Breaking News:::: Major Gas Main Was Just Busted

Passaic N.J. Major gas main was just busted by a construction company at the corner of Main Avenue and Highland Avenue. The gas leak is reported in the new school. Multiple agencies are responding at this time. Passaic Fire is requesting P.S.E & G on a rush. Main Avenue is being blocked off by the Passaic Police at this time expect major delays in the area. Homes are being evacuated in the area.

Update– 2:45 Passaic Fire evacuating all Highland Avenue residents in the area. Clifton Police requested to block off Main Avenue in Clifton.

Update–2:49 Passaic Fire loads the fire hoses as a precautionary measure. Additional Fire trucks arrive on scene to help with evacuations. Construction company is shutting down all of their generators in the area.

Update–2:50 P.S.E & G representative on location at this time, P.S.E & G rep awaiting the gas shut off team.

Update–2:55 Passaic Police reaching out to the Passaic County Sheriff Department for more officers to block off streets in the area.

Update–2:57 P.S.E & G Gas shut off team on location and attempting to shut off the gas main on Main Avenue and Highland.

Update–3:09 As per Passaic Police and Passaic Fire all units will be leaving the scene within 15 minutes. P.S.E & G shut off the gas at this time.

P.B.J.N Staff on behalf of the residents of the City Of Passaic would like to thank the Passaic Police department and the Passaic Fire department for keeping us safe and protected.

P.B.J.N Exclusive Report

Pedestrian Struck This Afternoon

Passaic Park– A pedestrian crossing the street, was struck by an auto at 6:40 PM tonight. The pedestrian was at the the intersection of  Van Houten Ave and Waverly Place. Passaic police department, E.M.S, the Fire department, as well as Hatzolah EMS were all on scene. The patient was transported to the hospital by Passaic Fire EMS in stable condition.

Tree falls on house on reid avenue

At approximately 12:40 this afternoon Passaic fire department as well as the Passaic police department responded to 36 reid avenue for a tree that fell into a house. No reports of injuries at this time.

Passaic Fire Parade

The Passaic Fire Department 100th Anniversary Parade
“Help us celebrate 100 years of proud service to the City of Passaic.”
Sunday – October 11, 2009
Starting at 11a.m. – Rain or Shine
Parade starts at Eighth St., continues the length of Passaic St./Ave. and ends in Third Ward Park
Refreshments in the park after the parade
For more information or to purchase an advertisement in the Commemorative Ad Journal send an e-mail to: passaicfire100th@gmail.com

*SAVE THE DATE* Editors note unfortunately it is during Yom Tov

Morning misery on Route 21

PASSAIC — A three-car accident Thursday morning caused a tractor-trailer to jackknife and shut down Route 21 south and sent one man to the hospital, police said.

The crash took place around 6:30 a.m. just past Exit 10B to River Drive.

Passaic police Detective Andy White described the accident this way: Rafael Perez, 49, of Clifton was driving a Honda Pilot in the middle lane of the highway when he entered the left lane, where Hawthorne resident Michael Alberta, 26, was driving a Ford Explorer.

The Honda caused Alberta to lose control of his car, White said, which led Perez to swerve and hit the guardrail. Perez’s Honda then spun out into the right lane of the highway, where Melesio Garcia, 39, of Clifton was driving a tractor-trailer.

Garcia swerved to avoid hitting the Honda, and in doing so lost control of the vehicle. The tractor-trailer spun into the left lane and jackknifed on the median.

Perez was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Paterson with non-life-threatening injuries, White said.

Passaic police shut down parts of Route 21 south for nearly three hours and diverted all traffic on the northbound side of the highway off at the Passaic Park exit.

Police reopened the highway around 9:30 a.m. Myheraldnews.com

Panic turns blaze into inferno

PASSAIC — A candle started a house fire on Howe Avenue over the weekend, but it was the panicky actions of the home’s owner that turned the bedroom blaze into a raging three-alarm inferno, fire officials said Monday.

No one was severely injured in the Saturday night fire that broke out at 182 Howe Ave., but the fire left 20 people homeless and the entire 2 1/2-story house gutted and beyond repair, Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said.

“It was a total loss,” he said. But no one was severely injured in the fire, officials said.

Fire inspectors also were examining the possibility that the house contained illegal apartments in the basement and attic, Trentacost said, although the fire did not start in those areas. Instead, it is believed that the fire ignited in a first-floor bedroom, Trentacost said.

A woman who lived in the room later told fire inspectors that she left a candle burning that somehow ignited a bedspread. The owner of the house, whose name was not immediately available Monday, but who is related to the woman, tried to extinguish the flames by pulling off the bedspread. In trying to put out the flames, he burned his hand and then fled, leaving doors open along the way. That was the crucial mistake, Trentacost said: “He created a natural chimney for the fire to extend to the second floor.”

Firefighters arrived about 11:20 p.m. to find flames shooting from the front and side windows of the house. Five minutes later, a second alarm was called, followed by a third. Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control just after midnight, Trentacost said.

Five Car Accident brings out 15 Volunteers from Hatzolah E.M.S.

Passaic New Jersey Five car motor vehicle accident. on the corner of Brook Ave and Passaic Ave in the heart of the Jewish Community. The accident occurred at approximately  1 am early this morning. Hatzolah Of North Jersey E.M.S. was first on scene at the accident. Hatzolah E.M.S. requested Paramedics as well as Fire Department for one aided in the back seat that was trapped in one of the cars. Hatzolah E.M.S transported four patients with paramedics aboard and Passaic E.M.S. transported one patient. All of the 5 patients were transported to Saint Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson. One of the drivers of one of the cars was under 18. Passaic Police and Passaic County Sherrif also on scene. One resident who heard the crash said he heard the accident and he was amazed by the 15 Hatzolah Volunteer’s that responded so quickly. He said, “It’s truly amazing to have such a reliable organization”.

Passaic has yet another fire

PASSAIC — A fire at 220 Sixth St. destroyed one second-floor apartment, leaving heavy water and smoke damage in several nearby apartments and on upper floors. The Saturday night blaze also forced the city Housing Authority to relocate 12 residents, while 10 others found alternate lodging on their own, Sgt. Hershel Rawls of the Passaic Police Department, said Sunday.

In all, eight apartments were vacated as a result of the fire, according to the police report, Rawls said.

No residents were hurt in the blaze, although two firefighters sustained minor injuries and were treated and released from St. Mary’s Hospital, said Deputy Fire Chief Allen Roman.

A third firefighter suffered more serious injuries to his ankle including torn ligaments, Roman said. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson where he was treated and released.

Roman said the firefighter will be off duty until his ankle can be surgically repaired. The fire was reported just before 11 p.m. and the blaze was brought under control by 11:23 p.m., Roman said. Though the cause of the fire is still under investigation, investigators believe it was possibly started by someone smoking in bed. Northjersey.com

Fire Chief says Fire is suspicous

PASSAIC — Police and fire officials are investigating a two-alarm blaze on Oak Street Friday morning as possibly suspicious, fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said.

The fire was discovered at 9:35 a.m. by a passer-by who saw smoke billowing from 402 Oak St., which left the building’s only residents, a father, who was not identified, and his 12-year-old son, homeless, Trentacost said.

No one was at home at the time of the blaze, which firefighters brought under control at 10:15 a.m., Trentacost said.

Investigators said the fire, which erupted in the rear of the basement and rapidly spread throughout the house, may be suspicious because the blaze started in an uninhabited area. Also there appears to be a dispute about ownership of the building, Trentacost said.

No further information about the alleged dispute was available, nor was the cause of the fire immediately determined, Trentacost said.

Fighting the blaze, however, proved physically demanding, Trentacost said. “You have to open up ceilings and walls,” he said. “It’s a very labor-intensive fire.”

Firefighters called the second alarm almost immediately after they arrived at the house on Oak Street, and were assisted by fire companies from neighboring towns.

But the morning was still difficult as two firefighters were treated at the scene for exhaustion, while another was treated for debris that flew into his eyes, Trentacost said.

The worst from the fire was the thought that the Christmas holiday was probably ruined for the 12-year-old youngster who lost his home.

“It’s a sad thing to do when you’re pulling kids’ toys out,” Trentacost said. Northjersey

Clifton house destroyed by fire

CLIFTON – A two-story house on Alfred Street was destroyed by fire late Monday, police said.

There were no reported injuries in the house, but several animals apparently perished, said police Lt. Pat Ciser. Neighbors reported flames moving from the back to the front of the house as city firefighters battled the blaze.

None of the houses adjacent the burning building was damaged, Ciser said. NorthJersey.com

Not very smart but true

 Tonight at 500 Broadway their was a report of fire at a Delta Gas station on the corner of Broadway and Brook. The call came over as a gas fire coming out of the ground from the gas lines. It turns out yes their was a fire on top of the snow multiple Police And Fire Trucks pulled up. The Chief who was first on scene after Police,went over to the fire and realize it was a Fire on top of the snow .The Fire Dept Quickly hosed it out and the fire was put out. After a small investigation they found out that the Gas attendant took Gasoline and poured it on the snow to melt the snow. Which is extremely dangerous. Well now the Gas Station has to deal with the arson Squad as well as several other agencies and fines.

Passaic Firefighters commended

PASSAIC — Three residents might have died in last week’s three-alarm fire on Passaic Street had it not been for three city firefighters who risked their lives in entering a burning apartment building, fire officials said Tuesday

Firefighter Jack LaPlaca, Lt. Bruce Rusconi and Lt. John Brutosky were commended in the fire chief’s report regarding the Dec. 5 blaze, which engulfed 150 Passaic St., and eventually spread next door to 152 Passaic St. The report, released on Tuesday, provided new details on how the fire began and rescues.

The fire began in a lightshaft, or thin alleyway that separates the two buildings and where debris and rubbish collect, Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost said. A second-floor resident of 150 Passaic St. told fire inspectors that she discovered the fire outside her window and tried to extinguish it with water. But the fire continued to eat its way up the side of the building and eventually to the second floor, Trentacost said.

Just before 6:30 p.m., LaPlaca was headed to a nearby gym when he noticed black smoke pouring from the building. The firefighter, who was off-duty at the time and not wearing his fire-resistant uniform, rushed into the smoke-filled building and past evacuating residents. On the second floor, LaPlaca picked up a wheelchair-bound man and carried him and his wheelchair outdoors.

Rusconi and Brutosky, whose rescue of two residents were reported last week, arrived on separate fire rigs shortly afterward. Because of the fire, 17 apartments were evacuated but the number of residents displaced remained unknown.

Fire officials estimated that between 50 and 100 people were evacuated.

The building appeared to be a rooming house and the owners of the property could face fines and criminal charges if inspectors determine there were fire code violations, officials said.

The two residents rescued from the building by Rusconi and Brutosky were treated and released from St. Mary’s Hospital, Trentacost said. NorthJersey.com

Firefighter Injured in Clifton

Clifton N.J. A firefighter was taken to the hospital after he tripped down a flight of stairs and injured himself during a service call Saturday night at a Lakeview section home, a fire official said.At about 7 p.m. Saturday, the fire department was called to 77 E. Second St., to extinguish a mattress fire sparked by a shorted-out electrical outlet, Deputy Chief Leo Loder said.

The firefighter, George Kruckmeyer, was carrying the extinguished mattress down the stairs when he slipped.

Kruckmeyer was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries to his left leg and released on Saturday night, Deputy Chief Thomas Lyons said on Sunday.

— Ed Beeson and Paul Brubaker

Reyes, who based on the preliminary investigation was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene

CLIFTON — Police have identified the man killed in a head-on collision on Route 46 early Sunday morning as a 19-year-old Passaic resident.

Carlos Reyes of Passaic was in the front passenger seat of a black Acura traveling westbound on Route 46 a little after 4 a.m. Sunday, when the car collided with a beige Nissan Altima that was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane, Lt. John Link of the Clifton Police Department said Monday.

Reyes, who based on the preliminary investigation was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene, Link said.

It is unclear why the driver of the Nissan Altima, whom police identify as Leighton Alarcon, 21, of Prospect Park, was traveling in the wrong direction, Link said.

Alarcon, who was also not wearing a seat belt, and the driver of the Acura in which Reyes was a passenger, Lenyn Munoz-Paredes, 24, were both taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson with major head injuries. Munoz-Paredes was wearing a seat belt, Link said.

“We are still investigating aspects such as the cause, where they were going, where they were coming from,” Link said.

Clifton New Jersey Another life is taken on Rt-21

Clifton New Jersey There was a fatal accident this morning at about 4:05 am on Rt-21 South by Rt-46 and Rt-20 when a car was driving down Rt-21 a 3 lane 55 mph highway the wrong way and hit a oncoming car at high speeds. The crash had 2 people in 1 car and 1 in the other the accident took the life of 1 left 1 in likely to expire condition 1 in critical condition. At the time of the accident Clifton F.D. had no Ambulances available so they sent 4 fire trucks all of Clifton’s Fire Fighter’s are E.M.T. Garfield E.M.S. Passaic E.M.S. Nutley E.M.S and Hatzolah E.M.S. all were on scene 2 Pt were xported to Saint Joes Trauma Center in Paterson with Paramedics aboard. The Highway is expected to be closed for most of the day for the investigation.

You heard this story first on Passainews.wordpress.com

Passaic cops defend use of force

PASSAIC — The Passaic County prosecutor said the police shooting of an unarmed city woman “appears to be justified” after she used her car to ram police vehicles and strike an officer during a low-speed chase.

Michele M. Moleti, 34, who was hit by six of the estimated 20 bullets that police fired into her mother’s 1999 Nissan Altima, remained under armed guard Thursday at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson. Her condition was listed as “guarded,” less dire than “serious,” police said.

It was unclear Thursday precisely why Moleti, a former Clifton High School softball star who has had recent run-ins with the law, led police on a slow pursuit through Clifton and into Passaic. That pursuit ended in what was the third shooting involving Clifton police this year.

Residents of the neighborhood near Clifton’s Weasel Brook Park said that they had noticed an unfamiliar car parked in front a fire hydrant on Clinton Avenue as early as 4 p.m. Wednesday. Shortly after 9:20 p.m., Clifton police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked in front of 204 Clinton Ave.

Two patrol cars approached and boxed in the car with Moleti in it. Officers got out and saw Moleti asleep at the wheel, said Passaic County Prosecutor James Avigliano in a news conference Thursday. The officers attempted to wake her. When she did not respond, they tried opening her door with a Slim Jim, a police-issued lock-picking device.

Moleti stirred and locked the door. The officers tried to unlock the door again, but Moleti pushed the button down again.

At some point, she started her car and tried to pull out, smacking the patrol cars behind and in front of her. Police said one of the officers was hit as she was trying to get out. Neighbors on Clinton Avenue said they watched Moleti barely miss hitting an officer as she struck the car and tried to drive off.

The police jumped in their cruisers and started to follow her. One pulled in front of Moleti after she turned on Westervelt Avenue, but she kept driving. They proceeded to make two circuits around a wedge-shaped block bounded by Clinton, Westervelt and De Mott avenues.

“It was like Keystone Kops,” said Michael David, a 64-year-old resident, who ran outside after hearing the commotion on his quiet street.

Meanwhile, neighbors said, a firetruck and an off-duty probation officer living on Clinton Avenue joined the chase. They sped after Moleti after she took off on De Mott Avenue.

The chase continued through local roads and then onto the southbound lanes of Route 21, Avigliano said. Moleti exited in Passaic, where a pair of Clifton narcotics detectives stationed themselves to join the pursuit. The officers notified Passaic police and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, who left the pursuit in Clifton’s hands, Clifton police Capt. Robert Rowan said.

Police used their vehicles to box Moleti in at the intersection of Gregory and Main avenues.

The officers stepped out of their cars and approached Moleti. But she allegedly rammed one of the vehicles and hit one of the narcotics detectives. The officers drew their service weapons and fired into the car. Avigliano said as many as 20 shots were fired at Moleti.

Six bullets pierced her neck, chest and arm. But she did not stop. Police followed her as she drove away. She drove to Lafayette Avenue, turned into a driveway and came to a stop. Police wrestled her out of the vehicle.

Twenty minutes after it started, the chase ended about one block away from the apartment on Boulevard that Moleti shares with her mother.

“I’m just as baffled as everybody else right now that this happened, and I haven’t gotten any answers from the police yet,” her mother, Rose Moleti, told WABC-TV in New York.

Avigliano, whose office is leading the investigation of the shooting, would not release the names of the four Clifton police officers involved. They remain on duty, said Chief Robert Ferreri. Detective Capt. Robert Rowan said all four men are veterans of the force. Two of the officers were treated and released from St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center on Wednesday night, one for a hand injury and one for a leg injury, authorities said.

Avigliano would not comment when asked if Moleti was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the pursuit.

He said at minimum, she’ll be charged with eluding police, attempt to commit aggravated assault or homicide and resisting arrest.

“Police cannot use deadly force unless their life is in danger,” Avigliano said.

The prosecutor said his shooting unit will investigate to determine whether police acted justifiably. In June, Clifton police shot Garfield resident John Kubasta six times after he drove away from a traffic stop and led police on a chase. In April, police shot Aleksander Malek after he wielded a machete and a pipe. Both men survived the shootings.

Terence Persaud, an emergency medical technician who lives at the Lafayette Avenue home where Moleti stopped, said he awoke to find his yard full of uniformed and plainclothes police officers. He saw Moleti on the ground, her hair shaking wildly as police circled her.

“She was yelling and screaming with the cops,” said Persaud, 40. “They were trying to calm her down.”

His neighbors described hearing the pops of gunfire shortly before Moleti’s car and the police behind her descended on the avenue. On Thursday afternoon, evidence of the struggle remained, with shattered glass lying in Persaud’s driveway. Surgeon’s gloves and a dozen alcohol packets littered Lafayette Avenue.

Jeffrey Meano, who said he and Moleti dated for seven years, said family tragedies have haunted her. Her father, Ronald, died during her junior year of high school. Her brother, Mark, died last year at age 35. Illnesses took other family members and her own dreams of becoming a teacher were frequently frustrated.

“She wasn’t a dangerous person. She was a person who was depressed,” Meano said. “Every time she turned around, she was getting hit.”

Moleti was once a standout high school softball player. Meano said she went to Rutgers on an athletic scholarship before transferring to Montclair State. Recently, she found herself in trouble with police, getting arrested three times in a year and a half.

Edgewater police arrested her in June 2006 on charges of cocaine possession. In December of last year, Cliffside Park police charged her with theft after she was allegedly caught on surveillance video stealing $280 in cash from The Club House Cafe, where she worked as a bartender, Capt. Michael Russo said.

Earlier this year, Nutley police arrested her for making a terroristic threat, a charge that was later downgraded to harassment, said Paul Loriquet, spokesman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

All three cases are pending.

“She was no crazy person, no convict,” Meano said. “Just a normal kid who has had some bad turns and was in a cloudy place.”

–Staff writers Heather Haddon, Suzanne Travers and the Associated Press, NorthJersey.com

Major Fire in Downtown Passaic

 Passaic New Jersey A serious fire a 3rd alarm fire at 150 Passaic street in the downtown section of Passaic . Passaic P.D.Passaic County Sheriff.Passaic E.M.S. Paterson E.M.S. Hatzolah Passaic E.M.S. Passaic,Clifton,Paterson.Wallington.Carlstadt,Little Falls Fire Dept all on scene several people were taken out of the building and transported for smoke inhalation to Saint Mary’s .Fire started at about 6:30 fire burnt for around 3 hours un
till the Fire fighters were able to knock it down. Passaic Police Arson Squad is on the scene doing there investigation.There are about 50 people homeless some were being brought to the Howard Johnson on route 3 for the night.

Truck fire closes parts of Route 3 in Clifton

CLIFTON — A Wednesday afternoon truck fire on Route 3 snarled eastbound traffic for more than three miles, causing delays that stretched onto Route 46 and into Little Falls.

At about 1:30 p.m., a plumber driving onto the highway from the Bloomfield Avenue entrance heard an explosion from the back of his truck. He pulled over on the ramp’s shoulder, saw smoke pouring out the back and thought about the chemicals onboard. NorthJersey.com

77 police officers hurt in Paris riots

AP VILLIERS-LE-BEL, France – Rampaging youths rioted overnight in Paris’ suburbs, hurling Molotov cocktails and setting fire to dozens of cars. At least 77 officers were injured and officers were fired at, a senior police union official said Tuesday.The violence was more intense than during three weeks of rioting in 2005, said the official, Patrice Ribeiro. Police were shot at and are facing “genuine urban guerillas with conventional weapons and hunting weapons,” Ribeiro said.

Some officers were hit by shotgun pellets, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said. She said there were six serious injuries, “people who notably were struck in the face and close to the eyes.”

The riots were triggered by the deaths of two teens killed in a crash with a police patrol car on Sunday in Villiers-le-Bel, a town of public housing blocks home to a mix of Arab, black and white residents in Paris’ northern suburbs.

Residents claimed that officers left the crash scene without helping the teens, whose motorbike collided with the car. Officials cast doubt on the claim, but the internal police oversight agency was investigating.

Youths first rioted Sunday and again overnight Monday to Tuesday, when the violence apparently got worse.

Police barricades were set on fire and youths threw stones and Molotov cocktails at officers, who retaliated with tear gas and rubber bullets. In Villiers-le-Bel and surrounding areas, youths set fire to 36 vehicles, the area’s prefecture said.

Youths were seen firing buckshot at police and reporters. A police union official said a round from a hunting rifle pierced the body armor of one officer who suffered a serious shoulder wound.

Among the buildings targeted by the youths was a library, which was set afire.

In Sunday’s violence, eight people were arrested and 20 police officers were injured — including the town’s police chief, who was attacked in the face when he tried to negotiate with the rioters, police said. One firefighter also was injured.

Residents drew parallels to the 2005 riots, which were prompted by the deaths of two teens electrocuted in a power substation while hiding from police in a suburb northeast of Paris.

A recent study by the state auditor’s office indicated that money poured into poor French suburbs in recent decades had done little to solve problems vividly exposed by the 2005 riots, including discrimination, unemployment and alienation from mainstream society.

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Passaic N.J. Flipped over car Main and Brook with no one around

Passaic N.J.  At 2:57AM Their was a flipped over car on Main Ave and Brook Ave with no one around. Passaic Fire,Police and Hatzolah E.M.S all on scene and no one in the area driver fled away. The driver must have crawled out the window that was a half a block away.Car was towed to Police head quarters for investigation.

Passaic N.J. Fire in Food Basics

At 9:20 their was a fire in Food Basics on Van Houten Ave near the Clifton border. Passaic Police,Fire,Hatzolah,and,Paramedics were all on scene. Fire was knocked down quickly and fire was out within 20 minutes several people were in the store at the time they were treated and released. The Chief Fire Inspector was on scene and said it appeared to be an Electric Heater where the fire started from.

There was a report of a home invasion @ 450 Fenlon Blvd

(Clifton New Jersey) Their was a home invasion at approximately 2:30 am . It took place on the border between Passaic and Clifton. Police on scene requested the fire department and an ambulance for an unknown reason at this time.

Phony bomb threat shuts down county buildings

PATERSON — A bogus bomb threat disrupted the lunch hour at Passaic County’s court and administration buildings and sent hundreds of workers streaming onto Grand and Hamilton streets, according to a spokesman for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department.At around 12:40 p.m., authorities evacuated the county buildings after receiving a phoned-in bomb threat against the complex. Bomb squads and K-9 units from the Sheriff’s Department swept the buildings before allowing personnel and the public back into the building spokesman Bill Maer said.

While most people were sent onto the streets, it was unclear where the prisoners awaiting court appearances were evacuated. “For security reasons,” Maer said, “they were placed in a secure location that was properly swept for the inmates and staff.”

Clifton City Hall Locked Down For Hours

CLIFTON — What first appeared to be seven tons of doom sitting in front of City Hall turned out to be seven tons of nuisance.

A boulder intended to form the base of a new municipal monument caused a scare Friday morning when a city worker noticed a pair of wires sticking out of the stone.

The worker, who had just unloaded the rock from a flatbed truck, knew the boulder had come from a quarry. He knew the quarry used dynamite to loosen rocks.

He also worried the wires could be connected to an unexploded charge.

“If he drilled into it,” Detective Lt. Richard Berdnik said, “he worried that he would cause an explosion.”

The worker alerted his supervisor instead.

The municipal complex was evacuated and city workers were allowed to go home, Mayor James Anzaldi said.

Police and fire officials blocked traffic for several blocks while workers parked two garbage trucks to shield the building in case of a blast, Berdnik said.

By 2 p.m., the bomb squad of the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department realized the would-be bomb was a false alarm.

“We tested the electronic currents of the wires,” the Sheriff’s Department spokesman, Bill Maer, said. No unexploded charges were found.

And doom turned to nuisance.

Following the all-clear, dozens of residents streamed toward City Hall. Some came to pay their taxes. Others came for a flu shot.

They were all told to come back Tuesday. After all, city workers had been dismissed and Monday is a federal holiday.

Many were angry at the inconvenience.

“This is terrible,” Mary DePalma said. “You would think the Health Department would’ve called.

“And knowing the price of gas,” the octogenarian continued. “Look at all of these people coming down here and wasting gas.”beeson@northjersey.com.

Flipped Over Car in Passaic Park.

PCNJ Staff

Passaic, NJ – A woman suffered only minor injuries after her car rolled over on Pennington Ave. and Paulison Ave., after crashing into a parked car at about 2 AM, on Aug. 11.

A resident who heard the crash said, “I was upstairs and I heard this horrific noise, and I looked out the window and I saw this car had completely flipped over. I ran to my phone and I called 911.”

Passaic police, fire and EMS, Hackensack Paramedics, and Hatzolah all responded to the call. The patient was transported by Passaic EMS to Saint Mary’s Hospital.

Breaking News – Ellenville, N.Y. 2 Jewish Groups Lost On A Mountain While Hiking

Ulster County, NY – There is a search in progress for two groups of Jewish boys lost hiking in the State Park. Fire Department, N.Y. State Police, Sheriff’s, EMS, & Hatzolah are all involved with the search. They are staging at the local fire house. The search is for two groups of lost hikers in the woods near the Ice Cave Mountains in Minnewaska State Park. New York State Police are in contact with them via cell phones, and hope to locate them soon. Misaskim is on Scene with very bright lights. [You read it first on PCJN. We will update you as the updates become available.]

Update 00:14 – Park Rangers have located both of the groups on the “Red Trail” and are in the process of bringing them out of the forest. Hatzolah as well as the local EMS are waiting their arrival to examine them.

Update 00:31 – all are Baruch Hashem okay. Everyone is out of the forest safe and sound.

We at P.C.J.N would like to thank the New York State Police, the Park Rangers, Hatzolah, E.M.S., and all the local fire fighters who helped bring these boys to Safety.

Fire in Passaic Ousts 7 and Injures 6

Passaic, NJ – Seven people were displaced and six firefighters were sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a general alarm fire on Sherman Street, a fire official said.

The firefighters — one struck in the neck by debris, and five suffering from heat exhaustion — were under observation late Wednesday, said Passaic Deputy Fire Chief Al Roman.

Fire departments from a half dozen towns helped city firefighters battle the two-hour blaze.

The fire at 284 Sherman St. was reported at 6:09 p.m. The fire was declared under control at 8:52 p.m., Roman said.

Flames were pouring out of the second-floor of the 2½ story wood frame house, Roman said.

The fire, which gutted a second-floor bedroom, was under investigation late Wednesday, Roman said.

The city was helping the seven displaced tenants find shelter, Roman said. [Justo Bautista – North Jersey.com]

View original article here.

Car In Flames on Route 21 in Clifton, Possible Drunk Driver Involved.

File Photo of a Car Fire

Clifton, NJ – A car with three Jewish teenagers from Fair Lawn got a flat tire on Route 21 right under the Route 3 underpass. They put on their blinkers, got out of their car, and were attempting to change the tire, when the car was rear ended by another vehicle traveling at a very high rate of speed. Their car was thrown, and reportedly rolled over from the force of the collision.The boy who was actually jacking up the car was thrown and lost consciousness. The two other boys who were helping with the car were also injured.The car began to smoke, and the boys, with great difficulty, got away from the car moments before it burst into flames, that reportedly went as high as the Route 3 overpass that was above it.Hatzolah, Clifton EMS, Clifton Fire Department, N.J. State police, and MONOC ALS all responded.The police reportedly asked driver of the car that crashed into the stopped car if he had had anything to drink, to which he allegedly replied, “not much, just a few beers.”Hatzolah transported the three teenagers, one with serious injuries, to Hackensack Hospital, while Clifton EMS transported the driver of the car to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. [PCJN Staff]Safety Note: if your tire blows out on the highway, please try to drive slowly on the rim to a safe location to change it. Changing tires in the middle of a busy highway can be deadly.