Overcast 46°
Tag:

Leadership

Schools
Watch: North Jersey Teacher Surprised With 'Oscars Of Teaching' Award Watch: North Jersey Teacher Surprised With 'Oscars Of Teaching' Award
Watch: North Jersey Teacher Surprised With 'Oscars Of Teaching' Award Students, teachers, and community leaders gathered at a New Jersey Middle School Thursday, Nov. 14, expecting a standard visit from New Jersey Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer.  But the assembly at Malcolm E. Nettingham Middle School took an exciting twist when Dr. Jane Foley of the Milken Educator Awards took the stage to reveal that fifth-grade teacher Emily Litz was New Jersey’s only recipient of the 2024-25 Milken Educator Award, often referred to as the "Oscars of Teaching." Along with the honor, Litz received an unrestricted $25,000 prize and made hi…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Politics
Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home
Thomas Adamo Elected Passaic County Sheriff, Vows To Serve Community He Calls Home Passaic County voters have chosen Democrat Thomas Adamo as their new sheriff, filling the position left vacant by the late Sheriff Richard Berdnik.  A lifelong Passaic County resident, Adamo won the election with 94,157 votes, while Maria Saracino, a detective captain with the county prosecutor's office, garnered 80,135. The role has been vacant since January when then-Sheriff Richard Berdnik died by suicide in the bathroom of a Clifton restaurant. Adamo’s career reflects his dedication and steady rise within law enforcement. Starting as a corrections officer with the Passai…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
News
Stuffed Puppy Brings Life Full Circle For PAPD's First Hispanic Female Police Captain Stuffed Puppy Brings Life Full Circle For PAPD's First Hispanic Female Police Captain
Stuffed Puppy Brings Life Full Circle For Papd's First Hispanic Female Police Captain His name is Bingo, and he's so much more than a toy puppy. The stuffed animal was gifted to Priscilla Sanchez when she was 10 by her older brother gifted her the stuffed toy as he prepared for deployment to Iraq. “I held onto that puppy every night," said Sanchez, 33, adding that the puppy became a symbol of her brother's sacrifice. “I knew I wanted to follow the same path.” This year, days before welcoming her third son, Sanchez was promoted to the Port Authority Police Department's first female captain of Hispanic heritage. And this time, Sanchez's sons wer…

SHARE

by Chris Spiker
Schools
Clifton School Principal Dies: Remembering Jennifer Lucas Clifton School Principal Dies: Remembering Jennifer Lucas
Clifton School Principal Dies: Remembering Jennifer Lucas Jennifer Lucas, the principal of a Clifton elementary school, died on Monday, Oct. 7, school officials said. Acting Superintendent Mark Gengaro announced Lucas' death in a letter to families. Lucas, who helmed School Two, began working in the district as a music teacher at School 12 in 1995, where she continued to work as assistant principal. She later moved on to become principal of School Two, "where she made a lasting impact on all who knew her as a friend, colleague, and school leader," Gengaro said. "Her ability to inspire and motivate extended across Clifton as she brought our c…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Politics
Former Trump Hater J.D. Vance Selected As Donald Trump's VP Candidate Former Trump Hater J.D. Vance Selected As Donald Trump's VP Candidate
Former Trump Hater J.D. Vance Selected As Donald Trump's VP Candidate Former President Donald Trump unveiled his vice presidential running mate late Monday afternoon, July 15.  US Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, age 39, was announced as the pick by Trump on Truth Social just ahead of his appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The post reads as follows: "After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our Country in the Ma…

SHARE

by Jillian Pikora
News
Former Moonachie Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Ponds Dies Former Moonachie Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Ponds Dies
Former Moonachie Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Ponds Dies The Montclair Public School District is mourning the loss of its superintendent. A message posted on the district website said only that the district is mourning the passing of Dr. Jonathan Ponds. Ponds was principal to students at the Parsons Elementary School in North Brunswick from 2012 to 2015 and also served as a superintendent and principal in Moonachie. Ponds also had experience working as a special education teacher, basketball coach, vice principal, and dean of students, his bio on the Montclair Schools website said. The district's director of secondary education Damen Coope…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
News
Paramus Police's New Deputy Chief Cracked Some Of Borough's Biggest Cases Paramus Police's New Deputy Chief Cracked Some Of Borough's Biggest Cases
Paramus Police's New Deputy Chief Cracked Some Of Borough's Biggest Cases Batman and Robin are back. Back in 1994, when Frank Scott was first hired as a Paramus police officer, Robert Guidetti was his assigned training officer. The two worked nights together, patrolling local streets and highways as Guidetti showed the rookie cop the ropes. Then, when Guidetti was promoted out of the department's intelligence unit, Scott was brought in to replace him. Eventually, Scott was promoted again to captain of the detective bureau where he would continue to play a key role in managing and cracking some of the most involved cases in Paramus — just as he did in June of 20…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Unanimous Choice For New Mahwah Police Chief Respected For His Professionalism, Expertise Unanimous Choice For New Mahwah Police Chief Respected For His Professionalism, Expertise
Unanimous Choice For New Mahwah Police Chief Respected For His Professionalism, Expertise A highly decorated and widely respected law enforcement veteran was unanimously approved as Mahwah's new police chief Monday night. Timothy O'Hara was chosen by Mayor Jim Wysocki as the 9th police chief in Mahwah's nearly 80-year-history. The Township Council approved the appointment of O'Hara at the June 19 public meeting to succeed four-year Police Chief Stephen Jaffe, whose retirement becomes effective July 1. The vote was 7-0. Wysocki said O'Hara is an excellent choice because of his professionalism, among other strengths. The mayor should know -- he's a retired police township polic…

SHARE

by Jerry DeMarco
Obituaries
Jersey Shore Fire Chief Tim Pfleger Dies, 32 Jersey Shore Fire Chief Tim Pfleger Dies, 32
Jersey Shore Fire Chief Tim Pfleger Dies, 32 A Jersey Shore fire department is mourning the loss of their chief. Keyport Fire Department Chief Tim Pfleger, 32, died over the weekend, the department announced on Facebook. Pfleger had been hurt in an accident returning from the fire academy in July, NJ Advance Media reports. Pfleger joined the department as a cadet in 2007. The following year, he joined Keyport Fire Patrol, having served as a lieutenant and captain. In 2019, Pfleger was elected as the Third Assistant Chief of the Department. He served two more years as an Assistant Chief until he was elected as the 2022 Chief of Depart…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Obituaries
Lifelong Morris County Resident, Faithful Church Deaconess Dies Unexpectedly, 39 Lifelong Morris County Resident, Faithful Church Deaconess Dies Unexpectedly, 39
Lifelong Morris County Resident, Faithful Church Deaconess Dies Unexpectedly, 39 Lifelong Morris County resident and faithful church deaconess Shanell Renee Henderson died unexpectedly on Sunday, Aug. 14. She was 39. Born in Morristown, Shanell was a “miracle child” who suffered health issues as an infant and was given a two percent chance at survival, her obituary says. “Thirty-nine years later, she exemplified the sufficiency of God’s grace and mercy,” reads her memorial. Shanell graduated from Morristown High School in 2001 before briefly attending The Chubb Institute in East Hanover. She was also a faithful member and singer in the choir at Union Baptist Church in…

SHARE

by Valerie Musson
Neighbors
Nation’s Premier Collegiate Honor Society Inducts Salome Saladze Into Membership Nation’s Premier Collegiate Honor Society Inducts Salome Saladze Into Membership
Nation’s Premier Collegiate Honor Society Inducts Salome Saladze Into Membership Salome Saladze of Lodi, NJ has accepted an invitation of lifetime membership in The National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), the nation’s leading certified honor society for high-achieving first- and second-year college students with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. NSCS is an honors organization that invites less than ten percent of all eligible students nationwide to join the ranks of its diverse membership each year. A leading interdisciplinary academic honor society, NSCS is made up of scholars from two-year, four-year and online institutions. “NSCS is more than just a…

SHARE

by Daily Voice
Business
American Dream: Juicy Platters Expands To Paramus American Dream: Juicy Platters Expands To Paramus
American Dream: Juicy Platters Expands To Paramus Juicy Platters is expanding to Paramus. The Mediterranean-inspired, Halal, platter joint will open in a leased space at 393 Rt 17 South. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Juicy! - Halal With Heart (@juicyplatters) Juicy Platters is expected to open sometime in the summer once construction has been completed, a company spokesperson told Daily Voice. Owned by Jaffar Wahdat, Juicy Platters quickly gained popularity after opening on Broadway in Fair Lawn in 2011. Wahdat expanded to Hackensack and Harrison over the course of 10 years…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Native, Sailor Saves Life At The Gym NJ Native, Sailor Saves Life At The Gym
NJ Native, Sailor Saves Life At The Gym The life-saving drills that US Navy sailor Ryan P. Lighten had performed while stationed in San Antonio were muscle memory during a recent trip to the gym. “I was working out on the bench press with my earbuds in, when one of my future sailors ran up to me with a scared look on his face, yelling franticly,” said Lighten, 29, of Newark. “He told me there was a man lying on the floor unresponsive and not breathing.” Future Sailor Dominic Rodgers knew the Navy provided CPR training to all of its personnel, which is why he ran straight to Lighten, he said. Without hesitation, Lighten sprung in…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine
Schools
SUP'T: Morris County HS Speaker Told Students Hitler Was 'Good Leader' SUP'T: Morris County HS Speaker Told Students Hitler Was 'Good Leader'
SUP'T: Morris County HS Speaker Told Students Hitler Was 'Good Leader' A good leader with bad moral character and intentions. That's how a guest speaker described Hitler to a room full of Madison High School student athletes over the weekend, NJ.com reports. The speaker was not identified by Superintendent Mark Schwarz in a letter co-signed by three other district officials sent to parents, nor was the presentation screened in advance, he said. Schwartz called the presentation “unnecessarily provocative and insensitive," the news outlet said. The Saturday assembly was aimed at promoting “positive leadership values and a culture of sportsm…

SHARE

by Cecilia Levine