Sunday, December 30, 2012
Hurricane Sandy, lawsuits filed against Belleville superintendent and Roche leaving Nutley for good
Belleville and Nutley residents were among those who mourned the loss of 16-year-old Christina Lembo, who was buried Oct. 5 after dying in a car accident. Both communities held tributes to the Bloomfield resident and soccer player. Belleville officials voted Nov. 1 to institute even-odd gas rationing in response to shortages caused by Hurricane Sandy. The state of New Jersey ordered a similar scheme in 12 counties the following day. The storm left much of Belleville and Nutley without power. The storm also compelled officials to close the bridge between Nutley and Lyndhurst and to take other precautionary measures. Deena Cortese, a cast member of the reality show “Jersey Shore,” was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge in Seaside …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The school district's director of curriculum and instruction tells the school board that the test results are mixed, but some of the extra efforts are improving students' performances.
School test scores are improving for English students thanks to specific tutoring programs, while programs to improve overall school district standardized test scores are also in place, Belleville school officials said Monday night. Susan Grillo, the school district's director of curriculum and instruction, told the school board that the test results are mixed, but some of the extra efforts are improving some students' performances. Some of the biggest improvement from the 2010-11 to 2011-12 school years was the improvement among students with limited English proficiency at the high school, Grillo said. "We began offering tutoring to those students, and a little help goes a long way," she said. In the eighth grade, the language arts …
Monday, October 29, 2012
Officials from Belleville and Nutley urging people to stay off the roads as Hurricane Sandy looms
[Editor's note: This story originally published at 1:17 p.m. Monday. It has since been updated with new information.] Belleville and Nutley officials are warning residents to stay safe – and stay off the roads – with the swelling Passaic River threatening flooding just hours before Hurricane Sandy will make landfall in New Jersey. Residents and police officials in Belleville said flooding problems are beginning near the Passaic River in the township’s Valley section, near Mill Street and by the Second River on Fairway Avenue, all areas that are affected by heaving rains. Residents are urged to check the township website for the latest updates. In Nutley, Mayor Alphonse Petracco said Nutley and Lyndhurst officials have agreed to close the …
Monday, October 1, 2012
The month's top stories in Belleville and Nutley
Joseph Picardo, the superintendent of Belleville’s public schools since 2010, went on paid leave after another administrator sued him for sexual misconduct. Helene Feldman was later named interim superintendent. A road rage incident in Nutley ended with a Pompton Plains man being arrested on assault and drug charges. The man, Sefer Nasufi, also allegedly stabbed the victim in a bank parking lot, police said. Nutley’s most notorious tanorexic, Patricia Krentcil, has teamed up with an author to provide online tips on proper skin care. In one of the webisodes Krentcil gets a skin peel. School overcrowding was a hot topic of discussion at both school board and township council meetings this month. Some parents blame the problem at least …
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Top Belleville / Nutley Patch Stories from the past week
Had a busy last week and missed all the Belleville & Nutley news that's fit to be posted? Here's a quick list of important news last week: Belleville Names Interim School Superintendent. The former director of the Belleville Special Education Department, Helene Feldman, was unanimously named interim superintendent of schools by the school board Monday night. Feldman’s appointment came after the existing superintendent, Joseph Picardo, was placed on paid leave after being sued for sexual misconduct. School Board President Peter Zangari Jr. praised the board's handling of a difficult situation and said Feldman was well-qualified, while Feldman said after the meeting she is "very excited" to take the post. In Belleville, Menendez …
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Belleville Board of Education unanimously approves hiring district's special education director to take over after current superintendent is put on paid leave amid sexual misconduct allegations.
The former director of the Belleville Special Education Department, Helene Feldman, was unanimously named interim superintendent of schools by the school board Monday night. Feldman’s appointment came after the existing superintendent, Joseph Picardo, was placed on paid leave after being sued for sexual misconduct. Though the meeting was moved to a larger venue to accommodate the public, the meeting was relatively quiet with an audience of less than 50 people. "I've been in Belleville for a year and a few weeks," Feldman said. "I worked before that with the New York City Chancellor's Office, in a position that is equivalent to being an assistant superintendent. I look forward to working together with the board and the staff in continuing …
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Belleville Township Council meets Tuesday night, while the Belleville and Nutley boards of education each Monday night, and both libraries continue to offer programs.
Here are some events happening in town that may be worth checking out: There are also some also programs coming up this week at the Belleville Library, at 221 Washington Ave.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Joseph Picardo named in a complaint in Bergen County by former Belleville school employee Michael M. Myers.
The Belleville Schools Superintendent has been accused of sexual misconduct by a former male employee and has been placed on a paid leave of absence. Calls to the Belleville Board of Education confirmed Superintendent Joseph Picardo is on leave, but calls to Picardo were not returned Thursday or Friday. A former male emloyee filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court accusing Picardo of "a series of sexual abuses suffered during his employment," according to Gerald Saluti, lawyer for the former employee. The story was reported here by NorthJersey.com In a statement to Patch from his lawyer, the employee Michael M. Myers said “I had to turn to the court for help. I wasn’t going to remain a victim.” Saluti said Myers is a father and a Vietnam …
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Belleville and Nutley hold observances for local residents lost on 911, while schools teach students about the attacks, Belleville officials discuss school overcrowding and more last week.
Residents and elected officials in Belleville and Nutley remembered 9/11 with two separate ceremonies on Tuesday. At the Belleville 9/11 Memorial site at Franklin Avenue and Chestnut Street, a wreath was placed by a small group of residents, who also planted small flags around the site. At the 9/11 Memorial located in front of Nutley Town Hall on Chestnut Street, residents wept and held each other. Joseph Fornarotto, chairman of the township’s veterans council, was joined by other veterans joined students at a 9/11 Memorial at the edge of Belleville School No. 7. With the fall season, boy scout leaders in Nutley and Belleville are welcoming any boys in grades one through five to join their ranks and enjoy many fun activities. There was a …
Friday, September 14, 2012
Belleville Board of Education and Township Council talk with residents about influx of kindergartners in School No. 10, and officials say steps will be taken to ease crowding.
The population is up in Belleville schools, especially in kindergarten and middle schools, school officials said. Joseph Longo, a three-term school board member, said, "Enrollment figures are up in certain schools, in specific grades, but we're working to deal with it. We need to take a couple of weeks to let the dust settle." Schools officials reported that the nine schools totaled 4,646 students in May, and increased to 4,677 students in September. The issue of school overcrowding was brought up at this week’s Board of Education meeting. School board leaders discussed where the population jumps are, whether a school property should be sold for development and whether anything can be done about students living illegally in multi-family …
Richard A. Dickon
3:54 pm on Monday, October 29, 2012
Nice photo, Lia, stay safe! more ›