The Personal Injury Attorney in Saddle Brook, NJ, You Can Trust

Severe flooding once again threatens inland and coastal New Jersey, prompting school delays, road closures and water rescues following Tuesday's storm. This comes just weeks after a December storm inundated the communities with floodwaters.

At least 4 inches of rain reportedly fell in parts of Bergen and Passaic counties, landing on ground saturated by this weekend's storm. And yet another storm Friday evening will exacerbate flooding.

In Lodi, the around 9 a.m. EST Wednesday morning, more than 2 feet above major flood stage. The river level peaked at 10.27 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The Saddle River enters minor flood stage at 5.5 feet and major flood stage at 8 feet.

Flood warnings remain in effect Wednesday morning in parts of Bergen, Essex, Passaic and Union counties.

Ahead of the storm, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties in the state. Murphy said 56,000 homes were without power and several hundred accidents and highway assists were reported, but no storm deaths.

Numerous rivers remain in flood stage, while water levels continue to rise on major area rivers, which will crest in the next 48 hours.

In Paterson, the Passaic River gauge is forecast to reach major flood stage, and a Flood Warning is in effect for the area until Thursday. In December, the river crested at 22 feet, which makes the area particularly vulnerable to the rain this time around.

Morris County residents expected the to rise to about 19 feet. The forecast now calls for a crest of over 20 feet on Wednesday evening.

The Raritan River in Somerset County also reached a major flood stage.

Commuters in Hoboken were greeted Wednesday morning with a flooded railway terminal, though train service remained "uninterrupted," NJ Transit officials said.

In coastal and bayside communities on the New Jersey shoreline, the high-tide cycle sent Atlantic waters onto the land. Coastal flood warnings remain in effect in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Saddle River in Lodi crests

Basement and lower-level apartment homes in Lodi were flooded when the river crested, sending water into the streets near the river, including Main Street. On Wednesday, water continued to lap at buildings, and the river raged nearby.

Avenue E to Central Avenue on Main Street remains closed due to flooding.

Lodi Fire Department crews evacuated families with young children in those homes using high-water vehicles. Fire crews are going street by street to check on residents in homes in the flooding area who may need rescuing.

Despite the flooding, people were still trying to make it to work in the wet conditions. Many drivers were diverted due to flood-related road closures.

"You need a rowboat No. 1 to come in here. It's been bad. The water rises in the rivers, and there's nothing you can do," said Phil Pino, of Pinto Garbage Co. "Main Street is bad, very bad. Maybe half a mile of water."

's Robert Moses spoke with a resident who watched helplessly as the water encroached on his home. Phil Coniglio said he's done everything to prepare for the storm after severe flooding impacted his home a few weeks ago.

"Right now, it's kind of frightening because you, you sit there, and I know what number puts it…in my house. And that number is 9.41. Right now it's at nine. So I've only got four-tenths of a foot. I've got like four or five inches. And that water just start coming to my house," Coniglio said.Schools in Lodi are closed on Wednesday.

The basement flooded at the Boys and Girls Club, Washington Elementary School and multiple businesses in Lodi. Flooding was also reported in houses along the baseball field and a senior housing complex.

Raritan River

Dramatic video showed elevated water levels in the Raritan River at Manville, Somerset County, on Wednesday. Another video shows Raritan waters overflowing onto a bridge in Somerville.

"The river is still rising," @GerryGorbach wrote in an X post.

Authorities in Somerset County indicated that localized flooding was expected to persist through Wednesday afternoon.

Passaic River flood threats

Pine Brook is bracing for major flooding impacts as the at 21.4 feet on Thursday. As of Wednesday morning, the river was over 19 feet, just above minor flood stage. The river reaches major flood stage at 21 feet.

Christopher Hope Center is open to shelter fleeing residents in Paterson.

Pompton River hit major flood stage

Pompton Plains has picked up 3-5 inches of rain over the past 24 hours. The Pompton River hit major flood stage at 19 feet and is forecast to peak at 20.6 feet by late Wednesday.

Pequannock Mayor Ryan Herd said that beginning Sunday, first responders went door to door to warn residents of the potential flooding. The mayor said he's concerned families will be displaced by flooding yet again.

"This is actually about the third time in about four weeks that we've gotten flooding in Pequannock," Herd said.

How much did it rain in NJ? Local rainfall totals

Hasbrouck Heights quarterback Frank Billings awaits the snap in the first quarter against Saddle Brook Friday night at Depken Field.Photo Credit: Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis

Photo Credit: Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis

Hasbrouck Heights kicker George Kouletas made five extra points against Saddle Brook Friday night.Photo Credit: Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis

Hasbrouck Heights quarterback Frank Billings awaits the snap in the first quarter against Saddle Brook Friday night at Depken Field.Photo Credit: Faith Ballantine-Armonaitis

PublishedSeptember 9, 2023 at 12:08 AM

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – By the time they had power restored to the scoreboard at Depken Field, it was already 14-0 Hasbrouck Heights. They would need the scoreboard to keep the tally, as the Aviators defeated Saddle Brook, 56-0, in a NJIC Meadowlands Division contest.

The thunderstorm that rolled through earlier in the day knocked out power to most of Hasbrouck Heights for a short time Friday afternoon. The one part that didn't come back was the Route 17 corridor between Williams Ave and Franklin Ave, including a bank of lights and the scoreboard at Depken Field.

The Aviators' offense was dominant against the Saddle Brook defense, scoring on every possession.

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The game got off to an inauspicious start, as the Aviators were penalized on the first play for 12 men on the field. But Jake Summers just ran through the Falcons defense, carrying eight times for 74 yards, keeping the chains moving despite two more false start penalties.

Quarterback Frank Billings hit Michael Napolitano on a fourth and ten at the Saddle Brook 15 on a 14 yard pass down the middle for a first and goal at the one. Billings powered in from one yard, and George Kouletas kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Aviators second drive was brief, after shutting down the Saddle Brook offense it took just two plays to score again. Following another false start, Billings ran for 10 yards and then Summers broke through the middle of the Saddle Brook line for a 44-yard touchdown run and a 13-0 lead. Kouletas kick made the score 14-0.

The second quarter saw the power restored to the scoreboard, and the Aviators continued to move the ball. After taking over the ball at the 39, Billings scampered 24 yards to the 15, with Saddle Brook picking up a roughing penalty moving it half the distance to the seven. An offside penalty moved the ball to the four, where Billings hit Evan Werner with a shovel pass which he took around the right end for a touchdown, and following the extra point, a 21-0 lead

By now the Hasbrouck Heights defense was shutting the Falcons' offense out cold, and following another three and out, it took the Aviators just one play to make the score 28-0, as Billings and Werner combined on another shovel pass, this one 39 yards, and a commanding lead.

Hasbrouck Heights added one more score before halftime, as Billing rushed in from 18 yards for a 34-0 lead. Kouletas’ fifth extra point made the score, 35-0.

The second half began with a running clock, and the Aviators reserves in the game.

But following a punt return, Daniel Amendola and Michael Napolitano connected on a 26-yard shovel pass, and Brady Shine made the extra point to push the lead to 42-0.

Amendola and Shine would find the end zone with an 11-yard shovel pass to make the score 49-0 on the final play of the third quarter, following two impressive runs from Domonic Aiosa.

The final play of the game was the Aviators’ final score, as Amendola shoveled the ball to Jayden Chicaiza, who broke through the Saddle Brook defense for a 41 yard touchdown.

STATS: Passing: Billiings 3-3, 57 yrds, 2 tds, Amendola 5-5, 100 yrds, 3 tds,

Rushing: Summers, 9-121, 1 TD, Billings 4-54, 2 TD, Aiosa 2-41

Receiving: Napolitano 2-40, 1 TD, Werner 2-43, 2 TD, Shine 2-25, 1 TD, Chicaiza 2-49, 1 TD

MAJOR pharmacy chain CVS closed another location amid a shift in retail strategy.

This time, a New Jersey town will be left with one less pharmacy option when fulfilling their prescriptions.

The store closed on October 5, 2023, with most of its services being moved to another branch in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

The Fair Lawn location is less than a mile away from the closed spot.

A sign posted on the store before it shut for good warned customers of the change.

“Our store is closing, but we’re still nearby,” the sign said, directing customers to the Fair Lawn branch.

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STOP THE BLEEDING

OTHER OPTIONS

The tightly populated suburban area has many CVS locations to choose from.

Saddle Brook, New Jersey is surrounded by CVS branches.

About two miles away in Elmwood Park, there’s a CVS branch still operating.

Two miles away in another direction, there is a CVS in Rochelle Park.

The pharmacy and convenience store’s phone numbers were forwarded automatically to the Fair Lawn location.

CLOSURE CONUNDRUM

The closure by CVS comes after announcing a change to its retail strategy in 2021, focusing on maintaining its geographic footprint while closing about 300 stores per year through 2024.

The pharmacy chain said it considers maintaining access through other locations when deciding which stores to close.

That means that areas like New Jersey with many stores could be the first to have their locations considered for the chopping block.

A spokesperson previously told the U.S. Sun:

“We consider many factors when making store closure decisions including maintaining access to pharmacy services, local market dynamics, population shifts, a community’s store density, and ensuring there are other geographic access points to meet the needs of the community.”

It’s unclear why the Saddle Brook location is the one to be shut down.

Elsewhere, CVS has closed other stores including one in Albany, New York.

Another CVS location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana shut on September 28.

The raft of closings is expected to continue into 2024.

For more on store closures, Walgreens shared its plans to close 150 stores.

Rite Aid has closed many stores as a potential bankruptcy looms.

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Describing the transaction as one of the largest and most complex completed in the state this year, Sitex Group is now just the second owner, ever, of the 640,000-square-foot Zuckerberg’s Industrial Park in Saddle Brook.

On Sept. 14, the Englewood-based vertically integrated real estate private equity firm told NJBIZ exclusively that it acquired the 40-acre, 50-building campus located at 300 N. Midland Ave. in an off-market transaction.

According to Sitex, the sale marks the first time the industrial property, closely held by the Zuckerberg family for three generations, has changed hands.

“We are thrilled to acquire the park,” stated Sitex Principal Blake Chroman. “Buying an industrial park of this size in prime infill New Jersey – particularly in Bergen County – is incredibly rare. Over the past decade, we built a relationship with the sellers and always hoped that we would own it someday. We are grateful that the Zuckerberg family selected us to be the new owners.”

Added Sitex Vice President Jackson Kaplan, “We have the right team in place which enabled us to navigate the complexities of this transaction and swiftly close.”

Offering high visibility and convenient access to Interstate 80, the Garden State Parkway and the Ports of Newark/Elizabeth, Newark Liberty International Airport and New York City, Zuckerberg’s Industrial Park also includes a 4-acre trailer parking lot, Sitex said.

According to Colliers’ most-recent report on the sector, sales volume in the industrial space bounced back in the second quarter of the year – despite rising interest rates. That brought total volume to $793.4 million for the period, according to the firm, which surpassed four of the past five quarters, dating to Q1 2022.

Average sales prices were up, as well, by 14.3% year over year, producing the highest quarterly average on record, according to Colliers.

Financial terms of the Zuckerberg’s deal were not disclosed. According to its website, Sitex acquires properties on an all-cash basis.

In addition to consistent ownership over the complex’s history, Sitex its tenancy, saying that Zuckerberg’s Industrial Park has sustained more than 90% occupancy over its 30-year history.

Current tenants include: UPS, ServePro and Johnstone Supply as well as many local operators.

Specializing in the New York and New Jersey markets, Sitex has continued to expand its portfolio in 2023. In April, the firm announced it had acquired $250 million in transactions in the region since the start of the year, including properties in Edison and Rutherford.

“This was a very unique acquisition opportunity and is another example of our longtime strategy of buying and repositioning industrial properties in key infill locations throughout New York and New Jersey,” said Chroman.

Sitex has plans to modernize the property immediately, according to Chroman, with work starting Thursday for improvements including paving, lighting, new signage and updated building interiors.

Marsha A. Stoltz

SADDLE RIVER — A Board of Education incumbent defeated in November's election has been appointed to the unexpired term of a fellow trustee.

Trustee Evelyn Nissirios, who lost to newcomer Kunal Bhatia by 26 votes in a rare challenge for a school board seat, was appointed to fill the one-year unexpired term of trustee John Peros at the Dec. 13 board meeting.

The final vote in November had Bhatia defeating Nissirios by 481-455 for a full three-year term.

"We hope that having two members who received such confidence from voters will help unite the community," Board of Education President Emily Kaufman said in an email statement.

Peros resigned in October, and the board had 65 days to fill the seat, Kaufman said. Nissirios' resignation was accepted at the Dec. 6 meeting, Kaufman said.

"After consulting with the New Jersey Department of Education, New Jersey Association of School Boards and the New Jersey County Executive, that open seat was offered to Kunal Bhatia to fill early," Kaufman said. "Mr. Bhatia decided to wait until the January reorganization meeting."

Kaufman said the board received applications, conducted public interviews, and chose a candidate "in accordance with guidelines set forth by the New Jersey Department of Education."

Kaufman gave no explanation as to what issue required two candidates to "unite the community."

Parents complained about discriminatory busing

Nissirios was last singled out in a September 2022 dispute over middle school bus routes carrying children in grades six to eight to Eric Smith Middle School in Ramsey, which they attend because there is no middle school in the Saddle River district.

One of two door-to-door pickup and drop-off routes was unexpectedly eliminated last fall for budgetary reasons, requiring middle school parents along that route to drop off and pick up their children at the elementary school — Wandell School on East Allendale Road.

The route used by Nissirios and fellow trustee Yasmin Elshami was not shortened or eliminated, allowing those children to be picked up and dropped off at or near their homes.

At least five parents filed complaints with the state Education Department accusing the Board of Education of discriminatory practices.

Middle school question

Another possible dispute is looming over the district's $78,000 feasibility study as a first step in determining whether it should continue the 25-year practice of sending what are now 64 middle school students to Ramsey or return them to be educated in the district. The current agreement with Ramsey ends June 30, 2024, and the district was required to send a "letter of intent" in October "to keep the credits that are currently in the agreement."

Some parents have protested that the district did not adequately pursue a third option to send middle school children to Allendale, Upper Saddle River or Ho-Ho-Kus. The students from those schools go on to attend Northern Highlands Regional High School.

Saddle River students have a unique choice of attending either Ramsey High School or Northern Highlands, with 16 currently at Ramsey and 99 at Northern Highlands. Parents argue that their students are better prepared to enter Northern Highlands if they have attended one of its feeder grade schools because the curriculums are coordinated to prepare students for high school courses.

Saddle River school board members have responded that an offer was made to participate in the study and declined by the three grade schools. It is unclear what offer was made to the grade schools, or whether any of the districts have room to accept Saddle River middle school students.

The district was projected to issue a report in January, and it has posted frequently asked questions about the proposal on its website.