Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Patch readers comments and ideas sought for vacant stores and buildings in the township.
The now-vacant space at 148B Bloomfield Ave. in Verona has been home to both Amy's Florist and a Math Wizard Learning Center. The 1,370-square foot space is perfect for any kind of business whether its retail or a dentist office. The visibilty and exposure from both Bloomfield Avenue and nearby Pompton Avenue makes it a prime location with plenty of parking. So this is where you come in, Verona and Cedar Grove community. The concept behind this column is we’ll present a vacant building and ask you to tell us what you think would be the best use of the vacant space. Here's the fun part: Forget what zone it’s in. Ignore setback regulations, as well as dump lot coverage rules and all the other zoning jargon that puts most people to sleep. Our…
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Candidate names are pulled at random to determine the order names will appear on the May 14 ballot.
On Monday, township candidates in both Verona and Cedar Grove filed into each town hall to see where their names will appear on the May 14 ballot. The order is chosen randomly by drawing the names out of a hat, or in this case a small bag. In Verona, Municipal Clerk Susan Neale and Township Manager Joseph Martin drew the names as follows: In Cedar Grove, Municipal Clerk Kathleen Stutz and Assistant to the Clerk Martina Meding drew the names out of a box:
Monday, March 11, 2013
Stolen Honda Odyssey leads police on a high speed chase through Verona; owner allegedly lied to police about being carjacked in order to get them to the scene faster.
Verona Police scrambled to clear roads as a stolen Honda led police on a high-speed pursuit through several towns on Tuesday March 5, while a Paterson man allegedly lied about a carjacking in order to get a quicker response time from police. Police say Terrence Byrd claimed a car thief brandished a handgun and took his 2013 Honda Odyssey from the A Plus Sunoco station at the intersection of Passaic Avenue and Greenbrook Road on March 5 at approximately 11 p.m. A police investigation revealed Byrd fabricated the part about the gun in order to get officers to the scene quicker, which it did, according to police. Byrd has been charged with filing a false police report. “Mr. Byrd’s actions put a great number of people at risk including the …
Township focuses on municipal court, code enforcement, engineering and public works and building and grounds departments at Monday night workshop.
The Verona Township Council continued to outline its 2013-14 budget during a special workshop focusing on the municipal court, code enforcement, engineering and public works and buildings and grounds departments on Monday night. The council already reviewed sections of the $21,310,234 budget involving the Verona Police Department and Office of Community Service at the Feb. 25 budget workshop. Municipal Judge John A. Paparazzo broke down the $237,948 municipal court budget and discussed different forms of technology, which save the township money. The court uses video conferencing for state and local prisons, he said, which saves thousands of dollars. If someone is in jail for another offense and has a Verona hearing, the court can simply …
Four candidates are running for three seats in Cedar Grove, while seven candidates compete for three seats in Verona.
Verona and Cedar Grove’s May 14 council election will feature crowded fields as incumbents, former council members and newcomers have filed to run for seats with clerks in each town. In Cedar Grove, incumbents John Zunic, Joseph Chiusolo and E. Romeo Longo are each seeking re-election, according to officials in the Cedar Grove Clerk’s office. Challenger Stacy Kilkenny of High Point has also announced her candidacy. Kilkenny has lived in Cedar Grove for eight years and has been contemplating running for several months, she said. Meanwhile, seven candidates have filed to contest for three open seats on the Verona Township Council. Incumbents Bob Manley, Kevin Ryan and Jay Sniatkowski have all submitted applications for their candidacy, said …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Deputy mayor envisions future venue as part of Hilltop Park.
Verona Deputy Mayor Bob Manley saw the future of Verona following a 2011 summer vacation with his brother to Colorado. “My brother Ken and I were in Colorado in the summer of 2011 and we stopped for lunch and had some sandwiches overlooking this amphitheater,” said Manley. He thought it would make a great addition to Verona so he drew up some rough sketches and presented it to Township Manager Joseph Martin and the council, who all responded positively to the idea, he said. During 2012 meetings, the council has reviewed plans for new fields, walking trails and Manley’s amphitheater idea as part of the Hilltop Park development plan. “We were very fortunate to get that property and the topography for that land is ideal,” said Manley. “…
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Verona and Cedar Grove Seniors will be heading to Atlantic City to compete in the 2013 State Wrestling Tournament.
Verona and Cedar Grove High School Seniors will be heading to Atlantic City to compete in the 2013 State Wrestling Tournament. The top three wrestlers in each weight class moved on to compete in Atlantic City. Verona Senior Frank Greco, 182 lbs., placed first at the Region 4 Championships at West Orange on Saturday, March 2. Verona Senior Joe Cordasco, 170 lbs.Placed third. Cedar Grove Senior Vin Cordasco, 220 lbs., won third place and will be heading to Atlantic City to represent the Panthers. The competition begins Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m. at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Click here for the schedule. Click here to watch NJ.com's weight class preview for Frank Greco at the 2013 NJSIAA wrestling tournament in Atlantic City.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Here is the Verona-Cedar Grove guide to recycling all of your old things, from paper and glass to clothes and toys, plus some things you can do to benefit local schools and charities.
Need to find a new home for old computers, toys your kids have outgrown, or paint you're not going to use? Here is our guide to getting stuff out of your basement and into all the right places—that is, everywhere but the landfill. Find out how to recycle everything from cereal box tops to soda tabs in Verona-Cedar Grove. Clothing: Cleaning out your closet gives you the opportunity to help others in need or maybe even make some extra cash. Here are a list of places to donate, sell and recycle unwanted items from your wardrobe. Verona and Cedar Grove residents can head down to Ozone Avenue in Verona to donate to Goodwill. Kids' Clothing: Whether you are looking to donate clothes or sell them for next year's school wardrobe fund, here are …
Monday, February 25, 2013
Township hosts annual budget workshop, broadcasts session on VTV for first time.
The Verona Township Council began the task of assembling its annual budget with a Monday night workshop, which included proposed budgets for the Verona Police Department and Office of Community Service. Verona plans to decrease its 2013 budget by about $100,000 from 2012. The 2013 budget, which is still under review and discussion, will be around $21,310,234, while the 2012 budget was $21,411,838 “The budget is an on-going effort and a year-round process,” said Township Manager Joseph Martin. “We are half-way through the budget process. The next major milestone is the introduction of the budget on April 1.” Verona Chief of Police Douglas Huber began the workshop by presenting the proposed numbers for the police budget, which is often the …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Patch readers comments and ideas sought for vacant stores and buildings in the township.
Home Sweet Home, owned by Ralph and Janice Cocchi, has been selling affordably priced home décor and accessories in Verona for the past 14 years but recently decided it was time for a change. The antique shop recently moved a few doors down and doubled its space, leaving 298 Bloomfield Ave. as a vacant space. The location is right at the corners of Bloomfield Avenue and Malvern Place, with plenty of parking just across the street near 7-Eleven and Anthony Robert Salon and just a short drive from the intersection of Bloomfield and Pompton avenues. Ralph Cocchi said he does not yet know what he would like to do with the vacant space. So this is where you come in, Verona and Cedar Grove community. The concept behind this column is we’ll …
Eric Goodman
5:11 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Thank you Steve for your comment. You make some really good points. P.S. I loved Amazing Hot Dog! more ›