised in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. Angie lived in Kearny for many years before eventually settling in Harrison.
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She attended Berkeley Professional School and achieved a certificate in stenography. She worked as a court clerk for Hudson County for many years and retired in 1993.
Prior to that, she worked as a tube tester for RCA, Harrison, for 40 years.
Her religion was very impor-
Novena to St. Jude
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. St. Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. Please grant my request. Say this prayer 9 times a day. By the 9th day your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail. Publication must be promised. Thank you Saint Jude.
B.
tant to her. A longtime parishioner of Holy Cross Church, Harrison, Angie sang in the church choir. In her free time, she volunteered at the Mount Carmel Guild, the Salvation Army aftercare program and later, in the English as a Second Language town program.
She enjoyed ice skating, line dancing, swimming and traveling. From going down the shore (especially Ocean Grove), to trips with her family to Europe, Angie loved to see new things and meet new people.
Angie is survived by her loving nieces and nephew, Betsy Christopher (Ronald) of Bear, Delaware, Karen Minnett (John) of Wanaque, Raymond A. Hromada (Ellen) of Chantilly, Virginia, Judy Donaldson of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, and cherished grandnieces and nephews Jill Ryan (Mike), Joy Reid (Kevin),
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All obituaries must be submitted by email by 10 a.m., Mondays, to obituaries@ theobserver.com. Payment is due at submission.
Heather Campbell (Tim) and Mark Chistopher (Melanie), Kimberly Bodnar (Nick), Carolyn Carbone (Kevin), Nicholas Minnett, Katrina Minnett, Steven Hromada, Emily Minahan (Dan), Elizabeth
Hromada and many greatgrand nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents Anthony and Ernestine Hromada, sister Hedwig Orinick, brother Raymond M. Hromada and niece Theresa Dahl. The funeral will be conducted at the Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave. Harrison.
Friends and relatives of Angie and her family may visit the funeral home on Sunday, Dec. 29 from 2 to 6 p.m. and Monday morning, Dec. 30, from 9 to 9:45 a.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Cross Church,
See OBITS, Page 25
Christmas has a different meaning to everyone, and that meaning can change from year to year, depending on what fate has brought your way. For some, it has been a year of prosperity... for others, it has been a year of loss. Fortunately, time has a way of healing, and letting us go forward—to celebrate again. Whatever the year has brought your way, we want you to know our family’s thoughts are with you.
Merry Christmas To All from the Spanish Pavillion Restaurant Family
Dear Hudson County residents, festive greetings to you and your loved ones! May this holiday season bring you all love and community. Happy Holidays & Happy New Year from Craig Guy, Hudson County Executive
Merry Christmas from Mayor Michael Melham and the Belleville Township Council
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from From Harrison Councilman Larry Bennett
Merry Christmas from Mayor John V. Kelly and the Nutley Board of Commissioners
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Burns & Sons Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Zach’s Garage 790 Kearny Ave., (201)428-1872Kearny Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all the readers of The Observer Abbott Milano Insurance Agency (201) 933-3333
Christmas & Happy New Year
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Christmas & Happy New Year to all of our customers from Arlington Real Estate (201) 991-0905 Merry Christmas Happy & 2025Healthy from Dr. John P. Branwell 37 Seeley Ave., Kearny (201) 998-9700
Merry Christmas & HappyNewHealthy Year to our dearest customers from Schuyler Savings Bank Kearny & Harrison
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from John DeGrace Plumbing & Heating 267 River Rd. North Arlington (201) 997-8565
Merry Christmas
Wilfred Armitage & Wiggins
Funeral Home Stay Safe
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Kearny Family Health Center Dr. Souha Hanna, DDS 65 Kearny Ave., Kearny (201) 997-7201
Happy Holidays & Happy New Year from CORK Wine & Spirits 99 Somerset St. Harrison 862-255-2001 Free Delivery in December
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of our patients from all of us at DeLuca Vision Consultants 20 Park Ave., Lyndhurst (201) 896-0096
YEAR-END
Continued from Page 8
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.
His funeral was at Kearny’s St. Stephen’s Church.
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Christmas from Fr. Joseph A. Mancini VF, KCHS Saint Stephen’s Church
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LPD: Porch pirate must have forgotten the cameras
By Kevin A. Canessa Jr. kc@theobserver.com
Do they not see the doorbell cameras?
Do they really not know those cameras record video?
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Well, one Paterson apparently couldn’t have cared less as he attempted to steal a valuable package in October — but since the camera don’t lie, he’s now behind bars for his misdeed.
During the course of the investigation, Det. Matt Giunta was able to identify the suspect vehicle as a Mercedes Benz and he was eventually able to obtain the license plate number. Additionally, Det. Giunta was able to identify the suspect as Jeison Sime Martinez, 24, of Paterson, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
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On Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Lyndhurst Police Department received a report from a resident of a package that had been stolen from the front porch. The victim provided surveillance video from a doorbell camera which captured the theft and provided detectives with a description of the suspect, as well as the make of his vehicle. The package contained electronics valued at approximately $1,000.
On Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, at 10:50 a.m., the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department arrested Sime Martinez on the warrant after coming across him during the course of an investigation into a motor-vehicle violation. Sime Martinez was charged accordingly before being remanded to the Bergen County Jail, Hackensack.
The Lyndhurst Police Department would like to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department and the Fort Lee Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
NEWARK
N. ARLINGTON
OBSERVER CLASSIFIEDS
OBITS
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Harrison, at 10:30 a.m. Her final disposition will take place in St. Catherine’s Cemetery, Moscow, Pennsylvania.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in care of the funeral home in loving memory of Angeline.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mulliganfh.com
Joseph V. Doffont
Joseph V. “Deo” Doffont, 65, of North Arlington, died Dec. 18, 2024.
Relatives and friends visited at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. A funeral Mass was celebrated at Queen of Peace Church in North Arlington. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, also North Arlington.
Born in Kearny, Deo lived in North Arlington for over 50 years. He was a truck driver for many years, most recently with Goodman Sales. A huge fan of NASCAR and the New York Yankees, Joey enjoyed watching “Survivor.” A selfless man, he was loved by all. He most cherished time spent at the lake in the Poconos, surrounded by good friends and family.
Joseph was the beloved husband of Colleen (nee Kelly) Doffont; loving father of Samantha Vargas and her husband Luis, Kaitlin Corcoran and her husband Ryan and Nicole Gingerelli and her husband Tommy. He was the treasured Pop
Pop of Alexis, Christopher, Caleb, Elena, Mackenzie and Lily and the dear brother of Denise Deliman and her husband Alan, Laurie Hayes and her husband George, David Doffant and the late Judy Kaduscwicz. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Private funeral arrangements were handled by the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny.
Phyllis was the wife of the late Ken Harris and Harold Dubois. She was the loving mother of La Rie Malley. Sister of the late John Hopton and Linda Teschic. Phyllis was the beloved grandmother of Dana Lugo, Melissa Malley and Steven Malley. She is also survived by her great grandchildren Jasmin, Joseph and Emma along with her close Florida friends Tracey, Gary and Carol.
Phyllis loved her life in Florida where she was a talented artist and bookkeeper at the Sarasota Community Art Center. She was a volunteer police officer there as well. She was a world traveler and a member of the Caledonian Club. She was known for singing religious songs especially “Jesus Loves Me” and “Thank You Jesus.”
In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to the Food Pantry c/o her granddaughter Dana at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 225 Washington Ave., Belleville.
