Sunday, March 31, 2013
The Nutley Board of Commissioners, Health Department and Board of Education all joining forces to demand information about removing possible high levels of dioxins from the river.
The Nutley Board of Commissioners said residents worried about pollution very nearby should know that the board and town officials continue to monitor the cleanup of contaminated mud from the Passaic River. “I received the EPA factsheet with information about the Passaic River cleanup that was promised to me by representatives of that agency, and I am distributing the fact sheet to my colleagues tonight, as well as providing it to the Nutley Board of Education," Commissioner Steve Rogers said at Tuesday night’s Board of Commissioner’s meeting. “We are very concerned about reports of high levels of dioxin, a cancer-causing chemical, in the river, and those concerns are heightened because Hurricane Sandy brought the river’s waters onto our …
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 …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Challengers, incumbents take part in forum last month
Clarification appended Oct. 17 at 6:15 pm. The candidates seeking to fill three Nutley Board of Education seats up for election next month met for a forum a few weeks ago* at Washington Avenue School, where the topics of discussion ranged from nepotism in hiring to school overcrowding. Incumbents Tom Sposato and Deborah Russo and challengers Kevin Georgetti, Ryan Kline and Alan Thomas answered questions prepared by the League of Women Voters, which sponsored the 90-minute forum, and also took questions from the audience. Some of the prepared questions were modified for the challengers and the incumbents when the question touched on policies approved by the current board. On a few questions, there was a clear divide between those who …
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Superintendent, school administrators said 14-year-old grading system hurt students' college acceptance chances
Nutley's public schools are scrapping a 14-year grading system that critics said inflated grade point averages and hurt students' chances of being accepted to college. The system in place since the late 1990s has a maximum grade point average in excess of 4.0, the number that most school districts and colleges recognize as the standard for a perfect GPA. Under the existing system, an excessive number of students qualified for the honor society, school officials said at Tuesday night's board of education meeting. Russell Lazovick, the Nutley superintendent of schools, said the changes are necessary. "We need to make sure students know where they stand, with greater transparency," Lazovick said. "Also, we want colleges to be able to judge …
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 …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Rules being refined to take into account new technologies
The Nutley school board Monday discused rule changes that would prohibit text messaging and other forms of electronic communications among members while board meetings are in progress. Officials also want to stay ahead on establishing clear rules on the use of new technologies, especially computer tablets like the iPad. After officials began discussing policy changes, board trustee Debbie Russo said she supports the district "going somewhat more paperless," but was concerned that rules about using electronic devices are not spelled out well enough. "We need to be clear about texting other board members during meetings," Russo said. Board trustee Charles Kucinski, who chairs the policy committee, agreed. "Ethically, we need to clean this up…
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.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Schools open, Nutley commissioners meet, Nutley offers free blood pressure screenings, Belleville Zoning Board meets and the libraries stay busy in both townships.
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.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Belleville and Nutley remember Hurricane Irene, while Nutley plans tree planting and school officials discuss test scores and curriculum as students return to school this week.
Trees are coming to Nutley, after officials voted at an Aug. 14 meeting to purchase and install trees that will be planted throughout the township, according to Maruo Tucci, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Large species of trees will be planted in the parks, while smaller trees – that will not grow large enough to get in the way of power lines – will be planted on township streets. A year after Hurricane Irene barreled into Belleville and Nutley, forcing some residents recalled having to evacuate by boat to avoid flooding, downed trees and power lines and the havoc in some parts of town. Some of the most painful memories came from residents of Fairway Avenue in Belleville, where residents had to be taken out by boat as …
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Teachers will be encouraged to collaborate and new teachers will get curriculum training before the school year starts.
New teachers in the Nutley School District will get together before school starts to go over changes in curriculum, the school board said this week. In addition, the district presented curriculum goals that included asking the teachers to collaborate more this year. Gina Villani, director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Nutley School District, led a presentation at Monday’s Board of Education meeting about changes to curriculum for the upcoming school year. The full PowerPoint presentation is available on the the school website. "Teachers are expected to implement the new curriculum in September," she said. "And we will have regular feedback at staff meetings during the year. We have a five-year timeline, so this is just the first …
billyubob
3:28 pm on Tuesday, April 2, 2013
DEAR PATCH, WHY R U SHOWING A PICTURE OF KINKSLAND PARK WATER FALLS WHEN THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT THE PASSAIC RIVER? WHY NOT SHOW A PICTURE FROM THE CREW AREA NEAR THE N.ARLINGTON SIDE WHERE OUR KIDS ROW BOATS IN THE WATER THAT IS AFFECTED BY THE POLLUTION? MAYBE JUST MAYBE THERE COULD'VE BEEN SOME BACK WASH FROM THE STORM BUT I HAVN'T SEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT HAPPENING. more ›