H appy St. Patrick’s Day THE COMMERCIAL H e a te r 2 5 c e n t s Established 1922 OF LYNDHURST Thursday, march 18,2004 COMMUNITY BRIEFS Route 3 overhaul tops DOT priority list Senior trip scheduled existing ramps on the Rutherford tion in FY '08. "That means we priority," Fiordaliso said, empha­ is underway, and DOT has sent its By Michelle Rosa Raybeck for lunch and a show side.” expect to award the construction sizing. “When we actually get to Draft Capital Program, which Ni.ws Editor___________________ A trip for Lyndhurst senior The project will involve road­ bid in calendar year 2007. Our award the construction piece of the includes this project, to the North citizens to the Hunterdon way widening, safety upgrades, hope is to actually have a shovel in project, those numbers may have Jersey Transportation Planning Playhouse lor a show and lunch LYNDHURST - Long dis­ intersection (on and off ramp) the ground in the fall of 2007. The shifted." Organization for approval. is scheduled for Wednesday, cussed and debated, the replace­ improvements and rehabilitation or department has made this project a The preliminary design process June 2. to see "Everybody ment of the Route 3 Passaic River replacement of seven bridges along Loves Opal.” Bridge has reached the top of the a two-mile stretch of Route 3 in The show is a comedy about Department of Transportation’s both directions. M m o r n o T e m p ■ a recluse who lives near a dump (NJDOT) priority list, and the "The department is moving for­ and collects any form of junk. process of straightening out all ward. There arc legitimate safety Three con artists discover her access concerns with the affected concerns which must be addressed. and befriend her and eventually m unicipalities is underway. At the The infrastructure is sorely in need convince Opal to take out a March 9 Township Commission of attention." said Fiordaliso. "Its huge insurance policy naming meeting, the commission passed a not inexpensive, and if you've been the crooks as beneficiaries and resolution authorizing Mayor following the news from the afterwards make sure she sui­ James Guida to execute a utilities Governor's Blue Ribbon ters a rapid demise. and engineerin': agreement with Commission on the Transportation Cost is $46 per person and DOT. Trust Fund, you'll know our needs includes transportation by town ‘Lyndhurst owns some of the far outweigh our resources." bus. lunch, show and gratuity. utilities along the work area, and Route 3 fits into NJDOT"s Fix It 1'he bus will leave from Town the resolution they passed allows First initiative, which prioritizes the Hall Park promptly at 9:30 a.m. them to sign an agreement so repair and rehabilitation of New Call the parks department at they'll be compensated for engi­ Jersey's neediest roads and bridges, 201 -804-2482 to sign up. neers to go out. figure out what has so the funding has been put in place Payment is due by May 2. to be relocated where, and then go to get the job done soon. out and move it." said NJDOT "Northern New Jersey has some Auction at Masonic spokesperson Joe Fiordaliso. of the oldest infrastructure in the Club of Lyndhurst "We got notification that they country. A lot of it was built at the The Ladies Auxiliary of the were on their way - that bridge was turn of the last century. Major pro­ Masonic Club of Lyndhurst will scheduled to be done. They were jects like Route 3 and the Pulaski hold a Spring Auction on held up for a long time, but that Skyway were projected to handle Sunday. March 21 al I p.m.. at bridge is just in horrendous shape,” 1950s traffic volume and have long the hall, 316 Riverside Ave. said Guida. “We've got a couple of outlived their projected life." Lvndhurst. Donation is S4. dangerous spots along Route 3. We Fiordaliso said. Call 201-997-4402 for more specified that if there's one thing DOT has budgeted $7.5 million information. we want to see happen, it's to close for the design process in Fiscal those entrances along Rutherford Year (FY) 2005; $ll.4 million for Avenue. You take your life in your right-of-way acquisitions in FY 06 Buyers/sellers invited hands there. They can w iden the and then $198 million for construe Postcards galore - The Rutherford Community Chest will hold its annual Postcard to church flea market The First Baptist Church of Show on Sunday, March 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Masonic Hall (pictured on this one- Arlington, 650 Kearny Ave., cent postcard from 1916), located at 169 Park Ave. See Page 2 for more. Kearny. will hold its T rain show runs in C arlstadt indoor/outdoor flea market on C A R L S T A D T - "A world of work. roads, interesting structures, Saturday. March 20. 9 a.m. to miniature trains." that is how the bridges and tunnels. The "HO" Park upgrade - installation of new signs 3 p.m. Society of Model Engineers has Scale layout is approximately 30 Anyone who would like to been described. But. for the mem­ by 45 feet. It also is fully scenic NJMC greets northern migration with new participate and reserve a table bers of the nonprofit group dedicat­ with miles of scenic track. More should contact Mary or Jim at interpretive signs for birders ed to model trains, it is even more. than 50.000 miniature trees have 201 -330-795S and leave a The excitement and "Romance of been installed by the members to message. Price for a table is Railroads," and the enjoyment of depict Northern New Jersey. AREA - Ihe New Jersey ning to patrol the waters of Mill SI5 each or two for $25. building and displaying model The society's annual exhibition Meadowlands Commission recent­ Creek in Secaucus, Sawmill Creek trains has kept the Society of will he open the weekends of ly celebrated the arrival of the first and the Kingsland Impoundment in Registration open for Model Engineers going for more M arch 19. 20. 21; and M arch 26, northbound birds on the Atlantic Lyndhurst, Kearny Marsh and senior trip to than 75 years. The members of the 27 and 28, at its headquarters, Flyway with new interpretive signs Cayuga Dike in Kearny, and other designed to help residents and visi­ birding hotspots in the can see in the park at different sea­ Breakers society, located in Carlstadt. have a located at 341 Hoboken Rd. fond love of trains, and have joined Carlstadt. Hours of the exhibition tors understand the waterfowl of Meadowlands. sons. Commissioner Paul the Meadowlands, To help residents and visitors to In the future, the signs will be Passamano Jr.. director of the together to operate a train museum are Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and two large "Railroad Empires." Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 With the recent melting of the the region better understand the installed in other parks in the d< >artment of parks and recrc- ice in the New Jersey wildlife of the Meadowlands, the Meadowlands and are part of an , ..'ii. has set up a trip for The pride of the society, these p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and Meadow lands, ducks are beginning NJMC has partnered with Ducks enhanced environmental outreach n 'hurst senior citizens to "Empires,” the model train layouts, $1 for children. Additional infor­ cover almost 4,000 square feet. The mation and directions can be to arrive from the south for the Unlimited to create 16 new signs program the NJMC launched this die Breakers in Spring Lake on beginning of the annual northern for Richard W. DeKorte Park at a year to allow residents to connect Tuesday. June 29. The trip larger "O ” Scale layout is 40 by 70 obtained by calling 201-939-9212 feet and has almost 20 scale miles or by visiting the Web site at migration on the Atlantic Flyway. cost to the NJMC of $5,000. The with the 8.400 acres of wetlands, includes transportation by Mallards, Red-breasted signs utilize the extensive picture waterways and open space the Academy bus (leaving from of train track. It features a detailed http://community.nj.com/cc/sme. scenic diorama with realistic track- Mergansers, Common Mergansers, archive of Ducks Unlimited to NJMC is working to preserve Town Hall Park at 8:30 a.m.), and Canvasback ducks are begin­ illustrate waterfowl that visitors through its new Master Plan. brunch, beach, pool and din­ ner. Cost is $50 by bus; $36 by car. Call the parks department at 201 804-2482 it) sign up. INSIDE Classifieds 13 Editorial 4 Letters to the Ed 44 Obituaries 1 Real Estate 12 Schools. 10-11 Sports (-7 Vagabonding 4 Zht Commercial leader Published at 251 Ridge Road • Lyndhurst Periodical Postage Paid at Rutherford, NJ 07070 Subscription $10 Published Weekly USPS 125-620 Postmaster please send all address changes to 251 Ridge Road Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Stages Stars - Two local wrestling standouts, Rutherford High School junior Cory Dunn, left, and Saint Mary’s High 11th-grader Dave Greenwald, above, came home with medals from the NJSIAA State Finals Tournament in Atlantic City this past Weekend, as Dunn finished second at 130-pounds and o Greenwald garnered fifth place at 119. See Page 6 for details. Photos by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES.